Swiss Route 63: Schwyzer Hohenweg

At last a day of good weather, so went on a local hiking route. As I will shortly be leaving for an intensive week of continuous hiking, I wanted to test out some recently bought shoes, plus my own ability to do 30km+ in a day (and still be able to continue the following day for the next 20km!). Beautiful weather, but the hike involved quite a number of different altitude variations, so my knees were wrecked by the end of the day. Plus I had a landslide/mud experience, which left me wearing extra-heavy, mud-caked shoes (yes, my new shoes!)and muddy trousers. Could things get worse? Only that the sunny weather changed to rain, so I was left trudging back to the train station wet and obviously covered in mud - oh, the joys of hiking! But just look at the photos.

Schwyzer Hohenweg June 2013

... and for the PC Slideshow version

Via Gottardo route 7: Sursee to Emmenbrucke (near Luzern) - 18 May 2013

Here is the visual journal of today's walk, which you can view as a slideshow through Picasa:

Sursee to Emmenbrucke

... or the slideshow for those with Flash:

Another Via Gottardo - route 77: Bargen via Schaffhausen to the Rheinfalls

Bad weather was forecast, so I decided to venture on this route from the German border to Schaffhausen, a town I had never visited, but about which I had heard positive things. At the same time, heavy rainfall had caused floods in certain areas, and I thought it would be interesting to see the Rheinfalls at this time.

Bargen to Schaffhausen

Via Gottardo: Zofingen to Sursee

May 1st, 2013 I'd forgotten how pretty and interesting Zofingen was when I left it last time without really visiting. I returned today and walked around a little before setting off on this next leg of the journey, and found that Zofingen is definitely worth a visit. I continued to follow the Via Gottardo (route 7) and finished the day in Sursee. Here's the link to the photos on Picasa (Creative Commons), with the Flash slideshow below it (for those following with iPads).

Zofingen to Sursee May 13

Via Gottardo: Olten to Zofingen

Zofingen is really a secret jewel - a beautiful town that is definitely not publicized enough. I recommend a visit, and the Via Gottardo leads us through it.

Via Gottardo: Olten to Zofingen

Via Gottardo? - a new direction

Having walked across Switzerland from its eastern crossing at Rorschach to the western border just an hour away from Geneva, I now need a new weekend activity. So how about north to south? The Via Gottardo runs from Basel (or from near Schaffhausen) in the north of Switzerland, to Chiasso at the south of Ticino. At the same time, nearer to home, there is the Jurahohenweg that follows the crest of the Jura mountains from Regensberg, near Zurich to Nyon, near Geneva. Then, of course there is the Via Alpina, ... but that can only be tackled when the snow has gone, ...lots of choice and also lots of regional routes, but I'll keep on walking. Well, I didn't fancy walking through the outskirts of Basel, so started the Via Gottardo in Liestal.

Via Gottardo: Liestal to Olten

... and for those who have Flash, the slideshow.

Luzerner Landschaft Kapellenweg: April 2013

Luzerner kapelle: April 2013

At last spring seems to be here, so it's time for another adventure. It's Saturday, so the path and the churches are quiet. The snow-covered mountains provide the back-drop, while the green fields of this part of the country truly show that it could once have been the "bread basket" of Switzerland. The numerous chapels and churches are also testament to the wealth that existed here, ... although looking at some of the beautifully maintained and renovated chalets and farmhouses, you can believe that some of that wealth is still present, if only from a cultural and environmental point of view. Unfortunately, the slide show only plays with Flash player. ...but if you click on the photo, you can join me on my journey. The photos are not great, but please feel free to use them. And I hope that they will encourage you to go "on the way to somewhere".