The best laid travel-by-German-trains plans went awry. We were supposed to arrive in Rorschach by 10:18am, but delayed trains and police inspections at the Austrian border meant we didn't start hiking until after noon.
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| 6:16 a.m. at the Steinebach Bahnhof |
We skedaddled uphill from the train station, then realized we should stop at an ATM to pick up some Swiss Francs. That was followed by another quick stop at a convenience store for some yogurts (lunch? what's that?) before we finally headed out of town. The first thing we learned about Swiss trails is that more often than not, they're direct: who needs switchbacks when you can just march straight up or downhill?
Most of this initial stretch was through farmland. We passed a cat in a field; I initially thought it was dead, but it turned out simply to have the most relaxed lifestyle and bucolic views imaginable.
We saw a lot of Rotmilane (red kites), including birds flying together in flocks rather than solo. We had views of them from below, and as we climbed higher, eventually from above.
Early on, we had views of five countries at once: Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, France, and Italy.
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| The steep climbs necessitated retying hiking boots... |
In Rehetobel, we paused for some Mineralwasser and Steckerleis ("ice-cream on a stick")...
...and for a splash of water. Switzerland was in the middle of its second June heat wave, wrapping up its second hottest June on record.
Shortly beyond Rehetobel, we passed our first Swiss honor-system-payment art shack...
...from which I regret not having purchased a fluffy companion chicken for Carly (lining the top shelf in the photo below). This is easy to write in hindsight, but at the time, I didn't want to add unnecessary weight to my backpack.
Some of the loudest church bells I've ever heard accompanied our hike uphill to Trogen for a good half mile or so. The church was built between 1779 and 1782 and has six bells, ranging from a wee 92kg Henkelgloecklein ("li'l bell with a handle") cast in 1465, to a massive 5032kg Landsgemeindeglocke ("rural community bell") added in 1958. In 2009, a 10-year community dispute over decibels reached a compromise, with the church covering the bell tower with larch wood to bring the volume below the 60 dB legal maximum.
...with an empty choir loft in back. Photographic evidence indicates it has been thus since at least 1894.
We passed through Trogen a little after 5pm, and it took another hour and a half to reach the top of the the Gäbris, our highest elevation of the day at 4,045 feet. There, we enjoyed our first views of higher mountains to come...
...before descending to Gais, our destination for the night.
Ta da! 12.7 miles and 4,157 ft elevation gain. Our first day was more strenuous than anticipated, perhaps a combination of the heat, the late start and insufficient lunch, and the frequent steep, straight-shot-up trails. I comfortably walked all of the first day in sneakers.
