Easy Snowshoe Hike in Raten Near to Zurich
by Rhoda Richardson
This is a short and easy snowshoe hike, perfect for a half day when Zurich is swathed in fog but the hills are clear. It is worth checking the webcam and forecast to check that there is enough snow and that you will have clear views. It’s also a great choice as there are no gondolas involved – so no tickets to purchase.
Raten is a pass in the Swiss canton of Zug near Gottschalkenberg, between the towns of Oberägeri and Biberbrugg. The snowshoe trail is clearly signposted. It is an out and back route with two sections where the trail diverges. It doesn’t matter which way round you hike. We went anticlockwise but both still provide the great views.
The trail starts across the road from the carpark. Enjoy the magnificent view of Rigi before you even leave the carpark. The first sign flags Bellevue and Gottschalkenberg. These are both points on the route. They label the whole route as 5.8km, although if the weather is lovely and you have time, there is no reason not to do the smaller loops a couple of times if you want to make it longer.
An initial slight incline takes you to the first place where the trail diverges. From here there are already views back the way you came to the peaks of Gross Mythen, Speer and (on a very clear day) Santis.
We went right and dropped down through the pine trees dusted in snow.
The route converges shortly afterwards and there is a slight climb up to Gottschalkenberg. The loop now takes you up to the Bellevue viewpoint where we had great views out over lake Zurich before looping back to Gottschalkenberg (do an extra loop now if you wish) and returning through the trees back towards the car.
More excellent views on the return with the peaks of the Uri and Glarus Alps.
Take A Break at Raten Restaurant
The Raten Restaurant is a good place to stop for a post snowshoe drink or meal.
How To Get To Raten
The carpark is free midweek with charges on weekend and holidays.
Information on Snowshoe Hike in Raten
Starting/Finishing point: Carpark, Ratenstrasse 250, 6315 Oberägeri
Route: 5.8 km
Ascent/Descent: 170m
Time: 2 hours
Level: Easy
Public transport: Bus stop: Alosen, Raten
If you don’t have snow shoe you can rent them on site.
Overview of Hike On SchweizMobil:
Photo courtesy of SchweizMobil
You can see more details of the snowshoe route here.
Visit the Rates Restaurant website here.
This article was kindly written by Rhoda Richardson
A former journalist in Luxembourg and the UK, Rhoda now lives in Switzerland where she leads hiking and snowshoeing groups.
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