10.20 am Vorauen bus stop
Easy high tour Vrenelisgärtli | Glärnisch massif
Visible from afar and shrouded in legend, the Vrenelisgärtli watches over the Glarnerland.
Technics
Endurance
The Vrenelisgärtli is one of Switzerland’s best-known peaks, towering above the wild valleys and steep limestone cliffs of the Glärnisch massif. Hardly any other mountain range combines unspoilt mountain landscapes, a living world of legends and alpine character in such a striking way. Our tour takes us through all the facets of mountaineering. From the valley, we ascend through green forests and alpine meadows to the Glärnisch Hut. On the day of the summit ascent, we cross the scree-covered glacier forebay and step onto the expansive Glärnischfirn. Over snow and ice, we finally reach the summit structure, where a simple but exposed scrambling section and a short ridge await us. This high-altitude tour is ideal as an introduction to high-alpine mountaineering and offers a varied insight into the world of rock, ice and firn. From the summit, a fantastic view opens up over the Glarus region, the Central Swiss Alps and far into the Mittelland. The name Vrenelisgärtli stems from an old legend: Vreneli is said to have created a flower meadow on the Glärnisch. Even today, the striking snowfield below the summit – which is visible even from Zurich – serves as a reminder of this legendary little garden.
We’ll be spending the night at the cosy Glärnischhütte, where the warden, Fridli, gives us a warm welcome and looks after us wonderfully. Together, we’ll enjoy an impressive high-altitude hike through one of Switzerland’s most beautiful mountain landscapes.
Procedure and meeting place
We’ll meet in the Klöntal, at the Vorauen bus stop. We’ll take a taxi all the way to the far end of the valley, to Chäseren, a small Walser settlement. There’s also plenty of parking for those travelling by car.
From the Walser settlement of Chäseren, we’ll climb together at a leisurely pace to the Glärnisch Hut, where we’ll spend the night and discuss the next day’s route over dinner together.
After spending the night at the Glärnisch Hut, we set off early in the morning, before sunrise, towards the summit. We start by following a path before crossing pathless terrain to reach the Glärnischfirn. In the first light of day, we cross the glacier and climb steadily higher between the crevasses towards the Schwandengrat. There, the crux of the route awaits us: a short, exposed climbing section, secured with iron bars and chains, leads up to the ridge. With the support and guidance of the mountain guide, we negotiate this section safely. After some easy scrambling, we finally reach the Vrenelisgärtli, the highest peak of the Glärnisch massif. Once at the top, we enjoy the impressive views over the Glarus region, the Central Swiss Alps and far out into the Mittelland. After a leisurely break at the summit, we descend via the ascent route back to the hut and on down into the valley. A taxi takes us from Chäseren back to the lake.
We’ll finish the mountain hike together back at Lake Klöntal.
Requirements
- You do not need any previous knowledge of mountaineering.
- Experience in hiking and walking in pathless terrain is an advantage.
- You’ll need to be reasonably fit for hikes involving around 1,000 metres of ascent and descent at a leisurely pace (~300 metres per hour).
Price and services
- CHF 590.-
- Small group with 6 guests per mountain guide.
- Including planning and realisation with mountain guide and his travel expenses.
- Including overnight stay in a hut and half board.
- Excluding travel expenses, possible train tickets, personal consumption.
- Rental equipment: crampons, helmet, ice axe, climbing harness can be hired for this offer from the Sport Trend Shop in Hinwil can be hired at a special price of CHF 55. You can also get other mountaineering equipment there, along with excellent advice.
Material and equipment
- For this tour you need the material from this PDF. We carry our equipment with us all the time. Pack only what is necessary.
- General material and packing tips we have also put together for you.
Bergschaft tours and courses are conducted in German as standard. However, our mountain guides speak good English, as do many of the participants. If you speak English, you are of course very welcome. Depending on the tour, it may be worth asking us in advance whether the guide and the group are comfortable speaking English.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us, preferably via the Contact form.
Accommodation
Glärnischhütte
The Glärnisch Hut lies at the foot of the imposing Glärnisch massif and is the ideal starting point for a hike to the Vrenelisgärtli and the surrounding peaks. Following its recent renovation, the hut now has a modern, cosy and welcoming feel, without having lost any of its original charm. Hut warden Fridli and his team put their heart and soul into creating a warm atmosphere and providing excellent food. After an eventful day in the mountains, it’s a wonderful place to relax and look forward to the next day’s hike.
Impressions: Vrenelisgärtli
Here’s how to get to the Vrenelisgärtli with us:
We currently have no public dates advertised. You are welcome to Contact us with your preferred date and we'll take a look together! You can also always book this tour as a Private Tour book.
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Questions and answers about the high tour to Vrenelisgärtli ?¿
How long does the high tour to Vrenelisgärtli take?
The tour to the Vrenelisgärtli takes two days. The first day is leisurely and the hike takes around 4 hours from the car park after Klöntalersee. The summit day starts at sunrise and takes around 4 hours to climb and 2 hours to descend.
How challenging is the high tour to Vrenelisgärtli?
The high tour is considered a less difficult high tour (WS). The glacier is gentle and has only a few crevasses and the scrambling section is secured with iron bars and chains. The connecting ridge between the Glärnisch and the Vrenelisgärtli is somewhat exposed and, depending on the conditions, you may need to stand well on your crampons.
Is there an alternative to the normal route to the Vrenelisgärtli?
A cool alternative is the Guppengrat (T6, 2200 metres) directly from Schwendi. There is also the north face route through the Chalttäli for experienced alpinists in good firn conditions.
What equipment is recommended for the high tour to Vrenelisgärtli?
For the high-altitude tour to the Vrenelisgärtli you need the normal high-altitude touring equipment with ice axe, crampons, climbing harness and helmet. We have put together a detailed packing list with packing tips compiled.
Where does the name "Vrenelisgärtli" come from and what is the legend behind it?
The Vreneli summit snowfield is striking and visible from afar. This is why the mountain is steeped in legend. We know two versions of the legend of the Vrenelisgärtli:
- The high-spirited Jungfrau, Vreneli, was determined to plant a flower garden on the Glärnisch. Despite the warnings, she went ahead. It was raining and snowing. She put a copper kettle on her head for protection. The climb was hard and long, but she reached the top and dug out a patch of meadow with her bare hands. But it didn't stay that way for long. It started to snow again, the flowers were quickly covered in snow, it was cold and a biting wind blew around Vreni. The cauldron continued to fill with water and snow. It became so heavy that Vreni could no longer free herself from it and was pushed to the ground by it. You can still see a small, square field of snow on the summit today. The snow field had already completely melted for the first time in 2003 and somehow no copper kettle emerged.
- The beautiful Vrineli lived with her father as a mighty mountain spirit on the summit of Vrenelisgärtli. The girl tended and cultivated a colourful garden. To prevent anyone from catching a glimpse of the chaste little girl, her father erected a fence of rocks around the garden. A boy learnt about the girl from the hunters of the Alps and made his way to the summit where Vrineli lived. He had to wait outside the wall for days until Vrineli let him in and hid him in the garden. The two fell in love and Vrineli hid the boy from her father. One day, however, he realised what he had done. He caught the lovers in an embrace. Hateful and angry, he threw the boy down the mountain, turned his daughter, Vrineli, into a boulder and turned the garden into a desert of snow and ice. Whoever kisses the right stone three times in love can turn the petrified Vrineli back again.
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