From Schwägalp via Nasenlöcher | Mountain hiking

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- From Schwägalp via Nasenlöcher
- From Schwägalp via Chammhaldenroute
From Schwägalp via Nasenlöcher

From Schwägalp via Nasenlöcher Säntis 2502 m

Difficulty

T4+
Ascent

4–5 h, 1330 m
Descent

200 m

Alpine Anatomy Lessons

With the usual and Chammhalden routes this is the third itinerary on the Säntis north face (second in terms of difficulty). Steep, equipped with steel cables and marked white-blue (alpine hiking route), it leads 600 metres of vertical height to Hintere Öhrligrueb. The detour to Öhrlikopf (on the national map new "Öhrlikopf") with some scrambling in shell limestone seems more difficult than it really is. Towards the end of the tour the often crowded mountain hiking route Ebenalp-Schäfler-Säntis can be avoided by undertaking the described, demanding ridge hike.

Öhrli (Öhrlikopf) viewed from Hintere Öhrligrueb at the end of the Nasenlöcher route © Fabian Lippuner

The nostrils - the trail to the actual "holes" is a dead end (08/2022) © Pascal Keller

Route description

Schwägalp – Potersalp

From Schwägalp follow the marked roads up and down to reach Chamm and Potersalp. The bifurcation for the Nasenlöcher route is at ca. 1400 m shortly before Schwizerälpli (signpost).

Potersalp - Hintere Öhrligrueb

Ascend on the white-blue marked trail overcoming a number of escarpments and past Nasenlöcher. The upper part is a long traverse eastward to reach the picturesque Hintere Öhrligrueb. Turning eastward, you reach the saddle of P. 2117.

Detour to Öhrlikopf

On the saddle the unmarked, but easy to find ascent to Öhrlikopf begins. At first follow a faint path in the talus to reach the ridge. Overcoming an escarpment, you reach a chimney in the summit structure. Follow the chimney full of scree to the summit ridge. The descent back to Hintere Öhrligrueb is on the ascent route.

Hintere Öhrligrueb – Säntis

Follow the white-red mountain hiking trail across the dwindling Blauschnee. The exact itinerary depends on the snow situation and climb up Himmelsleiter (steps cut into the rock) to reach the Säntis summit. Take the aerial cableway down to Schwägalp.

Variant: across Hüenerberg

Traversing Hüenerberg is an alternative to the crowded Ebenalp-Säntis hiking trail, which is 150 metres of vertical height down on karst. From the Höchnideri saddle hike pathless on karst to the ridge at P. 2246. Now follows a narrow, exposed ridge (T5) with some short climbing passages (grade I and II). P. 2311 and P. 2308 are traversed to reach Hüenerbergsattel (P. 2324), where the Chammhalden route merges from the north. From here descend a few metres southward to reach the mountain hiking trail to Säntis (T4). Add ½–1 h for traversing Hüenerberg.

Additional information

Departure point

Schwägalp, Säntis aerial cableway (1352 m)

Get there Google Maps

Schwägalp, Säntis-Schwebebahn

End point

Säntis, Bergstation (2502 m)

Informationen zur Schwebebahn Schwägalp–Säntis: www.saentisbahn.ch.

Get there Google Maps

Säntis

Time: Schwägalp - Potersalp - Nasenlöcher - Hintere Öhrligrueb - Öhrlikopf: 3 h

Öhrlikopf - Hintere Öhrligrueb - Höchnideri saddle P. 2121 - Blauschnee - Säntis: 1½ h

Without the detour to Öhrlikopf ½ h less.

Difficulty / Material: The most exposed passages of the Nasenlöcher route are equipped with steel cables. Some passages require easy climbing (grade I). After rainfall the itinerary remains wet for a rather long time. In this case additional caution is advised. The bonus of the tour, Öhrlikopf, is climbed through chimneys (grade I). The loose rubble on the faces requires attention when several climbers are on the way to the summit.

Waypoints

Hüenerberg (2311 m)

Summit traversed on the variant