Whiteout on Goldplangg

Day:        16.4.2022

Start:   Muotatal, SZ

End:     Sisikon UR

Distance:          17.68km

Ascent:               968m

Descent:             1113m

Walking time:                 4:05

The recent snowfalls were frustrating, but finally the Easter weekend started. We kicked off with a planned hike from Muotatal over the Goldplangg pass to Riemenstalden and Sisikon. 

Already on the bus from Schwyz, people asked us if we were sure about this plan. We said that we were, or we'd turn around. What we didn't expect on this sunny morning were clouds and fog.

The initial shock was of a different kind, though. Despite it being Easter weekend, Muotatalers decided to take a break from forecasting the weather and incest to be shooting their guns instead. The shots reverberated of the valley sides sending poor Momo into a full blown panic attack. After several attempts to get him to walk on, I had to carry the poor mutt a few hundred meters out of the "danger zone". His little heart was racing, and so was mine after the uphill carry.

Soon enough we rounded the corner and got out of the noisy area. We found ourselves alone on a beautiful wide trail leading up to Goldplangg. And then came the first patch of snow, which Momo thoroughly enjoyed.

Snow soon became a bit of an issue as those fluffy clouds became thicker as we went up. Soon, we were in the middle of a whiteout and only able to find the path with a GPS.

Sky: white

Snow: white

Path: white

Underside of dog: white

This part of an otherwise beautiful hike was quite unpleasant, cold and battery intensive: I had to check the GPS every few steps to be sure we don't go off the path in these ugly conditions.

Finally, as we descended and we crossed several avalanche fields, the air got clearer and some views opened up.

Riemenstaldental is beautiful and often overlooked, but an ideal hike for late(r) spring.

As we got to the first houses, we were surprised by unfamiliar sounds behind us. A skier was walking down the mountain with his plastic boots and carrying his gear. We struck up a conversation and he told us his story:

He got to Riemenstalden at 6am and with a friend hiked up the mountain on skins. At the summit, they drank their tea and prepared for the long ski down. As he was taking the skins of his skis, he fumbled and one of the skis (only one) fell down the cliff and shattered. He had to ski down on one ski and walk most of the distance. Given the circumstances, his spirits were high.

Momo and I kept walking for the long, second half of our hike towards Sisikon.

The Riemenstalden valley is long and wild with some beautiful cliffs and a very deep gorge leading out. 

We found a bench under a huge cliff for a last pause before the final descent to the sunny slopes of Sisikon, where Momo took a bath in the local fountain to cool off.

What we learned: 

Check conditions better. The snow and fog were a nasty surprise. We had plenty of battery and had saved the maps on our phone but these were unpleasant conditions for a hike.

Take breaks on the descent: a fifteen minute break in the last hour made all the difference when you descend over 850m in one continuous plod. On the uphill bits, you take breaks as needed, on the downhill bits, you should schedule them consciously