Snowshoeing in Stoos – a winter dream

Last December was a bitter disappointment in terms of winter mood. There was not a snowflake to be seen far and wide. Nothing, nada! Accordingly, this year I provisionally prepared myself for gray December days. In the spirit of: It can only get better. And how! Just in time for the first weekend of Advent, Petrus gave us short winter pleasures all the way down to the Swiss Plateau (at least for those who like snow). We seized the opportunity, got the snowshoes down from the attic and landed last Sunday in the middle of a winter wonderland, the likes of which I would not have expected in my wildest dreams in December.

Snowshoeing – a dream day in Stoos

At short notice, we decided to head for Stoos for the first winter excursion of the 2017/2018 season. The car-free winter sports resort of Stoos can be reached by train from Zurich in less than two hours and, at 1,300 m above sea level (Stoosbahn Schwyz mountain station), is high enough for the snow to remain at the current temperatures. For me it was the first detour to Stoos and I was pleasantly surprised, from the small, nice and unagitated ski area. Whereby next week will probably be the place to be. That’s when the new Muotathal-Stoos funicular will be opened, which will gain in charisma with the title “the steepest funicular in the world”. All the more we enjoyed the peace and quiet last weekend. On the way we didn’t meet anyone – except when crossing the ski slopes.

Various snowshoe tours in Stoos

In Stoos there are various marked snowshoe trails to choose from. We opted for the Waldhüttli snowshoe trail, which leads away from the ski infrastructure through the idyllic winter landscape. During our ascent, the trail was unexpectedly so untouched that even the signs from the height of Dötschbären were missing (up to that point the trail was perfectly signposted). Apparently, the mountain railways had also not expected such an early onset of winter – and so motivated snowshoe hikers. Due to the lack of markings, we took a wrong turn at the first attempt and ended up on the winter hiking trail in the direction of the Klingenstockbahn. When we noticed the mistake, we immediately made a U-turn and used the Switzerland mobile app to find our way through the fresh snow. The easypeasy introductory tour, which was originally planned, unexpectedly turned into a challenge – it is “choge” exhausting to set the first track through approx. 50 cm of fresh snow. But the effort was definitely worth it, as the following flood of pictures shows – a dream, isn’t it?

The only drop of melancholy is that the Waldhüttli recommended in the tour description was not open. I’m not sure if the quaint pub will even open this winter… If so, this would be a really nice stopover on the way back to Stoos. If not, the Skihaus Ibach between the Klingenstockbahn and the Stoosbahn mountain station is also a recommended option for refreshments. We ordered a platter of cheese and bacon and enjoyed the warming rays of the sun. A winter Sunday as it is written in a picture book.

Practical tips for the Waldhüttli snowshoe tour

The Waldhüttli snowshoe trail starts at the mountain station of the Stoosbahn, which is included in the GA travelcard (brilliant, in my opinion). It first leads straight ahead near the village and slightly downhill towards Bergli. This is where the steep ascent to the Chlausenlochwald begins. In total, there are about 200 meters of altitude to overcome over a distance of about 5 kilometers. The time required is two to three hours without breaks, depending on snow conditions. We were on the road for a good three hours ourselves and felt the thighs afterwards – but that’s how it should be. You can read the detailed route description on Switzerland Mobil. Since this season, the signposted winter hiking trails and snowshoe trails are now listed there. So you can find a suitable snowshoe tour near you without much research.