Dana Lake

Mount Dana and the Dana Glacier rise above Dana Lake

5.5 miles loop, 1800 feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Strenuous, route-finding and rock scrambling required
Access: Paved road to trailhead, no fee required

Although Glacier Canyon and its chain of lakes are just a stone's throw from the Tioga Pass entrance of California's Yosemite National Park, this area of Inyo National Forest receives fairly little attention despite its stunning alpine scenery, which encompasses not only deeply colorful Dana Lake and four smaller lakes but also tumbling waterfalls, meadows, stark plateaus, and the remnant of a once-mighty glacier, all under the shadow of Mount Dana's majestic pyramidal peak. The trail is tough: the ascent from Tioga Lake up to Glacier Canyon is punishingly steep and there's no formal trail that leads across the steep scree slopes of Glacier Canyon to Dana Lake, meaning that scrambling and route-finding skills are absolutely essential. While an ascent up the canyon to the lake and back is the most straightforward path to Dana Lake, a loop return via the trail up to Dana Plateau makes for a more rewarding day hike. This isn't a hike for novices, but experienced hikers looking for a quiet and beautiful alternative to the bustling trails in Yosemite will enjoy this rocky hike to Dana Lake.

The entirety of this hike is at high altitude, with the trailhead at about 9800 feet above sea level and Dana Lake itself at nearly 11200 feet above sea level. Be on the lookout for signs of altitude sickness if you have not had time to acclimate prior to the hike.

While there is technically no fee to park at the trailhead, many hikers will arrive via Tioga Road from Yosemite National Park and thus will have to pay the Yosemite entrance fee. The only way to avoid paying the fee is to approach on Highway 120 from Lee Vining and not entering Yosemite National Park.

I hiked to Dana Lake during an early October visit to the Sierra Nevada, before Tioga Road closed for the year. The trailhead is deceptively simple to reach: it is simply a three-quarter mile drive east of Tioga Pass at the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park. Hikers coming from the Central Valley should follow Highway 120 through Yosemite and will reach the Tioga Lake Overlook, a pullout on the right side of the road, shortly after crossing Tioga Pass. Hikers approaching from Lee Vining will find the pullout on the left side of Highway 120 as the road climbs up alongside Tioga Lake, but before reaching Tioga Pass. The trailhead has a pit toilet and enough parking for at least 20 cars. The trailhead is typically accessible between June and October most years, although abnormal snow conditions can shorten that window.

From the trailhead, I followed the unmarked trail that led downhill right behind the pit toilet. This trail made a short but steep descent through the forest and quickly dropped to the shore of Tioga Lake. Less than a hundred meters from the trailhead, the trail came out into the open and there were clear views of Tioga Lake with broad and rocky Tioga Peak rising across the lake; a pointed ridge of Mount Dana rose in front of the trail. 

Tioga Lake at sunrise

Three hundred meters from the trailhead, I crossed the inlet stream to Tioga Lake. At this point, I came to a wooden sign pointing the way to Dana Lakes and Glacier Canyon; I followed the sign, which soon led me into the forest and the ascent up to Glacier Canyon. After crossing the creek that flows out from Glacier Canyon, I began the uphill climb, which generally followed the creek and steepened the further up that I went. The steep and direct trail here was made slightly better by the very pretty cascading creek, which was often decorated with nascent fall color in the forest understory.

Creek in Glacier Canyon

After 750 feet of elevation gain over three-quarters of a mile since leaving the shore of Tioga Lake, the trail finally flattened out for a brief breather as it came to the lowest of the meadows in Glacier Canyon. Late in the season, the meadow was golden in the morning light and the impressive wall of Mount Dana rose above the canyon, although the summit of Mount Dana was not visible.

Meadows in Glacier Canyon

At 1.25 miles, the trail flattened out as I entered a long and flat, meadow-filled valley. From the edge of this elevated valley, I had spectacular views to the north of Mount Conness and North Peak.

View towards Mount Conness

The trail skirted the left side of the meadow in the valley and after about a hundred meters it turned left and began to head uphill through a talus slope. At this point, the established trail was heading for the Dana Plateau; to get to Dana Lake, I left the trail and continued traveling cross-country up the bottom of the valley. There was no established trail here and for the most part no clear social path, either; however, the path was fairly straightforward since I was just following the creek upstream.

At 1.7 miles, the flat meadows ended and I came to a talus slope at the treeline. The first of the Dana Lakes lay behind the talus slope. I scrambled up the loose rock and then trekked across an ensuing flat stretch of talus to reach the first of the Dana Lakes at about 2 miles into the hike.

Scrambling across a talus slope towards the first of the Dana Lakes

The first of the Dana Lakes (or Dana Lake No. 1) was small but had an absolutely stunning turquoise color: the color was more remniscent of glacier-fed lakes of the Northwest or the Rockies than of the more typically blue lakes of the Sierra Nevada. The color was indeed a result of glacial melt: the Dana Glacier lies above the main Dana Lake and melt from the glacier gives the Dana Lakes their unique and astonishing color.

Dana Lake No. 1

Dana Lake No. 1 was hemmed in on three sides by steep talus slopes. Reaching the other lakes required surmounting these slopes, which rose 250 feet above this first lake. At first glance, it was not too obvious what the easiest route would be; it was clear that no routes would necessarily be "easy" here. I chose to scramble up the slopes to the north of the lake, but in retrospect believe that this was a mistake: the upper stretches of this slope were quite treacherous and put me in a few positions with non-trivial exposure. It's likely that simply going up the slope at the far (east) end of the lake would've made the most sense and been easier, but as I did not follow that route, I can't vouch for it. I ended up having to do some Class 3 rock scrambling but I think it's likely that a Class 2 route exists up this talus. All I can say here is that the north wall felt like a bad choice once I was halfway up that scramble! 

Regardless, once atop this second talus slope, I headed east along a flat table of scree to reach Dana Lake No. 2 at 2.3 miles (mileages are estimates in the scramble portion as there is no set route). Dana Lake No. 2 was also quite small and shallow and had the same brilliant color of the first lake; additionally, Dana Lake No. 2 featured the first views of Mount Dana's great summit pyramid. Dana is the second highest peak in Yosemite National Park and it is the first 13000-foot peak of the Sierra Nevada when coming from the north. Dana's eastern face is extremely impressive but is typically not visible from any road-accessible area as the Dana Plateau blocks off views of the east face from the Mono Basin. This hike up Glacier Canyon to Dana Lake is a rare place to actually study this great rock face.

Mount Dana rises over the second of the Dana Lakes

I skirted the north side of Dana Lake No. 2 and then crossed a rocky isthmus between Dana Lake No. 2 and Dana Lake No. 3, which was very close by. I skipped over a closer look at Dana Lake No. 3 for the moment, instead climbing up the rocky moraine behind lakes no. 2 and 3 to head towards the main lake of the basin, referred to as Dana Lake No. 4 in some sources and alternatively just Dana Lake in others.

Once I was atop the spine of the moraine at 2.5 miles into the hike, Dana Lake came into view, nestled at the head of Glacier Canyon with Mount Dana's great east face towering above and the Dana Glacier cradled at the foot of Dana's cliffs. Dana Lake was much deeper than the previous lakes and thus had a much deeper blue color that almost appeared like a beautiful ink.

Mount Dana and Dana Glacier over Dana Lake

There were excellent views of the lake from the lakeshore already, but to get a clearer overview of the lake and the Dana Glacier, I chose to scramble up to a large boulder a hundred feet above the lake's northeast shore that had tremendous views of the lake itself, Mount Dana, and back out Glacier Canyon to Mount Conness.

Dana Lake

The Dana Glacier once filled the entire back of the basin at the head of Glacier Canyon and nearly reached down to Dana Lake when European American observers first documented the glacier in the late nineteenth century. It has since shrunk over 90 percent, with just a sliver of ice left at the base of Mount Dana itself. In the past few decades, it retreats further almost every summer, and the glacier is likely to disappear entirely in a matter of years, a victim of climate change. It is possible to continue scrambling southeast through the talus along Dana Lake until reaching the moraine at the toe of the glacier, but after so much scrambling to reach Dana Lake itself, I was in no mood for an extended hike across talus.

Dana Glacier above Dana Lake

After getting my fill of glacier and lake views, I retraced my steps down the moraine from Dana Lake to the isthmus between Dana Lakes No. 2 and 3. Here, I departed from the route that I had taken on the way up to complete a loop with the last two lakes and briefly visit the Dana Plateau. After crossing the isthmus, I followed the western shore of Dana Lake No. 3 scrambling along its rocky shoreline until I got to the northwestern corner of the lake.

Dana Lake No. 3

Dana Lakes No. 3 and No. 4 were sequential lakes in a shallow, rocky gully; once I passed the end of the third lake, I continued following the rocky gully for two hundred meters and reached Dana Lake No. 4 at just over 3 miles into my hike. Past Dana Lake No. 4, the gully opened up into a rocky shelf; I continued traveling down this relatively flat (though rocky) shelf until it ended at 3.3 miles.

At this point, the shelf merged into a steep talus slope that overlooked the flat meadows of Glacier Canyon that I had hiked through earlier in the day. The Dana Plateau rose above and to the right. Here, I had to cross scramble about a tenth of a mile across the steep talus slope, angling slightly upwards as I moved forward so that I ascended about 50 feet and reached the flat top of the Dana Plateau, at about 3.4 miles from the trailhead.

View back towards Mount Dana and the basin of Dana Glacier

Looking back from the rim of the Dana Plateau, I had a sweeping view down into Glacier Canyon. While I could no longer see any of the lakes, this viewpoint still allowed me to see the glacier at the base of Mount Dana.

I encountered the first trees that I had seen in hours on the plateau. I traveled north, heading in a direction perpendicular to the rim of the plateau. After passing through the trees, I came to a large and flat meadow, where I spotted the Dana Plateau Trail on the other side of the meadow. I crossed the meadow and finally rejoined a formal trail at 3.6 miles into my hike.

Trail across Dana Plateau

The Dana Plateau is a large and flat subpeak that is connected to the much higher Mount Dana; the trail heading towards the right led to the top of the plateau, while the trail to the left led back down to Glacier Canyon and the trailhead. While I've heard great things about the views of Mount Dana and Mono Lake from the Dana Plateau, I was short on time so I chose to head left and begin my return down to Glacier Canyon.

The trail stayed just briefly on the flat plateau before beginning its descent, dropping first gradually and then steeply down a rocky gulch. At the top of the descent, there was a unique view across the ridge of Gaylor Peak into the Yosemite National Park high country. I could see many of the peaks in the Tuolumne Meadows area, including Unicorn Peak in the Cathedral Range and Mount Hoffman and Tuolumne Peak.

View across Tioga Pass towards Mount Hoffman and the Cathedral Range

The descent became quite steep as the trail plunged about 500 feet downhill from the Dana Plateau to reach the meadows at the bottom of Glacier Canyon. At the bottom of the hill, now just over 4 miles into my hike, I came to the point where I had left the Glacier Canyon Trail in the morning to get to Dana Lake No. 1, closing the loop. The final 1.4 miles brought me down along the stream back to Tioga Lake and then the trailhead.

The hike to Dana Lake is an excellent High Sierra outing that sees limited visitors despite being so close to Tioga Pass and Yosemite National Park. I saw a handful of other hikers on my hike, almost all of them headed to Dana Plateau rather than the lakes. The necessity of some Class 2 to 3 rock scrambling and navigation skills means this hike is not for everyone. But those with the confidence and skills to tackle this hike will see some of the Sierra Nevada's most stunningly colored lakes and may have a chance to catch a once-great glacier before it takes its final bow.

Monchsjochhutte

The Aletschhorn rises above the Aletsch Glacier

5 km round trip, 200 meters elevation gain
Difficulty: Easy-moderate, best to bring snow traction
Access: Jungfraujoch Railway to trailhead with associated costs

Panoramas of ice and rock, of towering Alpine peaks rising above the mighty Aletsch Glacier, are usually the domain of alpinists alone. However, this cross-glacier walk from Jungfraujoch to Monchsjochhutte in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland makes such stark and stunning scenery available to tourists and casual hikers. The cog railroad to Jungfraujoch- a marvel of engineering and the highest railway line in Europe- does most of the work, bringing visitors to an icy landscape at a high pass in the Bernese Oberland. From here, a short path across the head of the Aletsch Glacier, doable for most hikers and made safe by maintainence, leads to an even higher pass with vast views over the glaciers and sharp peaks of the Bernese Oberland. It's important to note that this hike does involve crossing a glacier so some preparation can make your experience much more pleasant: it's useful to bring hiking boots as well as snow traction like Yaktrax or microspikes, sunglasses, sunscreen, and layers of clothing for staying warm on a glacier.

I hiked to Monchsjochhutte with my family during a trip to the Swiss Alps. Getting to the trailhead at Jungfraujoch is a fairly involved affair by public transport: it is not possible to reach Jungfraujoch or anywhere nearby by car. We spent a few days exploring the Bernese Oberland and I encourage you to do so as well, as this is one of the most scenic parts of the Alps. While traveling by car may be appropriate when exploring the eastern Swiss Alps or the Austrian Alps, it is far easier to travel by train in the Bernese Oberland. Many of the villages in the Bernese Oberland are car-free and there is a network of railway lines that connect the villages and many tourist areas in the Bernese Oberland. We enjoyed our stay in Wengen, a car-free village above Lauterbrunnen that was extremely scenic and provided easy access to the Jungfraujoch railway. We picked up the Jungfrau Travel Pass to use for unlimited travel on trains and cable cars in the area; this allowed us to qualify for a large discount on our Jungfraujoch tickets, which we had to buy separately. Yes, Jungfraujoch is an expensive experience; but if you time your visit for a clear day, it is a superb and unforgettable one as well.

We traveled by train to Interlaken and then transferred trains at Interlaken Ost to reach Lauterbrunnen; there, we transferred to a cog railway, which brought us to Wengen and then continued up the mountain to Kleine Scheidegg, a pass with a railway station that also serves as the starting point of the Jungfraujoch Railway. We boarded the Jungfraujoch Railway at Kleine Scheidegg: this cog railway began to climb up the slopes of the Eiger and then entered the mountain itself, traveling through tunnel the rest of the way to Jungfraujoch. The train made a brief stop at Eismeer, where we gazed out from windows set in to the cliffs of the Eiger at the mighty icefalls and crevasses of the Ischmeer Glacier. The train finally deposited us at Jungfraujoch, the terminus of the line and the highest railway station on the continent at 3450 meters. 

The Jungfraujoch station and the associated restaurants and stores were packed with tourists; however, we made a beeline for the large panoramic windows that delivered a view from this high mountain pass directly down the length of the Aletsch Glacier. The Aletsch Glacier is the longest and largest glacier in the Alps: it runs for 23 km until it terminates near the village of Reideralp, just a short distance above the Rhone River Valley in Valais. At Konkordiaplatz, three massive glaciers that originate from high alpine cirques combine into a single monstrous body of ice, one kilometer thick, that grinds its way unceasingly down an Alpine valley. With a combined volume of over 15 cubic kilometers, this glacier has no peer in the Alps; here is an ice age yet to end, a vivid example of the might and power of permanent ice. This was a view impossible to forget.

View down the Aletsch Glacier from Jungfraujoch

We spent a little bit more time in Jungfraujoch station before starting our hike to Monchsjochhutte, taking an elevator to the top of the Sphinx Observatory, an observation deck from which to study the magnificent view from Jungfraujoch. In addition to the views of the Aletsch Glacier, this deck provided views of the two giant Alpine peaks rising to either side of Jungfraujoch: the Monch to the east and Jungfrau to the west. Both peaks exceed 4000 meters in height, placing them among the Alps' tallest peaks; along with the Eiger, these two peaks are also the most iconic and omnipresent mountains of the Bernese Oberland. The Monch was absolutely spectacular from this angle, where we could see the mountain's rocky northwest face soaring from the green valleys of Wengeralp and Kleine Scheidegg below to its sharp, icy peak. The peak's southern slopes cradled the head of the Aletsch Glacier; we could see the clearly defined path to Monchsjochhutte stretching across the glacier here. Looking to the north, we gazed out over the greenery of the Alpine foothills; the valleys of Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald emptied into Interlaken and beyond that, the hills died out into the flatter country of northern Switzerland.

Monch from Jungfraujoch

Returning to the station level of Jungfraujoch, we followed the signs for Monchsjochhutte to exit the station onto the glacier and start our hike. Once we emerged on the glacier, we put on our microspikes and started following the groomed, well-marked path to Monchsjochhutte. Near the exit from the Jungfraujoch tunnels, we passed a number of snow-play facilities for anyone who would be so inclined; we skipped these. We had amazing views as soon as we were on the ice: the Monch rose ahead and Jungfrau rose behind, along with the steep pinnacle of the Sphinx, where we had stood just a few minutes earlier.

Venturing onto the Aletsch Glacier below Jungfraujoch

The groomed path cut across the upper part of the Aletsch Glacier and we were initially treated to views down the length of the glacier. From here, we could see down to Konkordiaplatz, although we could not see the glaciers that flowed in to join the branch feeding from Jungfrau. Further down the valley, we could see that many lateral moraines traced the length of the Aletsch, each additional path of dirt marking an additional tributary glacier that had fed into this behemoth of ice. Clouds covered the Eggishorn, a lower peak separating the Aletsch Glacier from the Rhone Valley and the town of Fiesch, but far off in the distance a number of snowy summits in the Pennine Alps- the high peaks near Zermatt and Saas Fee- poked above the clouds.

Aletsch Glacier, the greatest glacier of the Alps

The groomed path initially ascended gradually and later more steeply towards a saddle on the east side of the Monch. While passing beneath the Monch, we had close up views of a glacier, its ice easily over 50 meters thick, hanging off the steep slopes of the Monch above us. From time to time, portions of this glacier would loosen and tumble down onto the Aletsch Glacier, a powerfully exciting sight that was also somewhat frightening as the glacial debris would fall towards the direction of the Monchsjochhutte path. However, the falling ice always stopped before reaching the actual trail. Falling ice is not the only danger to be concerned with: the Aletsch is an active glacier and there are crevasses on the glacier off the groomed path. A few crevasses had opened just meters away from the trail and footprints indicated some tourists had walked over to the edges of those crevasses; that is extremely dangerous as snow bridges may give away, so hikers should stick to the groomed path.

Climbing party beneath a glacier on the Monch

As we continued towards Monchsjochhutte, the grade on the glacier steepened. Seeing other hikers slipping or failing to gain traction in the snow, we were glad that we brought traction. As we approached Monchjochshutte, views of the main trunk of the Aletsch disappeared behind nearby mountains. Looking back, we still enjoyed spectacular views of Jungfrau and Aletschhorn.

Jungfrau

After rounding a minor ridge of the Monch, the Monchsjoch- a high saddle east of the Monch- came into view. A final uphill push brought us to the pass between the Monch and Trugberg. We followed a groomed snow path from the pass up to the hut itself, which was slightly above the pass on the slopes of the Monch. The hut lies at 3658 meters- just over 12000 feet for us Americans- and serves as a launching point for climbers tackling the Monch. Day hikers can buy food and refreshments here; there are also dorm-style accommodations for those wanting to spend a night high in the Alps.

Monchsjochhutte

The primary reason to come out to Monchjochshutte, though, were the views. From the entrance of the hut, there were stark, wondrous views to the east across another lobe of ice that feeds the Aletsch Glacier. Across this great icy plain we could see many of the other great peaks of the Bernese Oberland: Mittelhorn and Schreckhorn, both of which rise above the valley of Grindelwald, and Klein Fiescherhorn, a dramatic rocky peak that rises over the Grindelwald Glacier and is at the northern end of a great ridge that culminates in Finsteraarhorn, the highest summit of the Bernese Alps. Here, the whole world seems to be made of just ice and rock. It is a cold, stark beauty, a landscape filled with harsh drama.

Mittelhorn and Schreckhorn

Klein Fiescherhorn and Monchsjoch

The Aletsch Glacier is at the center of the Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area, the first region in the Alps to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, despite these protections, the Aletsch Glacier- like most other glaciers in the Alps- is retreating due to climate change. While the volume of ice loss from the glacier has been great, the relative effect on the Aletsch has not been as extreme compared to other Alpine glaciers, largely because the Aletsch was so big to begin with. However, with forecasts for a warming climate, the glacier is predicted to shrink to less than half of its current size by the end of this century. The future of the Aletsch and of glaciers around the world will depend on how humans approach the problem of carbon emissions in the coming decades.

The Alpine world of the Aletsch Glacier between Jungfraujoch and Monchsjochhutte is unforgetably beautiful. If you are visiting the Swiss Alps and in particular if you're traveling through the Bernese Oberland, a train ride to Jungfraujoch and the hike to Monchsjochhutte must not be missed. Alpinists throw themselves at the steep mountains and cross great glaciers to find views like these; this is a rare place where just about anyone can marvel at this usually inaccessible world, too.

Riffelseeweg

Matterhorn and Dent Blanche reflected in Riffelsee

3 km one-way, 50 meters elevation gain
Difficulty: Easy
Access: Gornergrat cog railway to trailhead with associated costs

The Matterhorn reflected in shallow Riffelsee, high in the Swiss Alps, is the most iconic view of our planet's most iconic peak. Near Zermatt, the sharp rock pyramid of Matterhorn and a panel of other great, glaciated Alpine peaks form one of the most awesome mountain spectacles in the world. This is the greatest concentration of peaks over 4000 meters in the Alps and among the most heavily glaciated areas of the world outside of the polar regions. This easy one-way hike to Riffelsee descends from the Rotenboden station on the Gornergrat Cog Railway to the Riffelberg Station, delivering nonstop views of these peaks as it traverses alpine meadows and passes calm alpine ponds. 

I hiked the Riffelseeweg during a trip to the Alps with my family. We only had one day of good weather while we were in Zermatt, so we decided to take full advantage of it by combining a trip up to Gornergrat with the cable car up to the Klein Matterhorn to spend as much time as possible in the high alpine. As of 2019, the Gornergratbahn offers a Peak2Peak pass that combines the two experiences into a single day ticket for a discount, if you're inclined to pack two of the most incredible and accessible glacial alpine experiences into 10 hours or less. The tickets are certainly pricy but there are few other places on earth where you can ride a cog railway to see one of Europe's larger glaciers and ride a cable car straight above the crevasses of another. If you're planning on a longer stay in Switzerland, you should seriously consider getting the Swiss Half Fare Card, a 120 CHF (as of 2019) offering from the SBB that would pay for itself if you visit Zermatt and redeem discounts with it for Gornergrat or the Peak2Peak experience.

Doing this hike required a substantial amount of travel by rail: not only did we need to take the Gornergratbahn to reach the trailhead from Zermatt, but Zermatt itself is a car-free town that we had to reach by rail from Visp. Once in Zermatt, we bought early morning tickets for the Gornergratbahn and took the cog railway up to its terminus at Gornergrat station. 

Gornergrat station is on a high alpine ridge overlooking the Gorner Glacier and offers a jaw-dropping panorama of nearby alpine peaks. The mighty Gorner Glacier filled the valley below, with a tributary glacier feeding it and numerous other glaciers hanging off the high mountain slopes near it. The Gorner is the third longest glacier in Switzerland and part of the third largest glacial system in the Alps, after those of the Aletsch Glacier and the Mer de Glace. Gornergrat is surrounded by 4000-meter peaks: Monte Rosa, Lyskamm, Castor, Pollux, Breithorn, Matterhorn, Dent Blanche, Ober Gabelhorn, Zinalrotthorn, Weisshorn, Taschhorn, and the Dom. These peaks- all within the Pennine Alps of Valais- are the densest concentration of high peaks in the Alps, exceeding the number of 4000 meter peaks in either the Bernese Alps or in the Mont Blanc massif. This truly extraordinary view was accessible by train, without having to take a single step on a trail.

The mighty Gorner Glacier flows down from Monte Rosa

After admiring the indescribably beautiful scene at Gornergrat, we took the Gornergratbahn downhill one stop to Rotenboden and disembarked. There were no services at Rotenboden- it is just a stop for accessing Riffelsee. We started our Riffelseeweg hike here, following the trail downhill for 3 km past Riffelsee itself and through open meadows to reach the next stop on the Gornergratbahn at Riffelberg. There is about 200 meters of elevation loss on this one-way hike with minimal elevation gain.

We headed south from the Rotenboden station towards Riffelsee, which was already visible in a basin below us at the foot of the Riffelhorn. Unfortunately, the area's extreme popularity with tourists (like us!) have caused visiting hordes to tramp out multiple paths down to the lake. To prevent further erosion and meadow loss, we stuck to existing paths here. Views were incredible straight from the start: Monte Rosa, Lyskamm, Castor and Pollux, and Breithorn rose above the grassy ridge to the south. Monte Rosa is the second highest peak in the Alps after Mont Blanc and the highest point in Switzerland; however, the mountain does not quite have as memorable a form as its taller rival Mont Blanc or its close neighbor, the Matterhorn. From this angle, we also spotted Klein Matterhorn, a small and sharp peak rising above the Theodul Glacier that we would visit later in the day by cable car.

Lyskamm, Castor and Pollux, and Breithorn from Rotenboden Station

Klein Matterhorn and the Theodul Glacier

As this trailhead was accessible by train, there was a crowd of other tourists ahead of us who were heading down to the lake. We hung behind the main pack, taking time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings as we slowly descended to the lake. Matterhorn and the wall of peaks west of Zermatt rose above Riffelsee as we approached the lake. Every peak carried glaciers on its slopes. These glaciers are remnants of massive, ancient glaciers that carved these mountains into their dramatic shapes: Matterhorn is the quintessential glacial horn, with cirques on four sides that been progressively carved deeper until the peak became a pyramid with four nearly vertical faces.

Riffelsee

At the lakeshore, we arrived at one of the most iconic views of Matterhorn. When the waters of Riffelsee are calm, this shallow lake is able to almost perfectly reflect Matterhorn. After admiring this famed view, we followed the trail along the north side of the lake, passing by views of Monte Rosa and Lyskamm reflected in the lake as well.

Monte Rosa rises above Riffelsee

About 400 meters downhill from Riffelsee, the trail came to a smaller, unnamed pond that had views nearly as spectacular as those at the better known lake. The difference was that other hikers and tourists were zipping by this pond, meaning that we were able to enjoy this pond in relative quiet.

Pond below Riffelsee

After leaving the pond, the next two kilometers of trail were across open Alpine meadows as the trail dropped towards Riffelberg. There was about 160 meters of elevation loss across this stretch of trail. After initially following the creek draining Riffelsee, we arrived at a junction where two separate trails led to Riffelberg. The left fork was slightly longer; both cross the open country near Riffelberg and are very scenic. We chose to take the right fork, which headed north, leaving the stream and crossing open slopes. We had tremendously scenic views of Matterhorn here and soon the valley of Zermatt below and great peaks of Weisshorn and Taschhorn to the north were in view. While the views from Riffelsee had centered on Matterhorn's east face, the north face and the form of Hornli Ridge came into view as we approached Riffelberg. The mountain's extraordinary shape has made it an emblem of the Swiss Alps, appearing on tourist brochures and Toblerone chocolates. 

Matterhorn

The hike ended with a descent along the Gornergratbahn to Riffelberg. At Riffelberg, there are two options for returning to Zermatt: one is to take the Gornergratbahn back down, while the other is to ride the Riffelberg Express cable car, which descends to the Furi cable car station, which is just uphill from Zermatt. We stopped at the buffet at Riffelberg for lunch, where I enjoyed rosti while enjoying views of Matterhorn and the Riffelberg chapel. We took the Riffelberg Express cable car down the mountain, as that cable car connects to the Klein Matterhorn cable car.

Gornergrat Railway near Riffelberg Station

The cable car ride up to Klein Matterhorn was another extraordinary Alpine experience that comes from the willingness of Europeans to build cable cars in ridiculous terrain. From Furi, we hopped on the cable car to Trockner Steg, which headed up first to the Schwarzsee station at the foot of Matterhorn's Hornli Ridge and then continued up to Trockner Steg, a high mountain cable car station near the foot of the Oberer Theodul Glacier. At Trockner Steg, we transferred to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car, which soared over the entire width of the massive Theodul Glacier, passing directly over the glacier's crevasses and great icefalls. The cable car then made a steep final climb along a dramatic icefall on a tributary to the Theodul Glacier to reach Klein Matterhorn, where we disembarked at a station carved into the mountain at an elevation of 3883 meters. This is the highest cable car station in the Alps, about 40 meters in elevation higher than the Aiguille du Midi cable car near Chamonix in the Mont Blanc region. The Klein Matterhorn cable car station also goes by the name Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. Unfortunately, clouds had rolled in once we reached Klein Matterhorn so views were quite limited when we exited the mountain onto the glacier outside. There's unfortunately not much hiking that can be safely done here, unlike at similar accessible Alpine glacial experiences like Jungfraujoch. I know these types of cable cars aren't so rare in the Alps, but there's really no equivalent experience to this in North America outside of the glacier flightseeing tours of Alaska and northern Canada.

Theodul Glacier from the cable car to Klein Matterhorn

While hikers who are seeking a wilderness experience and challenging workouts would be sorely disappointed by this hike, tourists in Zermatt who want to spice up their Gornergrat train ride or their Gornergrat/Klein Matterhorn combo day trip will find this one-way hike to be an enjoyable and rewarding add-on. The views of Matterhorn from Riffelsee shouldn't be missed, so you shouldn't skip the short hike on the Riffelseeweg if you're in Zermatt.

Gamsgrubenweg

Gamsgrubenweg among the highest peaks of Austria

8 km round trip, 220 meters elevation gain
Difficulty: Easy
Access: Paved road to trailhead, Grossglockner High Alpine Road entrance fee required

The mighty Hohe Tauern, a range within the Alps, climaxes at Grossglockner, the highest peak in Austria and the heart of Hohe Tauern National Park. The Gamsgrubenweg is an easy half day hike from the end of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road that delivers an incredible, close-up look at Austria's highest mountain along with stunning views over the Pasterze Glacier, Austria's largest glacier. The trail is wide and smooth along its entire length as it traverses open meadows in the most spectacular scenery of the Austrian Alps after an initial stretch in mountain tunnels. This is an easy and incredible way to experience the scenery around Austria's highest peak and reaching this hike by driving the Grossglockner High Alpine Road is half the fun.

I hiked the Gamsgrubenweg during a trip to the Alps with my parents. After visiting Salzburg and indulging in days of finding sites relevant to Mozart or the Sound of Music, we made our way south to the Hohe Tauern, which contains the highest, most glaciated, and most spectacular stretch of the Alps in Austria. The most tourist-friendly way to see this range is by driving the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, an extraordinary alpine drive in the same class as the Going to the Sun Road or the Beartooth Highway in the United States. From Zell am See, the road crosses a high pass over the Alps as it cuts through Hohe Tauern National Park and ends at the Kaiser Franz Josef Hohe, a spectacular viewpoint that takes in Grossglockner and the Pasterze Glacier. We split our journey through this extraordinarily scenic mountain region over three days, driving up the High Alpine Road on the first day from the nearby lakeside resort town of Zell am See. 

In a curious phenomenon, many Alpine resort towns have formed strong connections with tourists from certain parts of the world: Zermatt is beloved by Japanese and British tourists, while Russian holidaymakers often head to the glitzy St. Moritz. Zell am See is a popular spot for vacationers from the Middle East: the town spent recent decades advertising itself as a paradise to Gulf states and its efforts have paid off.

Driving south from Zell am See, we followed the Grossglockner High Alpine Road (Grossglockner-Hochalpenstrasse) into the Hohe Tauern, passing the town of Fusch before coming to the toll booth for the road. While the rates for driving the road are nearly as steep as the Alps, it's worth it: this is an extraordinarily scenic experience. The road climbed up from the bottom of the valley via endless switchbacks, passing through thinning forests before coming to the high alpine viewpoint of Fuscher Torl on the slopes of Edelweissspitze. The remarkable view here encompassed the high, snow-capped peaks of the Hohe Tauern, including the impressive wall of Grosses Wiesbachhorn across the valley and the summit of Grossglockner itself peeking out from behind closer peaks. Looking north out of the valley, we could see as far as the Berchtesgaden Alps and Hoher Dachstein. 

View of the Hohe Tauern from Fuscher Torl

The drive encompassed mile upon mile of high alpine scenery, with a number of alpine lakes near the road. After passing through a tunnel under Hochtor Pass, the road came to sweeping views of the Carinthian Alps. We stayed two nights at the Berggasthaus Wallackhaus, which had jaw-dropping alpine surroundings, to savor this beautiful landscape and to easily reach Kaiser Franz Josef Hohe and the Gamsgrubenweg the next day. I really enjoyed the stay at Berggasthaus Wallackhaus: the restaurant was quite good and the rooms were spacious with beautiful views of the mountains.

View of the Hohe Tauern from Hochtor Pass

The next morning, we drove the highly scenic branch of the Hochalpenstrasse that led to Kaiser Franz Josef Hohe. As the road tightly hugged the slopes of the Alps, we passed one scenic wonder after another. The glaciated peaks of the Hohe Tauern held our attention on one side of the road; on the other side, we passed the alpine shower of Fensterbach Waterfall and the calm waters of Stauseeblick, an alpine lake nestled beneath snowy peaks. On Google Maps, the Fensterbach Waterfall has been inaccurately labeled the Energiedusche Waterfall due to that phrase appearing on an interpretive sign here. 

Fensterbach Waterfall

Stauseeblick

The end of this great alpine road was at Kaiser Franz Josef Hohe, a visitor center with exhibits, food, and a very large parking garage. The visitor center is so named because Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary once visited this spot with Empress Elisabeth, known as Sisi to many Austrians. The viewing deck at the platform allows visitors to look out to both Grossglockner and the the Pasterze Glacier, a view that I had looked forward to seeing since I first saw photos of this spot in Kev Reynolds' Walking in the Alps guidebook. When Franz Joseph and Sisi visited, the Pasterze flowed past the point where the visitor center now stands and was thick enough to fill up the valley nearly up to the level of the visitor center. However, seeing the glacier on my trip was a bit of a shock: the glacier had thinned out considerably and had retreated multiple kilometers uphill from its former position.

While the view from the Kaiser Franz Josef Hohe was great, most of the many impressive glaciers in this area were still further up the valley. The Gamsgrubenweg transports hikers further up the valley with minimal effort for closer views of the mountains and glaciers. However, rather than starting in a pristine natural environment, the trailhead for the Gamsgrubenweg led into a concrete tunnel beneath the Kaiser Franz Josef Hohe. The first kilometer of the hike was through this tunnel, which was dark and damp at times but had enough lights at intervals that no supplemental light is necessary. The trail ascended gradually through the tunnel section. The tunnel has both interpretive signage about the Pasterze Glacier and an odd storytelling setup that appears to detail some sort of fairy tale; my German was not good enough for me to really understand what exactly was going on. There were a few brief breaks in the tunnel where we had excellent views up the valley to the Pasterze Glacier and the lake that has formed in the wake of its retreat. 

Grossglockner rises above the Pasterze Glacier

The excitement really ramped up though when the tunnels ended: we emerged onto open, meadow-covered slopes high above the Pasterze Glacier below. A large glacial lake was visible beneath the trail that has formed in recent years with the glacier's rapid retreat; massive calved icebergs that have split off from the glacier floated in the middle of the lake. The trail maintained its gradual uphill grade here, making a constant but gentle climb as it approached the head of the valley. The Gamsgrubenweg was remarkably wide and well maintained, making it a good trail for just about everyone.

Gamsgrubenweg emerges from the tunnels

While the trail initially passed through rockier, more barren slopes, it soon arrived at lush wildflower meadows where verdant grass was mixed with profuse fields of white flowers. We spotted a number of marmots wandering these alpine meadows. We appreciated the relative wildness of this landscape: the Gamsgrubenweg runs through Hohe Tauern National Park, where there are more protections for the landscape, while most popular tourist spots in the Alps (at least to American tourists) such as the Mont Blanc region and the Bernese Oberland are not on protected land. As such, the meadows here were populated with wildlife rather than the cows seen on many Alpine mountainsides. The trail passed by the Gamsgrube, a high alpine bowl to the right of the trail.

Wildflowers blooming on Gamsgrubenweg

Grossglockner's rocky spine rose commandingly across the valley. The peak is the highest in the eastern Alps; while it lacks some of the drama and splendor of the more famous Alpine peaks to the west (Mont Blanc, Jungfrau, or Matterhorn), it is still a thrilling sight. Likewise, the Pasterze- a large valley glacier- would likely receive more international attention if it not for the Aletsch Glacier and the Mer de Glace in the western Alps.

Grossglockner and the Pasterze Glacier

The Gamsgrubenweg delivered spectacular views along its entire length until it ended at the Wasserfallwinkel, a viewpoint of a glacial-fed stream beginning its drop towards the Pasterze Glacier below. The views at the end of the trail are actually not as impressive as many of the views along the trail: while Grossglockner rises mightily across the valley here, much of the Pasterze is hidden from view. The Wasserfallwinkel Glacier fills the valley to the north of here, but not much of it is clearly visible from this viewpoint; climate change has forced it to retreat further up its valley. It is clear that some number of visitors continue uphill from this viewpoint towards the glacier, but as the terrain ahead was rocky and still partially snowbound we chose to turn around here.

Mighty Grossglockner

The glaciers of the Alps have been devastated by climate change and the Pasterze is one of the greatest icy victims. The glacier has retreated over 3 km and lost over half of its volume since Emperor Franz Joseph visited; tributary glaciers that once flowed off the slopes of Grossglockner and into the larger Pasterze are now high and dry, disconnected and confined to Grossglockner's upper slopes. Its glory days are clearly over, so you may want to come soon if you want to see this diminished but still impressive glacier before it shrivels completely over the course of the coming decades.

The rapidly retreating Pasterze Glacier

This was a lovely and easy hike to see one of the most spectacular stretch of the Austrian Alps. Driving the Grossglockner High Alpine Road and hiking the Gamsgrubenweg are a must if you're visiting Salzburg or the Austrian Alps; it's also a slightly quieter alternative to the tourist-packed Swiss and French Alps.

Little Giant Pass

Little Giant Pass

9 miles round trip, 4000 feet elevation gain
Difficulty: Strenuous, river ford necessary
Access: Bumpy gravel road to trailhead, Northwest Forest Pass required

Buried deep within the Washington State's North Cascades, Little Giant Pass is a spectacular spot even in a range known for its spectacle. Glaciated giants rise nearby: Clark Mountain, Buck Mountain, and Glacier Peak add drama with their icy crowns, but the serene, grassy valley of the meandering Napeequa River below makes this spot truly magical. Known as the Shangri-La of the Cascades, this hidden valley indeed looks like a mountain paradise and makes Little Giant Pass one of the state's most worthwhile and underappreciated hiking destinations. Reaching Little Giant Pass can be a challenge though: the Chiwawa River Road is long and rough, fording the Chiwawa River itself can be cold and dangerous at high flow, and 4000 feet of elevation gain to reach the pass is no joke. You should make it out here- but be prepared to work for the views. This hike is best suited for late summer and early fall when the ford over the Chiwawa River can be done safely.

I hiked Little Giant Pass on a September day with a borderline weather forecast that called for rain on the west slopes of the Cascades. I figured that Little Giant Pass might have nicer weather as it lies on the east slope of the range and drove out on US Highway 2 from the Puget Sound area across Stevens Pass to Coles Corner. At Coles Corner, I made a left turn towards Lake Wenatchee State Park onto Highway 207. I followed Highway 207 for a few miles until crossing a bridge over the Wenatchee River; immediately afterwards, I took a right onto the Chiwawa Loop Road, following it until I came to the Chiwawa River Road. Turning left onto the Chiwawa River Road, I followed this road north into the Chiwawa River Valley. The initial section of the road was paved and made for easy driving, but after 10 miles or so the pavement ended and the road transitioned to a decent dirt road with some potholes and washboarding. The road became progressively worse as it approached the Little Giant Trailhead, which was a small pull-off on the left side of the road 18 miles down the Chiwawa River Road.

From the trailhead, the trail dropped immediately to the banks of the Chiwawa River. Here, it was necessary to ford the Chiwawa River, which in September was cold and knee-deep. This is the most significant obstacle on the hike: when snowmelt is heavy early in the summer, the water level may be high and fording the river may be difficult, dangerous, or impossible. Late summer and fall are most likely to provide safer river fording conditions. It is your responsibility to assess the conditions of this river ford and ensure that you can cross safely.

Fording the Chiwawa River at the trailhead

After crossing the Chiwawa River, the first half mile of trail was a very gentle ascent as I crossed the floor of the Chiwawa River valley. The Chiwawa River marked the boundary of Glacier Peak Wilderness, one of the most expansive wild regions in Washington State that encompasses the North Cascades between US Highway 2 and Washington Highway 20.

Soon the trail arrived at the foot of the mountain. From here, the trail embarked on a very steep ascent with constant switchbacks through the forest. In the next mile, the trail climbed 1200 feet before rounding a small saddle and leveling off at the 1.5 mile mark of the hike.

The following 2/3 mile respite was the only break in the otherwise relentless ascent; the trail contoured the mountainside through the forest with minimal ascent for a stretch, then made a steep, 200-foot descent down to Little Giant Creek. After crossing the creek, the trail resumed a steep ascent. Soon, the trail exited the forest into brushy slopes that provided the first views of the hike to the forested ridges across the Chiwawa River Valley.

First views emerging from the forest

After another brief stretch in the forest, the trail emerged onto a large rocky outcrop and began to ascend aggressively along its stone spine. The ascent then returned to a sparser forest until the trail finally broke out into the open for good after just over a mile and 1600 feet of ascent from the creek crossing. This stretch of trail was brutally steep and partially helps explain why the hike's incredible rewards hasn't attracted more hikers.

As I emerged into an open alpine bowl, the North Cascades high country exploded in fall colors around me. Huckleberry bushes had turned bright red and were heavy with ripe, sweet berries. The rocky ramparts of Little Giant Pass rose above.

Fall colors approaching Little Giant Pass

The last mile of the hike was extremely scenic: the long, strenuous ascent finally paid off. There was still 800 feet of elevation gain left, but as the trail made one long switchback on this final stretch of uphill, there were open and beautiful views of the North Cascades. Views across the Chiwawa River valley were excellent: fresh snow coated the summits of Ice Box, Chilly, and Fifth of July Mountains. Carne Mountain, home of an excellent fall hike for seeing alpine larches, was directly across the valley.

Icebox Peak and Carne Mountain across the Chiwawa River Valley

As I turned around the last switchback of the ascent, the surrounding subalpine scenery was spectacular: craggy peaks lined the ridge to the south and the high country around Little Giant Pass was all open meadows full of fall color.

Views to the south on the approach to Little Giant Pass

Soon the trail arrived at Little Giant Pass, a high saddle between the Chiwawa and Napeequa River valleys. The best views were not from the trail at the pass but rather along the social paths that ran to the north and south from the pass. From either of these paths, views opened up to the Napeequa Valley below and to the west. The meandering river flowed through meadows at the bottom of the valley; glacier-capped Mount Clark rose across the valley and the Dakobed Range defined the head of the valley. Clouds partially obscured Glacier Peak, which peeked out from behind the Dakobed Range. This was an extraordinarily beautiful scene; the Napeequa Valley lived up to its reputation of being the Shangri-La of the Cascades.

Napeequa Valley below Little Giant Valley

The sharp spires and pyramids of Clark Mountain were a highlight of this view: this beautiful glacier-capped peak is deep within the North Cascades and thus is rarely spotted from day hikes. Little Giant Pass and nearby Carne Mountain are some of the few day hikes that allow for close up viewing of the peak. A heavily crevassed glacier covered its upper slopes: Clark Mountain marks the southern end of the most heavily glaciated portion of the Dakobed Range, one of the icier parts of the Cascades: the Dakobed Range ends at Glacier Peak, which Native peoples of the Northwest know as Dakobed.

Clark Mountain

The Napeequa River's meadow-lined valley is a rarity in the Cascades, where most river valleys are instead heavily forested. The river meanders through the valley, passing groves of trees that are starting to settle the meadows and oxbow ponds left from the river's historic path. The Little Giant Trail continued from Little Giant Pass and descended into this valley, but I would have to settle with viewing this placid valley from above today.

Napeequa River

A stony mountain spine ran south from Clark Mountain on the other side of the Napeequa River Valley, one of many parallel ridges bounding streams and rivers that fed the Wenatchee River.

Views across the Napeequa River watershed

To the northeast, Mount Maude and Seven Fingered Jack- two 9000-foot giants, among the highest non-volcanic peaks in the state- were visible, dusted with fresh snow. Buck Mountain, another prominent peak above the Chiwawa River drainage, was visible to the north.

Seven Fingered Jack and Mount Maude

Buck Mountain

I had these extraordinary views to myself: although I passed a handful of other people on the trail, I was alone at the pass with the grand peaks of the North Cascades and Napeequa Valley. When fording conditions are safe on the Chiwawa River and if you're up for the strenuous ascent necessary to reach Little Giant Pass, I recommend this hike highly for hikers looking to escape the crowds and appreciate these striking views.