Toggenburger Höhenweg

The Oberchäseren Alp is within the municipality of Amden, where horses, donkeys, pigs, chickens and cows are kept. The cow’s milk is separated in a centrifuge to produce skimmed milk and cream for Alpine butter. The food is stored in a hole in the ground that is filled with snow, acting as a natural refrigerator.

This short leg starts past the Alp with a climb towards the Speer mountain. At 1,950 metres above sea level, and therefore the highest peak in Europe to be formed out of the conglomerate Nagelfluh rock, the Speer is quite a climb, but scaling this summit is not part of this walk. The route branches off to the right a good 200 metres below. However, if you are in the mood for a 30-minute-or-so detour, you can tick it off your list of summits if you like. The views of the Mattstock mountain opposite, towards Glarus and the mountains in the distance are wonderful. Once you have passed the “Leiterli” – steep steps carved into the rock – you will find yourself on a different face of the mountain, with fantastic views of the Alpstein mountains in the distance.

The gorgeous path continues over the Bützalpsattel. If you are not pressed for time, you can rest for over an hour at the inn. The four small peaks of “I de schwarze Chöpf” are a striking sight beside the Speer. From Elisalp beneath the peak of the Wannenberg, you will soon come across a few stretches of woodland. After that, there is less than three hours to go before you reach the Tanzboden, your final destination for this leg of the journey. With a magnificent view of the Obersee lake and Lake Zurich, you can stop here to consider for moment whether you would like to forge ahead or call it a day. The nearest public transport stop is around two hours away.