This was our first trip out with our camper in winter, a spontaneous one and we decided to make a small hike with an overnight stay! We would explore the region of canton Glarus, situated in the central-eastern part of Switzerland.
Setting out
Weather was unusually warm with a temperature range of 7-15°C in January and in Switzerland. Yes, you read it right, a day temperature of up to 15°C!
We packed some light outdoor gears, loaded our camper and off we went, hitting the road at around 10AM!
We drove past a few traditional Swiss villages, pretty backdrop of the mountains. Soon after, the challenge began, driving up our almost 7m long camper on the long, narrow, winding mountain road! Glad we managed it well, all credits to my husband!
Our camping spot
There we were (altitude of about 1100m) at the Wohnmobil-Stellplatz 1 und 2 Fronalp, managed to arrive just shortly before noon! How lovely the weather and for sure, a magnificient view!
We had to go slightly up the wedges, else the spot was relatively flat and not much of an issue to park our camper. The parking space is a basic facility. It costs CHF 15 per night and reservation is not possible.
I would recommended this camping location for self-sufficient campers as there is no electricity supply, fresh water or sanitary facilities. Campers between 5m and 6m long should be rather comfortable to drive up the narrow mountain passageways and bridges. Our vehicle is about 7m long, some road sections can be rather tricky and stressful, especially if facing busy oncoming traffic.
The hike
The scenery was incredible. The hike would be a short one, just roughly 2 hours. Would be perfect for some fresh mountain air and a nature recharge! We planned to make ~300m ascent from our parking and finally stop at the Fronalp Fireplace for an ‘in-the-woods’ sausage barbeque.
We ascended via a nice forest trail, roughly over an hour and bingo! Greeting us, an up-close view of the mountain faces.
It was a rather strange sight, hardly much snow at this altitude in the middle of winter!
The descent of the hike was manageable too. We trekked over a few snow plains which could get rather slippery and icy but we did not have to use our hiking sticks or shoe spikes.
Finally, we arrived at the Fronalp Fireplace at around 3PM which was perfect! We had an hour or so before the sunset for the sausages.
I had to admit, the whole excitement with the barbeque this round was that we could try out our very slick Bush Gear ‘manual lighter’. Guess what -it worked and beautifully! In fact, it is a reliable fire starter under all weather conditions and meant to last indefinitely! With this cool piece of gadget, we no longer have to worry about damp matches or the lighter going out of fuel!
Having a small barbeque is always a highlight of our hikes, and we are big fans of it!
As the sun went down from the other side of the mountain, we made our way back to our camper and rewarded ourselves with a small new-years-schnaps. “Prost” (i.e. toast, in German) to a healthy and fruitful 2023!
