Heavenly! z’Alp in Toggenburg

“We don’t have to die, because we’re already in paradise”

With these words, Koni Jöhl welcomes us to Alp Oberchäseren. How true! Here, high above the Linthal between Mattstock and Speer, it is without a doubt paradisiacal. The only thing missing is a tub of ice-cold water that I can pour over my sweaty head to cool down. There is currently a shortage of water in paradise. Alp Oberchäseren is the second stop on our three-day hike along the Toggenburg High Trail from Wildhaus to Ebnat-Kappel. At the end of the tour, we will feel the total of 45 kilometers and over 2,000 meters of altitude in our thighs.

My highlight of the tour are the two overnight stays in a hut. Without electricity and showers and with an outhouse, for which you first have to go around seven corners, this was a special experience for us. I had been to the Alps several times as a three-cheese high, but I had somehow forgotten the simplicity of life up there. No socket where you can quickly charge your smartphone. Water that has to be transported up by helicopter due to the lack of water and whose preciousness we suddenly become aware of again. And the constant tinkling of cowbells around the hut, which gently lulls me to sleep in the evening and wakes me up the next morning at dusk. In summary, it was an abrupt step back to simplicity and a bit of unplanned “digital detox” with the conclusion that life takes its usual course of things even without checking the Twitter timeline every 5 minutes.

We enjoyed the three days off in Toggenburg and tried to capture the moods on the two Alps with the camera. Since we were incredibly lucky with the weather and took far too many pictures, I’ll show you my favorite moments on the two Alps here and then tell you more about the individual stages of the Toggenburg High Trail shortly.

Ochsenhütte Alp Selun

Around 20 people find a comfortable place to sleep in the dormitory above the stable of the Ochsenhütte. The hut is located in the middle of the idyllic pasture landscape of Alp Selun at the foot of the striking Churfirsten. Myrta Baumgartner is concerned about the well-being of her guests and serves us a delicious four-course menu for dinner. For dessert there are freshly picked blueberries. Delicious! You can enjoy the last rays of sunshine of the day on the bench in front of the hut and drink a Mungecafi. The cows also show their most photogenic side up here. Since it also has suckler cows in the herd, some caution is advised when walking across the alpine pastures.

The next morning we wake up punctually at six o’clock for sunrise without an alarm clock and start the second day of hiking in the sunshine in front of the hut with Züpfe, Konfi and Chäs.

Alp Oberchäseren

Alp Oberchäseren, which is sandwiched between Mattstock and Speer in the municipality of Weesen, can accommodate up to 40 people in a dormitory. I was particularly impressed by the rugged hill formations here. The sun terrace in front of the hut is a popular stopover for hikers on the way back from the Speer to the valley. We treat ourselves to a hearty platter until dinner and then eat the whole pot of Chäshörnli empty, so that the sun shines the next day. For digestion there is the house coffee “Granate” and then it’s off to bed. The next morning you will be rewarded with a magical morning atmosphere. Who needs a shower and electricity when you can experience such moments?

Note: This trip was supported by Ostschweiz Tourismus – thank you very much for this. As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm here.