Switzerland is known for their iconic cowbells! While I was hiking, I could hear all of the cowbells even if I was too high up in the mountains to actually see the cows that they were attached to.
I went on a hike to Stoos Ridge this week because I’m trying to make the most of the hiking season before it ends in late October. Stoos Ridge is located in the canton of Schwyz in central Switzerland, and is around five hours by train from Geneva. The Stoos trail is considered a moderate hiking experience, and includes two chairlifts as well as the steepest funicular in the world! The funicular up to the start of the hike was tilted almost 50 degrees, so it felt more like riding in an elevator than a train. Also, it moved so quickly that I felt my ears pop on the way up. Once on the actual hike, I was surrounded by mountains, rolling green hills and cliff faces on either side of me. Though, my favorite part of the hike was the view of Lake Lucerne from above. The photos really don’t do it justice. As we slowly summited the ridge, the cliffs and greenery fell away to reveal open space and nothing but the lake underneath you.
While I did not have the opportunity to attend this year, it was the season of Désalpe in Switzerland. Désalpe is a procession of cows from the mountains. As the seasons become colder, it is no longer safe for the cows who graze on the nutrient rich alpine grass to remain in the mountains.
