Hiking the Mythenweg – Rotenflue to Grosser Mythen Peak

The Mythenweg trail is a short (6 km) but demanding (660 m of ascent and descent) trail that takes you from the top of the Rotenflue gondola to the top of the Grosser Mythen Peak and then back again. Because I prefer to see something new every step of the way I normally don’t care for there-and-back hikes, but this hike was worth making an exception for. The amazing views and the sense of accomplishment I got from reaching the peak really made this hike special.

Detail Summary

Where:Mythenweg
Canton Schweiz , Switzerland
Train/Bus:Zürich HB -> Rotenflue (Mythenregion) – 1 hr 40 min
What:Mythenweg

Trail Map
Yellow trail markers – Mythenweg Route 829
Red and white trail markers
Skill:Medium – About 3 hrs
Length 6 km, Ascent 660 m, Descent 660 m

Note: There is a sign at the beginning of the trail noting that this is a dangerous trail and you are hiking it at your own risk. Take the warning seriously, people have died on this trail. Take your time, wear proper shoes, and don’t attempt this trail during wet or slippery conditions.
CostRotenflue Gondola
Adult two-ways: 42 CHF, Halbtax: 21 CHF, GA: 0
Children: 14 CHF

Additional Info
Mythenweg
Trail Maps
Mythenregion
Webcams
Grosser Mythen • Peak hike near Lucerne on Swiss Family Fun – Great tips on how to shorten or lengthen this hike plus a few ideas about alternate starting points

Getting There

I decided to follow the route exactly as described on Swiss Mobility and so I started the hike at the top of the Rotenflue gondola. I wanted to do this for two reasons. First, the Rotenflue gondola is covered by my Swiss GA card, and therefore didn’t have any additional travel costs. And second, I was hiking this one alone and I wanted to see how my pace compared with the estimated pace (3 hrs) on the Swiss Mobility website. It ended up taking me only slightly longer at 3 hrs 20 min, so not bad.

The Mythen peak is an unmistakable landmark, and I took a picture of it out the train window on my way there. After riding up the Rotenflue gondola and starting the hike, I got a fantastic view of the peak. I could practically see the entire trail I would be hiking ahead of me and I’ve traced it out in red in the picture above. It looked intimidating, but also exciting!

The Trail

From the Rotenflue gondola the trail descends down through forest for a little over a km to Holzegg. There is another gondola here and if you wanted to shorten the hike, you could start here, but unlike the Rotenflue gondola, the Holzegg gondola is not covered by the Swiss GA card.

After passing Holzegg, the meat of the hike begins and it is nothing but steep rocky zig-zags all the way to the top. You absolutely need hiking shoes and poles on this trail. There are chains and ropes to help guide you. Of course, there were a few crazy trail runners who were doing this in gym shoes and zipping right past me. There is a sign at the beginning of the trail noting that this is a dangerous trail and you are hiking it at your own risk. Take the warning seriously, people have died on this trail. Take your time, wear proper shoes, and don’t attempt this trail during wet or slippery conditions. Taking pictures was not easy as I was working quite hard to hike the trail.

It was such a relief to see the restaurant at the top. And when I reached the top, a nice lady took my picture for me so I would have proof that I made it. I had packed a sandwich so I just had a picnic lunch. I was tempted by the restaurant’s famous almond croissants, but I decided not to get one. Maybe next time. If you are wondering how the restaurant is supplied, there is a helicopter pad next to it.

I had gorgeous weather for this hike and the views from the top were absolutely amazing in every single direction. The hike up was so worth it!

As I made my way back down, I was able to better appreciate the views and I found it easier to take pictures.

In this photo you can really get a sense of just how steep the trail is.

Even the hike back to the Rotenflue gondola was prettier in this direction.

I really love the picture above – it has both this hike in it and it has Mount Rigi, where we hiked the Mark Twain trail from the lake to the top earlier this summer in the background.

At the Rotenflue gondola, I took one more picture of the view and then headed home. This was a fantastic hike and I think it is one that I will try to do again next summer. And if I do it again, I will be sure to try the almond croissants.

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