Walensee before the tourists come 20220306

 Day:            6.3.2022
Start: Walenstadt, SG
End:       Weesen, SG
Distance:            21.79km
Ascent:                 911m
Descent:                 882m
Walking time:                   4:21

Confession time: we hike to be alone. We hike for solitude. We hike to recover and reflect. This is incompatible with many of the hikers you encounter: boom boxes, loud conversations, yoga pants and influencers can spoil a nice day out. Therefore, the north shore of Walensee, as beautiful, sunny and easy to hike as it is, is generally off-bounds for us.

Unfortunately there are not many hikes you can do in early spring. There's still a lot of snow up high and most hikes in the Swiss "flatlands" are criss-crossed by driveable roads and villages which is more of a lengthy dog walk than a hike to us. 

We bit the bullet and decided to do Walensee anyways. Just as early in spring as possible and before the boat routes to the halfway point at Quinten open up. There was still hope, that the instagram-boombox crowd was still (après-)skiing in early March. 

So we drove to Weesen, hopped on the train to Walenstadt and started our hike in cold but sunny weather. 

The ascent to the top of the first cliffs takes about an hour. I felt good and all the pre-season cardio has paid off: we were never out of breath and maintained a good pace. The absence of "instagram stops" was noticed but not unwelcome.

About halfway up, we were alone. Alone! On one of the most popular hiking trails of Switzerland. By the time we reached the top, we decided to take a rest, enjoy the cold spring air and have a snack. 

We met one or two other parties on the way down and along the lake, but mostly we walked in quiet. When we got into Quinten, we really saw the difference: no crowds. Just a few hikers like us doing the full length of the lake and some weekend trippers staying at the posh B&B. Momo was keen on exploring the restaurants, but these goldmines don't open until the boat service to Quinten is running. 

We tightened our backback straps and went to attack the steep ascent over the second quarry.

For the first time in my life, I tried out some walking sticks. It really makes a difference on steep uphill sections. Not only for power and efficiency, but also because you focus way less on keeping your balance. The climb was over in a breeze. 

I must admit that the main reason why I bought the sticks was not about walking efficiency. I still hate the clinging noise of hikers coming up a quiet path on these sticks. The main reason was that we want to do some two-day trips this summer. With the heavier pack, the sticks might be necessary on the steeper uphill and downhill segments. Also, they can be used to create an awning for the tent.

The second section along the lake was as beautiful as always but there were more and more day hikers as we approached Weesen. Yeezy sneakers, weird trousers, push chairs, boom boxes, beer crates. The kind of people you don't want to see on a hike in nature. We went off the path for a last break, snack and a bath with spectacular scenery for Momo.

The way back through Weesen was uncool. Too many day trippers driving up and down the lakeshore in tuned Benzes. Too many artificially ripped "sexy" jeans and fake eyebrows giving us critical looks.

We were happy to hop in the car and drive home for a Schnitzel and a beer.

What we've learned:

• Physical preparation, especially working on baseline cardio, pays huge dividends on hikes. You just feel so much better!
• Hiking sticks make a difference. They take a bit of load off your legs but more importantly they reduce the amount of concentration required to go over difficult terrain.
• Hiking sticks are a bit of a trap. As soon as you put them away, you stumble. The body gets used to walk with that kind of support in minutes. I can imagine that people who use them all the time will find it hard to walk without sticks. So they must be used sparingly and consciously