Up to the Stanserhorn

Given the weather forecast, we probably wouldn't have done this one today if we weren't desperate to get up into the mountains and to do some more "getting in shape" work.

We started in Stans and planned to do the direttissima route up to the peak, but at the gondola station at Chaelti we discovered that the direct route was closed. After thinking about it a couple seconds and taking the amount of rain that has come down over the last days, we decided to obey the signs and take the longer zig-zag panorama route. So up we go on a mixture of forest road and path, not climbing overly steeply. At the construction site at Bluematt we need to do some improvisation to follow the path (after discovering that the electric fence was active... ouch!), but then we continue on the, now quite muddy, road/path up. Just past Bluematt we come to this great sign (we'll see a few more along the way), which is now our new logo/slogan:

Further up to the Ahornhütte, where we have a sandwich on the nice picnic table enjoying the only-partially-cloud-obscured views out over the Vierwaldstattersee, Luzern, etc.

 

 After the break it's a short bit more up to the ridge at Blatti. The last piece starts on the ridge (the view out towards Engelberg, Pilatus, etc. is unfortunately almost entirely covered by clouds), then drops down a bit, past Rinderalp, and then back up to the ridge before hitting the gondola station/restaurant at the Stanserhorn. It's still early, so everything is closed, but we appreciate the views out towards Luzern a bit more (nothing to see the other way), have another sandwich, and then start down towards Dallenwil.

The path down to Dallenwil would be really, really nice on a day with views (and, preferably, with dry footing), but it's still not bad in the wet with the low clouds. At Wiesenberg we decide that we've both had enough of descending through mud (boy is that tough on the knees), so we grab the gondola (very basic) down to Dallenwil. We miss the train by a few minutes, which leaves us time for refreshing beverages before catching the next train back towards Luzern and home.

We'll definitely have to head back to the Stanserhorn some day when it's clear.