Map

Thumbnail for the map of the Schweizmobil 'Karstspur Silberen' (832) hiking trail, opens link to interactive web map.
Source1

Elevation Profile

Elevation Profile of the Schweizmobil 'Karstspur Silberen' (832) hiking trail.
Source1: Bundesamt für Landestopografie; Drawn with schweizmobilplus.ch

Useful Links

Route Source
Free Parking
Weather

Short Description

‘Karstspur Silberen’ (“Karst Trail Slberen”) is a circular route leading over and around Silberen with its impressive Karst landscapes.

Geology nerds will revel in the knowledge that they’re walking on Switzerland’s largest Karren field and above Hölloch (“Hellhole”), a 200 kilometer long cave system.

Hiking aficionados will appreciate the interesting, slightly technical trail and the gorgeous views of the alps and Klöntal valley.

Notes

  • Don’t trust google maps navigation. On weekends, the approach from Glarus is closed/prohibited. So choose a route coming from Schwyz.

Impressions

Having had ample time to calm down after curing google for leading us to the starting point from the wrong direction, and having to circle around the mountains to approach from the correct, open side, we set off a bit later than expected, but in good spirits on a beautiful day in a beautiful place.

View during the ascent.

The steep ascent through first alpine farms, then rocky Karren fields was both imposing and fun, and we had soon reached the top. If it weren’t for the cold winds combined with wet shirts (and having started late and feeling a bit of time pressure), the atmosphere would have invited a meandering pace. As it was, we enjoyed the views, but made our way down the other side.

View of the Alps as seen from Silberen.
View along the top.

The signage on the way down (and up) was definitely sufficient, as you can tell from the photos (more in the gallery below). I like hiking on these rocky areas for some reason, and good times were had.

Klöntalersee seen from Silberen.
View of Klöntalersee from our lunch spot.

The Karren field soon gave way to grasslands again, and the gray was replaced by sights of huge herds of sheep, some marmots standing guard, mountain goats, end eventually cows as we descended back to civilization.

Once we found a nice, warm spot in the sun with a fantastic view of Klöntalersee (lake), we finally took a break for a late lunch and enjoyed the view a bit before moving on.

Pragelpass at sunset, as seen at the end of our Karstspur Silberen hike in Switzerland.
Aaand back just in time, as usual.

As is often the case with us, wee arrived back at the car just as the sun was setting.

We had a lovely day and enjoyed this hike so much that we would like to repeat it soon. This time with my new Fuji camera, so the resulting pictures should be a bit better, hopefully.

Would you like to share your own experiences with this hike? Do you have any questions? Something to add? Feel free to leave a comment below 🙂


Route Report / Gallery

Full size images without watermarks are available for licensing to interested parties. Check romans.pictures for a selection of my favorites, or contact me for details.

  • Starting Point of the 'Karstspur Silberen' hiking trail in Switzerland
  • A cow standing on a narrow trail in a cleft between green hills, 'Karstspur Silberen' hiking trail in Switzerland.blocking the way on the
  • View of the alps during the 'Karstspur Silberen' hiking trail in Switzerland
  • View of the Alps as seen from Silberen.
  • Large herd of sheep on a green hill, alps in the background, as seen near Silberen during the Karstspur Silberen hike in Switzerland.
  • Klöntalersee seen from Silberen.
  • Pragelpass at sunset, as seen at the end of our Karstspur Silberen hike in Switzerland.

NEWSLETTER

Don’t miss a hike 🙂

Basic Data

Date of Hike:2020-07-19
Participants:Roman, Jenny
Technical Difficulty:T3: Mountain Trail

Stats

Km13.8
Net Hours (Est.)5.5
Net Hours (Act.)5
Ascent (m)1077
Descent (m)1077
Max. Alt. (m)2315
Loop?Yes
Cable Car?No
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