Kreuzberg /schmales Südrippli
A steep, narrow limestone rib in the Alpstein — sunrise above a sea of fog, a bit of rope, and some of the most photogenic ridges in eastern Switzerland.
A rib straight out of a picture book
The schmales Südrippli on the Kreuzberge is one of those routes that looks completely absurd from below — a thin rib of pale limestone fins stacked one behind the other, dropping straight into the fog. And then you get on it, and it turns out to be every bit as good as it looks.
It’s properly steep and exposed in places — a rope is worth having along for the trickier moves, and you’ll want a head for heights and sure hands on rock. But it’s the famous Alpstein limestone: grippy, solid, and endlessly photogenic, with Säntis poking up across the valley the whole way.
Tip: if you like your ridges narrow, your starts early, and your fog seas endless, this one’s hard to beat. For sunrise, plan on setting off in the dark.
How it went for me
We went up for sunrise, which meant an alpine start in the dark and a top-out just as the sun cracked the horizon over a perfect sea of fog. Worth every minute of lost sleep. Then the narrow rib underfoot, warm first light on the pale limestone, and Säntis across the way slowly rising out of the fog. One of those tours you don’t forget in a hurry.