SCHÄFLER

February 2019

With spring-like temperatures all over Switzerland, I set out to go snowshoe hiking in the Alps. It would be my first time camping in the snow and I had chosen the Schäfler as it isn’t too tall and therefore not as cold. It is worth mentioning as well that the summit has a spectacular view which I hoped would be enough to distract me from the freezing cold.

As the hike isn’t very long even with snowshoes, I started out in the afternoon and made my way up the mountain in the warm sunshine. The trail is rather straight forward until you reach the final ridge, where it suddenly becomes a lot sketchier with at times just enough room to put two feet beside each other. But it’s exactly these jagged peaks and skinny ridgelines that add so much to the breathtaking beauty of this place and when you finally reach the top, a view like no other open up before you.

There was just about enough room for me and my tent on the summit and I settled down before sunset and got to enjoy this amazing scenery bathed in golden light. I also managed to start and land my small drone in the little space available next to my tent, resulting in some of my favorite aerial photos and videos I’ve taken so far.

The night brought the colder temperatures along and I made myself comfortable in my sleeping bag which kept me nice and warm until the next morning when my alarm rung a good while before sunrise. As this mountain is part of the Alpstein range which is a little north of the Alps, you get a view far across the German border and especially in the morning you can watch the sky turn all shades of purple on the horizon. Soon after, the sun started touching the peaks opposite me and illumined the singular cloud sat upon them. I can’t remember ever having a more beautiful view for sunrise than this and was left completely speechless as the scene kept developing until I, too, was blessed with the sunlight touching my skin and warming up my frozen fingers.

With a backpack full of new memories and a smile on my face, I began descending and soon enough got to experience the spring-like temperatures once again on another beautiful mid-February day.