Säntis is the highest mountain in the Alpstein massif in eastern Switzerland.

The place attracts not only a lot of people each year who are thirsty for thrills and fantastic landscapes, but also hundreds of lightning bolts. It is said that around 400 lightning discharges occur there every year.

Route conditions

The route to the top of this mountain is not the easiest and requires a lot of effort. There are also several sections where you have to be particularly careful. In addition, there is a steep climb before the very end, where it is narrow and you can get stuck in the queue to the summit.

Tierwis mountain hut

Before that, however, you pass the Tierwis mountain hut with a fantastic view, including of the Churfirsten mountain range, with its distinctive interspersed peaks of similar height. And the higher you go, the more spectacular the views.

The fact that you are approaching the hut is indicated by a rooster whose crowing can be heard from afar. It is a kind of signal to hikers that soon, in a few dozen metres, they will overcome the first, difficult ascent (approx. 700 m) and be able to rest, enjoying the views.

The beginnings of the trail on Säntis

By way of trivia, the initiative to build a path from Schwägalp to the summit of Säntis was born at a meeting of members of the SAC mountaineering club from the Toggenburg and Säntis sections in 1871. The route was to lead via Mausfalle and Fliesbord (Tierwis). The following year, work had already begun.

A few decades later, i.e. in 1902 -1903, the Tierwis hut was built. Building materials were transported by a manually operated cable car from Schwägalp.

Two full hours and four strong men were needed per transport. Nowadays, the cable car is used to transport food and other items needed in the running of the guest house. The only difference is that it is no longer necessary to haul it all in by hand.

Where to eat

After lumbering up the mountain, the hungry and thirsty can head straight for the Säntisgipfel restaurant or the Alter Säntis mountain inn. There is also another option. You can also eat before you reach the summit, at the Tierwis hut. Quite a choice for such a short route.

The way back

You can either take the gondola down to Schwägalp or go down the same way. The descent takes around two hours.