Shortly before the longest day of the year, Paul Dubacher leads a group of over 100 people from Seelisberg to the Gotthard Pass in around 17 hours. The route runs through the middle of the Uri canton from north to south. It covers more than 60 kilometres and has more than 2’000 metres of elevation gain.
Who is Paul Dubacher?
Paul Dubacher was born in 1945 and is considered a pioneer and trail specialist in Switzerland. He contributed to the creation of several mountain trails, actively taking part in their construction. He continues to be active in creating new routes and promoting mountain tourism and an active lifestyle.
The first Gotthard march
In 2003, eight men set off from Seelisberg to the Gotthard Pass, thus starting the long tradition of the Gotthard march. Celebrities from the world of sport, politics and tourism accompanied the group on the various stages of the journey. 18 years later, there were more than 100 participants. There would probably be even more if there were no restrictions on the number of people. This is because the march is very popular.
Every year, a close-knit group of people, mainly from the canton of Uri, take part in the march. Most of them have long since passed their retirement age. But don’t be fooled, these people have been training together for years and have taken part in the event many times. They are in great shape and it is really not easy to keep up with them. A simple weekend walk in the mountains is not enough. You have to prepare well for the walk.
What does it look like from the backstage?
The whole undertaking was very well prepared. Paul Dubacher himself led the group and dictated the pace. There were also people at the back who made sure that no one got lost and gave support and help to those who needed it. At each stop, a team of organisers waited for us with our bags. Thanks to this, we did not have to carry everything on our backs. There was also warm soup, cake, coffee and drinks. At some of the stopping places, we were also greeted by the inhabitants of the Uri canton themselves. They offered us fruit and sweets and cheered us on.
The march started about 2.40 a.m.
From the very beginning the pace was quite fast. You had to tie your shoelaces at lightning speed as the group was moving away from you in the blink of an eye. I must admit that my body was still asleep and rebelled against such an effort at night. Still, I tried valiantly to keep up with the old-timers. Torches were also necessary to see anything under my feet.
The first break of a few minutes occurred only after 3 – 4 hours of walking. After walking about 30 kilometres, we stopped briefly every hour or hour and a half.
Route of the route
The route starts at Urnersee Lake. Unfortunately, I could not see much on this part of the route due to the prevailing Egyptian darkness. Torches only gave us a field of vision of 1.5 metres at most. The route continues along the Reuss River, the fourth largest river in Switzerland. It is 164 km long and its source is in the Gotthard massif.
From Amsteg, the terrain changes to forest and the uphill climb begins. This is where most of the participants changed into trekking shoes and prepared their walking poles. From Göschenen, on the other hand, the real mountain scenery began.
Unfortunately, due to the pace and physical exertion, especially on the last stretch, I didn’t take many photos. However, my husband and I want to go back and enjoy the surroundings, as they are beautiful.
