Rigi Hochflue
A demanding panorama loop up the Rigi Hochflue, the rocky summit of the Rigi massif — airy passages with a drop to Lake Lauerz and Lake Lucerne.
Over the Stockflue to the Hochflue
The climb up from Brunnen is stiff but lovely — only in the forest is it easy to lose the path. Higher up, a few climbing pitches are secured with fixed cable: awkward with a heavy pack, no problem without one. The short detour onto the Stockflue is worth it, and then the route leads straight through the Timpel cable-car station. Above Egg it keeps climbing, with more exposed and slightly harder scrambling to the summit — the fun kind.
Tip: The Hochflue summit is a sought-after spot to pitch a tent, with a spectacular sunset over Lake Lucerne. Allow a good 2½ hours for the climb from Brunnen — the signed 1 h 40 is optimistic. The descent to the Timpel lift takes about 2 hours.
How it went for me
We were carrying a lot of gear, which made it hard work, and we promptly missed the Stockflue and got briefly off route. The secured pitches were just about manageable for me with the big pack, no issue at all for Olli. We skipped a little side trip — too late and too spent — and only reached the top around half past six. Late May, and yet everything was snow-free and so warm we sat outside the tent in fleeces; inside the down bag it was almost too hot. A night on the Fronalpstock two years earlier, at minus seven, had been a different beast entirely. In return, the sunset here was one to sit right down for.