Rautispitz, 2283 meters 7,490 feet Nafels, Switzerland Near Zurich and Glarus in northeastern Switzerland

Second page of photos. Rautispitz is "just another awesome Alp" surrounded by numerous other beautiful mountains about 60 kilometers from Zurich. Yet, this mountain is an outstanding day climb with some physical challenges, one of the best hikes I've ever taken. These photos were taken during a climb in August 2000 from the village of Nafels beneath the mountain. All the hiking/climbing I do in this area is climbing stairs (no flat parts); it is not uncommon to do some cliff hugging while hanging on to a cable strung along the rock. Landslides are quite common in this area because of the steepness, heavy recent rains, and (I think) the frequency of blasting going on at various construction sites. The climbing is much different than in the Rockies or Sierra Nevadas, which involve more endurance hiking over miles and miles of moderate terrain before you get to the steep stuff. The Alpine trails are remarkably well-marked in this part of Switzerland, called "Glarnerland" (see the trail marker photo below). Click on the small pictures to get a closer view of some great vistas and climbing features. This requires a javascript-capable browser of version 3 or greater.
1. Approach to Rautispitz summit. You'll run into cows close to the top.	2. A valley seen from the Rautispitz trail.	3. Very accurate trail markers are found all over these Alps. The red stripe means "you're going to be huffing and puffing over this one."
4. You find these exquisitely crafted and engineered oases near the bottom. Whether the clear cool water is always free of bacteria is another question.	5. A view of the Walensee (a large lake) from the top of Rautispitz. Weesen, the little village next to the lake, is where I started that day with a mountainbike. The sickle-shaped gash in the mountain is the aftermath of a landslide.	6. Another view from the Rautispitz summit.

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