Looking for a short, easy to reach hike close to Zurich? Look no further! Here is everything you need to know Klingenstock-Fronalpstock hike!
How to get there
1st stop: Valley stop of the Stoosbahnen
By car
This hike is very popular because it’s super easy to reach! By car, it’s about an hour outside of Zurich. If you’re using GPS just put in “Parkhaus Stoosbahn”, which is the closest Parking in the area. You should know, that “Stoos” is a car-free city. Hence, you will park your car down in the valley, and then take up a cable car and then a chairlift to the start of the hike.
If you’re going on the weekend, I’d recommend to get there no later than 10 am! Otherwise you might need to park somewhere further away.
By public transport.
By public transport, you’ll need to get a train to “Schwyz” and then transfer to a bus and get out at the station “Schwyz, Stoosbahn”. As mentioned in the “by car” section, the city of Stoos is a car free zone. Hence, after you get out from the bus, you’ll need to take another cable car and a chairlift until you reach the trailhead.
2nd stop: Stoos
After arriving at the valley station of the Stoosbahn you’ll need to take the cable car up to Stoos.
The cable car runs every half hour from 7 am to 7 pm, always at 10 past and 40 past.
If you have a Swiss Half Fare Card, or a Swiss General Pass the ticket will cost you 42 or 31 CHF, respectively. At full price a day ticket (including the chairlifts) costs 52 CHF.
3rd stop: Klingenstock or Fronalpstock
Once you arrive in Stoos, the chairlifts are only a short walk away. You can either head to Klingenstock or Fronalpstock (check out the paragraph further along to decide where to start). To reach the chairlifts simply follow the signs along the road.
Important: The Klingenstock chairlift runs from 9 am to 4 pm in the summer months. The Fronalpstock chairlift runs from 9 am to 5:30 pm in the summer. Check out the up to date timetable here.
Best time to go
Obviously summer and early fall are the best time to go hiking in Switzerland. What I noticed while hiking is that there is basically no shade along the trail. Which makes sense, because it’s a ridge trail 😉 Hence, I would recommend to choose a warm, but not too hot of a day to do this hike. We went on one of the hottest days (like almost 30 degrees Celsius!). It was definitely too hot!
Which direction should i walk?
There’s obviously two ways how to do this hike. Either from Fronalpstock to Klingenstock, or from Klingenstock to Fronalpstock. I would recommend to go from Klingestock to Fronalpstock, here’s why.
If you look at the relief of the hike, you’ll see that it goes up and down all the time. However, walking from Klingenstock to Fronalpstock, about ¾ of the hike is generally slowly going downhill. Only the last 1 km or so you will have quite a steep ascent. Also, if you end at Fronalpstock you’ll have the opportunity to grab a bite or have a cold beverage at the “Gipfelrestaurant Fronalpstock”. Furthermore, as you mentioned before, the Fronalpstock’s operating hours are longer than the Klingenstock chairlift. Hence, if you start at Klingenstock you will have more peace of mind walking towards Fronalpstock, since the chances of missing the last run down are lower…
If you’re looking for a challenge, however, the other direction might be of interest to you. Just make sure to start bright and early then 🙂
Who is this hike suitable for?
The hike is approx. 5 km long and includes around 300 m of elevation changes. Hence, it is nor super long nor super strenuous. Therefore, I’d say the hike is suitable for pretty much anyone. There is one steeper part close to Fronalpstock, but if you take it slow then you shouldn’t have a problem. There is quite a bit of up and down, so make sure your knees can take it.
Since this is a ridge walk, I wouldn’t necessarily do this hike with little kids. Unless you can really keep them under control 😉
details about the route
Once you reach the trailhead (either the top of the Klingenstock or Fronalpstock chairlift), it’s time to start the hike.
If you’re starting at Klingenstock, all throughout the hike you will have one arm of the Vierwaldstettersee (the lake) on your lefthand side. This will be your main guiding point. Since it is a ridge walk, there will only be one path for the majority of the way.
There are a couple of benches and picnic tables along the way where you can stop when you need a break.
What to pack for the hike
The hike is not super long, and there is “civilization” at both ends. Nevertheless, you should still go on this hike well prepared.
Below you will find a list of things I would pack.
Hike packing list:
- Backpack with side pockets: You’ll be the most comfortable with a backpack with pockets where you can put frequently used items (e.g. water bottle,…)
- Robust hiking or trekking boots: The path is quite smooth but since it’s a ridge trail you want to be sturdy.
- Light weight, breathable t-shirt: Hiking is exercise after all, right?
- Convertible hiking pants (so you could make them into shorts later): Switzerland can be quite cold in the morning and warm later in the day…
- Sweat proof sunscreen: You’ll need it!!
- Sun hat: There’s basically no shade the entire walk, so you should protect your head.
- Sun glasses: Self explanatory 🙂
- Pocket knife: If you’re bringing a picknick, you’ll want to have a knife. Usually comes in handy.
- Some dry snacks (nut bars, cookies, chips,…): Even though the hike is not too long, you’ll want a boost of energy here and there.
- Easy to eat lunch (e.g. sandwiches): This one’s optional, but with views as phenomenal as on this hike it would be a pity not to stop for lunch…
- At least 1 litre of water: Always bring plenty of water!! You cannot refill along the way!!
- Hand sanitizer: Always good to have 🙂
- Tissues: Good to have 🙂
- Hiking poles: The hike is very up and down, poles will make it easier on your knees…
To conclude, if you’re looking for a short, not too strenuous but still super stunning hike. This one’s for you!! That’s it – now you’re all set for an amazing hike! If you’re looking for other fun things to do in Switzerland, check out this page here!