It has been a long time since I have written about my walking expeditions,
so as it's a light news month I thought I'd bring you up to date on some of
this year's explorations.
Lägärngrat
A grat is a ridge or spur and this one certainly lives up to that name. This walk is airy and at time challenging with a section that would definitely qualify as a grade 1 scramble in the UK. It starts in Baden which is down the Limmat valley from Zurich and finishes at a beautiful medieval fortified hill town called Regensberg, just north of Zurich.
Start in Baden at the old bridge, walk through the underpass and then find and follow the steps up to the Schloss Schartenfels. This was once a hunting lodge for the Hapsburgs who controlled the area at one time. These days it is a very good restaurant with wonderful views on a clear day. From there you want the bergweg which starts almost opposite the entrance to the Schloss.
This is the most adventurous part of the walk with a grade 1 scramble up the grat. It starts gently with a series of rocky steps up a broadish line through deciduous trees. This narrows after about 150m of height gain and eventually levels to a knife edge ridge with a gentle climb which gives airy views over the valley. At the crux the Swiss have put a short hand rail but the detracts only slightly from the adventure of the route. About 0.5km beyond the handrail the scramble ends with a steep climb up a broad rounded end to a flat ridge top of open woodland.
