Rigi Kulm from Küssnacht

Through the website Spontacts, I ran across some other hikers who are planning to do the Rigimarch in May as well. They had planned a training/reconnaissance hike on Rigi last Sunday, along the final part of the Rigimarch route. What better way to spend a sunny Sunday?

A large group (eleven of us, though not everybody training for the Rigimarch) set of from Küssnach am Rigi. We ascended past Seebodenalp and Rigi Staffel to Rigi Kulm. I must say that the summit is a little too touristy and built-up to really speak to my heart. (The view is spectacular, no denying that. But actually I prefer the quieter kind of viewpoint, such as the one at Düssen, in between Seebodenalp and Rigi Staffel.) After a well-deserved drink on Rigi Kulm, four decided to take a train down, and the other seven of us walked back to Küssnacht.

A quick word about current conditions might be of interest. There were patches of snow on the path starting around 1100m above sea level. Continuous snow on the path from around 1400m. Note that this is a shadowy north face, so elsewhere the snow line is likely to be higher. There is a well-trodden trail in the snow from Seebodenalp to Rigi Staffel. We carried snow shoes, but they were not necessary. Hiking poles and some kind of traction system (such as my brilliant Kathoola Microspikes) are useful though, especially on descent.

So much for my first ascent of the 'Queen of Mountains'. Next rendez-vous in the early hours of 29th of May.