A short rest on the trail down to Elm
Nearing Elm after crossing Foopass
Old graveyard at 15th century church in Elm
July 24 2005 Elm to Linthal
After overnighting in Elm at the Gasthaus Sonne I took a short bus ride up the Sernftal Valley to the farm of Erbsalp (9:30). From the end of the road I walked up a cattle churned muddy path for about a half hour. I came to a large rock beside the trail with a blue and white way mark indicating a mountain path up the nearby Karpf (ca. 8850 feet). Its summit crowns the ridge to the north.
Beyond the rock I crossed a stream marking the head of the valley and began climbing south-west in a series of switch-backs up a grassy spur to a saddle at about 7070 feet. Once through the saddle I descended several hundred feet into a hidden alp with a stream running through it. Here there was a lone building (Wichlenmatt; 11:00). Beyond the hut the trail crossed the alp following a stream upward toward Richetlipass (11:30; ca.7420 feet). The last portion of the climb was quite steep and the narrow saddle that is the pass offered a great view down into the valley of the Durnachtal.
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- On the trail overlooking Erbsalp
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- The trail traversing the hillside toward Erbser Stock saddle
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- From Erbser Stock saddle looking across the Wichlenmatt alp toward Richetlipass
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- View from Richetlipass toward Erbser Stock saddle
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- Wild flowers near Richetlipass
