Amden to Speer: St. Gallen, Eastern Switzerland

This hike is up to Speer, which at 1951 meters doesn’t seem all that intimidating - until you see it. I started at Amden, and somewhat foolishly skipped the chairlift, which added 350 meters (and unnecessary sweat) to my day. The first section winds around the Mattstock (another climb for another day!), and doesn’t start climbing for a while - but once it does, it is steep and feels relentless. Eventually, Speer comes into view, and it looks farther and higher than possible for a day hike. There are a couple snowfields to get through, but all are passable with clear tracks. Once at Oberchäseren, I was exhausted, and really debated whether I wanted to go further. But at that point, you can start to see the little figures of the other hikers who had made it to the top - and I wanted to be one of them. So I pushed on, and let me tell you, it felt GOOD climbing those last steps. The descent is a knee-busting, but beautiful, 2.5 hours,  weaving through the forests until the trail suddenly opens with views down to the always stunning Walensee.

• Route: Amden - Niederschlagwald - Hinter Höhi - Oberchäseren - Speer - Oberchäseren - Unterchäseren - Durschlegi - Amden

• Length and Rating: Challenging. 19km, 1100 meters ascent/descent, 5-7 hours.