The Alpine Pass Route is a long-distance hiking trail through the Alps in Switzerland, part of the Via Alpina route. It starts in Sargans in eastern Switzerland, and crosses the heart of country westwards to finish in Montreux on the shore of Lake Geneva. The total route covers over 325 kilometres (202 mi) and crosses 16 mountain passes, and takes 15 or more walking days to complete. [1]
There are a number of variations on the precise route, but the following stages are fairly standard: [1] The Via Alpina green trail follows the Swiss National Route no. 1 (previously known as the Swiss Alpine Pass Route from Sargans to Lenk, which then continues over a further four passes to Montreux. [2] [1]
The central portion of the route through the Bernese Oberland is the most spectacular, with many hikers choosing to hike a few passes rather than the whole route in one go. The excellent transport connections give many possibilities for breaking it up. [1]
The trail is well signposted. Most of the signs carry the name of the next pass or town, but increasingly the green square "Via Alpina" signs are being introduced. This is now called route number 1.[ citation needed ]
The Swiss rail network is noteworthy for its density, its coordination between services, its integration with other modes of transport, timeliness and a thriving domestic and trans-alp freight system. This is made necessary by strong regulations on truck transport, and is enabled by properly coordinated intermodal logistics.
Lauterbrunnen is a village and municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The municipality comprises the other villages of Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg, and Isenfluh, as well as several other hamlets. The population of the village of Lauterbrunnen is less than that of Wengen, but larger than that of the others.
The Kleine Scheidegg is a mountain pass at an elevation of 2,061 m (6,762 ft), situated below and between the Eiger and Lauberhorn peaks in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. The name means "minor watershed", as it only divides the two arms of the Lütschine river, both converging at Zweilütschinen, while the nearby Grosse Scheidegg divides the Lütschine from the Rychenbach stream.
The Bernese Oberland, the highest and southernmost part of the canton of Bern, is one of the canton's five administrative regions. It constitutes the Alpine region of the canton and the northern side of the Bernese Alps, including many of its highest peaks, among which the Finsteraarhorn, the highest in both range and canton.
The Grosse Scheidegg is a mountain pass in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, The pass crosses the col between the Schwarzhorn and the Wetterhorn mountains at an elevation of 1,962 m (6,437 ft).
Col des Mosses is a mountain pass in the western Bernese Alps of Switzerland. The pass is located in the municipality of Ormont-Dessous in the canton of Vaud. It links Aigle, to the south in the valley of the Rhone, with Château-d'Œx, to the north in the valley of the Sarine, and is flanked to the west by the Mont d'Or and to the east by the Pic Chaussy.
The Hausstock is a mountain in the Glarus Alps, at an elevation of 3,158 m (10,361 ft) on the border between the cantons of Glarus and Graubünden. It overlooks the valleys of Linth and Sernf rivers in Glarus, and the valley of the Vorderrhein river in Graubünden. The Hausstock was the site of the 1799 withdrawal of the Russian army under General Alexander Suvorov. A well-known destination already in the nineteenth century with British and American climbers, the mountain remains popular with mountain climbers and skiers.
Piz Sardona is a mountain in the Glarus Alps, on the border between the cantons Glarus and St. Gallen. The 3,056 metre high mountain overlooks the valleys of Elm (Glarus) and Calfeisen. Less than one kilometre south of the summit lies the tripoint between the cantons of Glarus, St. Gallen and Graubünden. The summit itself is the northernmost point above 3,000 metres in Switzerland.
The Foostock, also known as the Ruchen, is a mountain of the Glarus Alps, located on the border between the Swiss cantons of Glarus and St. Gallen. It lies north of Piz Sardona, on the range that separates the Sernftal from the Weisstannental.
The Via Alpina is a network of five long-distance hiking trails across the alpine regions of Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Monaco. The longest of trails is the red trail, whose termini are in Trieste and Monaco.
Weisstannen is a village located in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. It lies in the municipality of Mels, south-west of Sargans.
The Hahnenmoos Pass is a mountain pass of the Bernese Alps. The pass crosses the col between the peaks of Regenboldshorn and Albristhorn, at an elevation of 1,950 m (6,400 ft). The Hahnenmoos Pass is the lowest pass between the Engstligental, to the east, and the upper Simmental, to the west.
The Surenen Pass is a high mountain pass across the Urner Alps in the canton of Uri in Central Switzerland. The pass crosses the col between the Blackenstock and the Eggenmanndli peaks, at an elevation of 2,292 m (7,520 ft).
An alpine route is a trail or climbing route through difficult terrain in high mountains such as the Alps, sometimes with no obvious path. In the Alps, the Alpine clubs define and mark an alpine route, also called alpinweg or alpinwanderweg.
The Joch Pass is a mountain pass of the Uri Alps, located between the Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland, at the foot of the Titlis. The pass crosses the col between the peaks of Graustock and Jochstock, at an elevation of 2,207 m (7,241 ft) and at the border between the cantons of Bern and Nidwalden.
The Foo Pass is a mountain pass of the Glarus Alps, located on the border between the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen and Glarus, at an elevation of 2,223 m (7,293 ft). It crosses the col between the peaks of Foostock and Piz Sardona.
The Richetli Pass is a high mountain pass in the Glarus Alps in the Swiss canton of Glarus. The pass crosses between the heads of the valleys of the Linth and the Sernf rivers, using the col between the Hausstock and Kärpf mountains, at an elevation of 2,261 m (7,418 ft).
The Sefinafurgga is a mountain pass of the Bernese Alps. The pass crosses the col between the peaks of Hundshore and Bütlasse, at an elevation of 2,612 m (8,570 ft).
The Hohtürli is a high Alpine hiking pass of the Bernese Alps. The pass crosses the col between the peaks of Wildi Frau and Dündenhorn, at an elevation of 2,778 m (9,114 ft).
The Bunderchrinde Pass is a mountain pass of the Bernese Alps. The pass crosses the col between the peaks of Gross Lohner and Chlyne Lohner, at an elevation of 2,385 m (7,825 ft).
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