Rigi Känzeli Loop

Happily ascent was unfortunately not rewarded with a view of Känzeli, but on the descent;)

A very beautiful hike with a fantastic view and in summer with a variety of flowers and butterflies.

First by train from Küssnacht to the Seebodenalp and then via Rigi Staffel to the Rigi Kulm. There's a lot going on at the top (it also goes up a train) So quickly down again via Rigi Staffelhöhe and the Chänzeli to the Räbalp. Quaint rest stop. Then back to the mountain station. Nice promising round. You just have to endure the hype on the Kulm.

Hike 🥾🥾from the Seebodenalp to Rigi Kulm⛰🇨🇭

Because of the snow conditions, we are not doing the planned tour to Rophaien today. But Daniel has a plan B and we now want to go to Rigi, which is also called the Queen of the Mountains. We have breakfast at the Lindernenhütte and then go to the cable car to take the gondola down into the valley. From there we drive to Seebodenalp high above Küssnacht, where there are paid parking spaces. Seebodenalp is located on a large, high plateau at 1030 m above sea level on the northwest flank of Rigi. Lake Lucerne glitters at its feet and Rigi Kulm towers high above it. It is the highest peak of Rigi and that is where we want to go. We first hike on the panoramic trail with wonderful views of Lake Lucerne and Pilatus. There are numerous benches and fire pits along the way and because it is easy to reach, there is always plenty going on here. This morning, however, it is still quiet, except for two rest areas where there are a number of students. A school has a hiking day today and is travelling in four groups, meeting at Seebodenalp. The path leads up to the newly opened Alp Ruodisegg, then it is a little steeper up to Alp Räb, which is beautifully situated and looks very inviting. But we have only just started, so we forego a stop for a break. Now the path leads steeply up the meadow for a bit, then we hike on a mountain path through the forest. Shortly before the Chänzeli, the route leads along a conglomerate rock band. From there, the path gradually becomes a little flatter and we arrive at the Chänzeli viewing terrace. The views that we have here are magnificent. The magnificent view is indescribably beautiful. An overwhelming view opens up of Lake Lucerne and the mountains with the dominant Pilatus, the trio of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. The panorama boards show us the names of the incredible number of snow-capped peaks. For a short time we hear the sound of the alphorn. After we have sufficiently enjoyed these dream views, we want to continue on our way. At this very moment a wiry old boy in a beautiful traditional costume and alphorn comes along. He looks really cool with his sunglasses. We have a nice chat with him and he plays us a piece and gives us another one to take with us. From now on there is more going on on the route and a few people come towards us, a noticeable number of them Asians. The views are always great and we are delighted. We reach Rigi Staffelhöhe. Here is a station of the cog railway. Daniel goes to the place of inner contemplation in the station. While I wait for him, the alphorn player comes along goose-stepping. Since there is obviously no train running at the moment, he walks briskly on. Now we walk along the Staffelhöheweg along the cog railway to the next station, Rigi Staffel. Here cog railways come from two different directions. We also hear the sound of the alphorn from the sprightly senior again, who then gets on the cog railway to Rigi Kulm. We will, however, cover this part of the route on foot on the Kulmweg. We encounter whole hordes of people coming towards us. Very few people make the climb like we do on foot. At the Rigi Kulm restaurant/hotel we almost get a culture shock. The crowds are huge and a full cog railway keeps coming up, bringing tourists up. We go up to the summit and nevertheless enjoy the unique 360° panorama. The view of the snow-covered Alpine chain, the lakes, the whole of central Switzerland and large parts of the Mittelland are fantastic! And here is "our" alphorn player again, showing off his skills. Mountains and the sound of the alphorn are simply beautiful and the many tourists like that too. We forego a stop at the mountain restaurant or the Kessiboden Alp; there is simply too much going on here for us. We make our way back - which is the same as the ascent route - to the Rigi Staffel station. Here we turn off onto the hiking trail and are now more or less alone again. It goes steeply downhill through the forest. We have a beautiful view from the rest/barbecue area. We continue hiking downhill. Just before reaching our start/finish point we stop at the rustic Grodstubli alpine inn. The cake has just come out of the oven and tastes great. It is a nice end to the varied hike with the fantastic views and vistas. The promise that some of the most beautiful viewpoints in Central Switzerland await you on this hike is completely true. It was very nice. Happy and satisfied we then set off for home.

Today I had to keep a promise I made to my little stinker. I've been promising him a hike for a while now, but I've almost never found the time. Today, however, everything just worked out, so I hiked with my Yorkie Kimi from Seebodenalp over Mount Rigi. It was brilliant, great weather, amazing view, TOP..!🥰

2022-11-05, parking at 12:30, the parking lot on the mountainside is not so easy to reach, the road up the mountain is relatively narrow, but it is a highway, so don't worry. There are ample parking spaces, probably because it is approaching winter, the mountaineering route is covered with snow and frozen, and the difficulty increases sharply. It was foggy on this day, so there were not many people. All the way up, from the rainy autumn to the bitterly cold winter, the snow exceeded expectations, and the scenery was beautiful. Panting to the top of the mountain, the fog did not completely disperse. The signal tower is like an element of another world in a mirage, appearing dimly in front of our eyes. Surprised to find Chinese characters. It turned out to be a sister mountain with Mount Emei. Although the eight poles can't be hit, I still feel warm. The top of the mountain is too cold, and because of the fog, I can't see it out, so I went back after a while. It was already 3:30, and I was going to take a small train down the mountain, in case it would get dark if I couldn't get out of the forest. Lights up, big mistake. Before taking the train, the clouds and mists are blown away, the scenery is unobstructed, and the feeling is suddenly enlightened. Stop to watch and take pictures is essential. The small train is very fast, taking the car from kulm to staffel. Then just walk and watch along the ridge. One of the scenery is very interesting. It is separated from the pine trees hanging with snow in the middle of the close-up view. The foot of the mountain on the left is in autumn, and the top of the mountain on the right is in winter. It is very beautiful. The road down the mountain is very beautiful, and it is recommended to walk after non-rainy days. There are too many dirt roads, so I hurried all the way to get out of the forest before dark. This is the way to enjoy the beautiful night view of Lucerne. Finally got back to the parking spot safely.