A classic route in the Alpstein, that leads past Seealpsee and Mesmer to Ebenalp: Our first foray into Appenzell and the Alpstein did not disappoint. We did one of their classic routes, but backwards. My knees and I will always prefer a long ascent to a long descent, even if that means 1000+ meters of sweaty climb. Seealpsee, with the mountains reflected in its still green waters, is probably the most famous image of this region. Amazingly, this was only the first of many, many stunning views on this hike.
The first leg was a short but steep trek from the Wasserauen train station to Seealpsee, than a second steep ascent alongside a mountain stream to Mesmer. It was windy and chilly (thanks to all the sweat) and our cold bread and cheese seemed a bit sad, so we decided to have lunch at the Berghaus. Maybe it was the exhaustion, but I ordered a rosti with two fried eggs and it was quite possibly the most delicious rosti I’ve ever tasted. Take that, Denny’s. But the most amazing thing was watching all the other Swiss hikers eating, because they were also throwing back a few beers. After lunch, we pressed on for three more hours, with a few more big ascents to go. It was a tough 5 hours of hiking, and you’ll lose elevation only to have to make it back up again. There were a couple snow fields, and a cliff-side section secured with steel rope for support. But honestly, the only true technical skills needed is the ability to squeeze your way past the cows, who all laid down for a nap right on the trail. We made it to Ebenalp just as a strong and fast storm developed, and waited out the rain with a couple well-deserved Appenzeller beers.
Start: Wasserauen Bahnhof
End: Ebenalp cable car station, ride down to Wasserauen
Basic Route: Wasserauen - Seealpsee - Mesmer - Atlenalp - Fuessler - Ebenalp
Length and Rating: Fairly challenging. The ascent and the length requires stamina, but the views definitely pay-off. 12km-13km, 5 hours.
