The ascent to Augstmatthorn

Summer has arrived and, with it, restrictions have ended in Switzerland. Little by little we are returning to normality. The only reminder of the epidemic is the few people that wear masks on the streets of Zurich and the hand sanitizer at the door of every shop and restaurant… These past weeks didn’t feel so much like summer, though. The end of the spring season has been wet and stormy, with very dark clouds covering the sky almost every day. As every year, I celebrated my birthday while the sky was pouring down outside my window… What a contrast with the lock-down days, when the days were sunny and bright and warm! But with the beginning of the new season, the sun has decided to come back with strength! Soon it will be hot enough to swim in the Swiss lakes and rivers, yeeiiii!!

Last weekend, the sun decided to make a shy appearance after days of rain. The temperature wasn’t very high, so it was the perfect weather for a hike. This time, we decided to challenge ourselves with a new route, one that has been in my mind for quite some time already! The ascent to Augstmatthorn. Augstmatthorn (2137m above the sea) is a mountain of the Emmental Alps in the Bernese Oberland. Two of the things that made this a very special hike are the impressive views of the Brienz lake and a colony of steinbock (Alpine Ibex) that live nearby. We did a circular route, starting and ending in the beautiful village of Habkern . As we began the hike, we walked through forests and beautiful meadows incredibly full of all kinds of alpine flowers until we reached Alp Lombach. It was quite magical! Although, thanks to the recent rain it was also quite muddy… After that, the hardest part of the hike began: the ascension to the summit of Augstmatthorn on a very steep and muddy trail, with the only company of very happy Swiss cows. Once at the top (and while we caught our breath…), the stunning views of Brienzersee and its turquoise water and the mountains around it marvelled us. We continued walking along the narrow mountain ridge to the next summit, Suggiture (2085m), while the clouds danced around us. covering and unveiling the peaks on our way. From there, a trail through another forested area took us again to Habkern, where we ended our hike tired, with our boots covered in mud, the backpack full of alpine cheese we bought on local farms and very very happy! We didn’t see the steinbock… so now we have a reason to repeat this hike soon! 🙂

Here are some photos of this great hiking day. I hope you like them!

PD: if you want to do this hike, please, plan it properly! There are parts of the trail not suitable for people with vertigo or fear of heights and the ascension can be quite exhausting. Always check the terrain and weather conditions before a hike 🙂