Leaving Austria and Liechtenstein behind, we crossed over to Switzerland. Our next eagerly awaited plan was to conquer Schäfler! Schäfler is a mountain peak on the eastern edge of Switzerland, promising once again stunning mountain views.
As the morning dawned, we had a moment of consideration regarding whether our equipment was sufficient for the journey, as there had just been substantial early snowfall. However, unable to find precise information about the condition of the trails amidst the snow, we ultimately decided, of course, to embark on the journey, prepared to turn back if necessary.
So, we packed our backpacks, donned warm clothing, and headed towards Schäfler. The hiking trail to Schäfler starts from Wasserauen. There’s ample parking space here, but the parking spots are along the roadside, so if you’re lucky, you can park quite close to the starting point, or you might end up leaving your car a bit farther away. We parked about 1,5 kilometers from the starting point, and from there, well-maintained paths led us through meadows with stunning views to the starting point. There’s also a train that goes here, and the station is close to the starting point, so public transportation is an option, although we can’t provide more details about that.
Cable car to the top of Ebenalp
The route can be hiked in its entirety, but there’s also the option to use a cable car that departs from the valley floor in Wasserauen and takes you to the summit of Ebenalp at 1640 meters. This time, we decided to take the cable car up to Ebenalp first and then continue hiking from there. The cable car doesn’t go all the way to the summit of Schäfler; you have to hike the rest of the way from Ebenalp station. Even from the Ebenalp station, you’re treated to stunning views across the narrow valley to the imposing mountains on the opposite side. So, if you’re not in the mood for hiking, visiting the summit of Ebenalp is an easy and recommended destination. The price of the cable car from Wasserauen to Ebenalp was 23 € per person each way. We only bought tickets for the ascent since our plan was to hike from there to the summit of Schäfler and then all the way back down. We definitely recommend hiking from the summit of Ebenalp either down or up to the summit because there’s so much to see and so many breathtaking views along the way.
Hiking from Ebenalp to Schäfler
When we arrived at the summit of Ebenalp, there was some snow, but only in patches, so it seemed that the snow wouldn’t pose a problem. From there, we began hiking towards Schäfler. The distance from here to Schäfler is 2.6 kilometers with an ascent of 285 meters, reaching an altitude of 1925 meters at the summit of Schäfler.
The estimated time for the journey is about an hour, but we kept stopping to take pictures and admire the incredibly stunning views. We can’t say exactly how long it took us, but we’d guess somewhere between 1.5 to 2 hours. Just before reaching the halfway point, we encountered some snow, and we even made snow angels—it was amazing, the first snowfall of the year in these surroundings! There was snow along the entire route, but it was no more than maybe 20 cm deep, and the trail was either compacted or dry, so it didn’t affect our progress.
The entire path was well-marked and in good condition, so anyone with a moderate level of fitness could easily manage it.
Schäfler’s peak
At the top of Schäfler, there’s a mountain hut where you can buy food and drinks or even stay overnight, but we had brought our own snacks, as we usually do when hiking, so we didn’t buy anything here. Just a bit further up from the mountain hut, you reach the summit of Schäfler. The views from here are incredible, with rugged, spiky peaks right in front of you, truly magical!
From here, you could continue on a narrow path along the ridge of the mountain, but with the snow, ice, and mud mixture, we decided not to go any further. The risk of slipping in these conditions would be too great, and the drops at the edge of the trail are steep.
Return trip to the substation
We enjoyed the views and took pictures for quite a while until it started to get cold, so we began our descent back down the same path towards the Ebenalp station, where we had arrived by cable car.
Next to the Ebenalp station, there are several trails leading down to Wasserauen, and there are a few route options. The elevation difference from the starting point is 737 meters, and the distance is approximately 3,7 kilometers (depending on the route chosen). This route is classified as challenging due to the elevation gain, but the trail condition is good, and there are no difficult sections, although the elevation gain is significant, so the classification is certainly relevant if you plan to hike the entire way from bottom to top.
The best part of the route we chose was probably when the trail descended along the rugged mountainside, occasionally detouring into a few caves inside the mountain. At one point, there was a longer section of the trail inside the cave lightly illuminated. The cave is quite large and really impressive. Along the way, there’s also a small chapel and a beautiful mountain hut built into the mountainside.
This initial part of the journey is definitely the most impressive, but the entire route is beautiful, passing through rolling meadows and eventually through the forest. The forest might have been nice too, but we had delayed our departure at the top for so long that darkness fell for the latter part of the journey. Essentially, we ended up walking through the pitch-black forest, which felt almost endless because our instincts told us we were already at the valley bottom, but the path just kept going and going. Eventually, we made it back to the car safely, and all was well.
You can view route maps for Ebenalp and Schäfler here.
So, we took the cable car from Wasserauen to Ebenalp, then hiked up to Schäfler using route number 3 and returned via route number 5. At the end of the hike, we had covered approximately 15 kilometers.It’s been wonderful in the mountains, as always, and it’s sad to leave, but the weather was starting to cool down, and we weren’t quite prepared for such chilly temperatures, so it was time for us to head south for our next adventure.
