Climbing the Brüggligrat

We started this tour with an SAC group earlier this year but had to bail because Greg's stomach was bothering him. This time it was just the two of us.

We got an early start because the route is a popular one and we didn't want to be in the middle of a crowd all day. Leaving Basel just after 7 put us in Selzach at 8:20. From there we walked through town in the fog (bah! fog!), slowly climbing the whole way, until we reach the fields just pass Moos. As we go the fog starts to thin and by the time we're at the Vögelishof there are blue skies overhead (woo hoo!). Into the fall-colored woods, more steeply up, up, up with the swish/crunch of freshly fallen leaves underfoot, until we reach the bridge that marks the bottom of the ridge.

coming out of the fog

We put on the climbing gear, unpack the rope, and have a quick snack. Since this is not-overly-difficult climbing along a ridge, we decide to do the climb in our mountaineering boots. These worked really well at the Spannorthütte and are definitely more comfortable. From the trail we scramble up to the base of the climb and get started. Aside from the first stretch, which is 4a, the climbing bits are all in the 3 range. The climbing is interspersed with some scrambling and some walking (yay for the boots!). For most of it the rope and gear is really unnecessary, but it's still good practice for us. It is, anyway, our first multi-pitch climbing tour, and it's good to be starting with something easy. There aren't too many bolts set on this one, so Andrea (who leads the whole climb) has fun finding places to hang slings and carabiners along the way and trees to as belay points. Aside from difficulties making ourselves heard on the longer pitches (neither of us is loud enough), it all goes quite well and we're done with the climbing all-too-soon.

on the Brüggligrat

We do a lunch break in the sun with great (though hazy) views of the Alps, and then walk the rest of the ridge, past the really nice picnic spot at the top (the two guys who were in front of us have this), and then down to the meadow at p1083. After packing away the climbing gear we continue on to the alp at Schauenburg (been past here before on snowshoes) where we stop for a cool beverage before heading down to Lommiswil (Im Holz) and the train back home.

Schauenburg underneath the Stallflue