Alpstein and the Saxer Lücke, Kraig Adams's way

Distances and climbing are from my own GPS, with the points where I stood still taken out (see Using the GPX files). Heights of named places are map heights. Day 2 isn't the most direct way: snow sent me back down to the Seealpsee in the middle of it.

My way in, 2024. I came to Switzerland for Creator Camp, a trip for a big group of creators, then spent a few days on my own in the St. Gallen area, recharging and getting ready to shoot. On the morning of Day 1 I was sick and took half the day to rest in town. By late morning I was in Appenzell; I took the train to Wasserauen, about 12 minutes, and started walking at 1:17 p.m.

Trains to Wasserauen (2026). The Appenzeller Bahnen line ends at Wasserauen. From St. Gallen it's 52 minutes, changing at Appenzell, every 30 minutes; from Zürich main station about 2 hours 5 minutes, changing at Gossau, every 30 minutes; from Zürich airport about 1 hour 50 minutes. In 2026 a single from St. Gallen was CHF 12.60 (half with the Half Fare Card) and from Zürich CHF 41, with cheaper Supersaver tickets on sbb.ch. The Swiss Travel Pass and the GA cover these trains and buses. The last train from Wasserauen was at 6:48 p.m.; after that the B23 bus ran to Appenzell at 7:47, 8:47 and 9:47 p.m. The timetable changes on December 13, 2026: check sbb.ch.

The Ebenalp cable car (2026). From its valley station, a short walk from Wasserauen station, up to Ebenalp in 6 minutes, every 15 minutes or on demand. CHF 24 one way, CHF 36 return; half price with the Half Fare Card, the Swiss Travel Pass or the GA. In late September and October it ran up from 7:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., with the last ride down at 5:30 p.m.; in July and August the last ride down was at 7 p.m. Closed for maintenance in April and from November to Christmas.

Parking at Wasserauen. Since May 19, 2026 the public car parks in Appenzell Innerrhoden have one tariff: free for 90 minutes, then up to CHF 15.75 for the first 24 hours and CHF 10 for each extra day, for at most 7 days. The ebenalp.ch page says coins or parking apps only. A parking guidance system is planned for 2027. From Friday to Sunday, April to October 2026, Appenzell tourism offered free P+Rail parking at Gossau station with a code. The train is easier.

Getting back from Staubern (2026). The Staubern cable car goes down to Frümsen in 8 minutes. It runs every 20 minutes (the departure on the hour only with at least 3 people), daily from May to October until 10 p.m., from 7 a.m. in June to September and 8 a.m. in May and October; it's closed from January to March, and in April, November and December it runs only on demand or for groups. CHF 20 one way, CHF 40 return, with no rail pass discounts listed. Buy the ticket from the machine at the valley station or at the inn. From the valley station it's a 7 to 10 minute walk down to the bus stop Frümsen, Rathaus/Staubern, where bus 411 runs every hour. To St. Gallen took 1 hour 27 to 31 minutes in October 2026, changing at Gams and Buchs or at Salez-Sennwald; to Zürich about 1 hour 48 minutes. From December 13, 2026 bus 411 no longer goes via Salez, so for the Salez-Sennwald station you change to bus 300: check sbb.ch. Parking in Frümsen is very limited.

The Hoher Kasten cable car. From Brülisau to the Hoher Kasten (5,886 ft, 1,794 m) in 8 minutes, every 20 minutes. CHF 28 one way, CHF 40 return, and no rail pass discounts. Its 2027 timetable is published: from June 12 to August 15, up from 7:20 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. and the last ride down at 5:40 p.m.; from August 16 to October 17, the last ride down at 5:20 p.m. Bus 192 runs between Weissbad station and Brülisau, Kastenbahn every 30 minutes; in 2026 the last bus from Brülisau was at 6:14 p.m.

What I paid

For your budget (prices posted in 2026). Train from St. Gallen to Wasserauen CHF 12.60; from Zürich CHF 41 (Supersaver from CHF 30.80). The Ebenalp cable car CHF 24 one way. The Staubern cable car CHF 20 one way. Meglisalp's dorm with half board CHF 90; Bollenwees's dorm CHF 50 to 60, with breakfast. Tourist tax CHF 2.50 a night. Parking at Wasserauen up to CHF 15.75 for 24 hours.

Huts and rules

These are the rules and the mountain inns (Berggasthaus, plural Berggasthäuser) on the route, from the inns', cantons' and Appenzell tourism's own pages, checked on October 1, 2026. Most inns charge a tourist tax of CHF 2.50 per adult per night on top. No inn had published its 2027 season yet.

Booking. You book each inn directly, online or by phone (Bollenwees counts a booking only once it's confirmed in writing). On busy summer weekends book well ahead.

Payment. Most prefer cash in Swiss francs; most take cards. The Schäfler takes Maestro, Mastercard and Visa. Carry enough cash anyway.

The inns, in walking order

Prices (posted in October 2026, per person, breakfast included unless noted; only Meglisalp's page names the year). Meglisalp: dorm CHF 50, or CHF 90 with half board; doubles CHF 100 to 110, or CHF 140 to 150 with half board. Mesmer: dorm CHF 50; three-bed room CHF 85; a double with shower CHF 225 for the room. Bollenwees: dorm CHF 50 to 60; bunk rooms CHF 75 to 95; doubles CHF 100 to 125. Seealpsee: CHF 75 to 110. Ebenalp: dorm CHF 58, rooms CHF 80. Staubern: doubles from CHF 170 for the room; the 10-bed room from CHF 65, mainly for groups. The Schäfler shows its prices only in its online booking, and the Aescher's posted prices carry no year.

No wild camping. Appenzell tourism says plainly that the Alpstein isn't a campsite and wild camping isn't allowed. The canton's own 2025 report names Seealp, the Saxer Lücke, the Sämtisersee, Bollenwees and the Kamor as the places people camp anyway, and the canton is drafting a law that would allow a bivouac only with the landowner's permission (news reports say 2028 at the earliest). The Saxer Lücke sits on the line between Appenzell Innerrhoden and St. Gallen, and on the St. Gallen side the town of Sennwald says wild camping up high isn't wanted and issues no permits. Since 2026 volunteer rangers patrol the Alpstein on weekends and holidays. Sleep in the inns.

Protected area. Between the Steckenberg and Mesmer the route crosses the federal Säntis hunting-ban area: dogs on a lead, no camping and no drones.

Drones. Appenzell Innerrhoden has banned drones in the Alpstein since November 1, 2020, and the federal drone map shows the restriction from Wasserauen to the Saxer Lücke and at Staubern.

Dogs and cows. Dogs on a lead during the alp season, and not in the troughs. Keep your distance from mother cows with calves, walk around cows standing on the trail, and close every gate.

Fires. Use the fire pits that are there; no disposable grills, no fires in the forest or on pasture.

Where I slept, food and water

Where I slept

The Berggasthaus Schäfler. On the ridge just below the Schäfler's summit, with a view over the lowlands. It has 15 beds in rooms (some unchanged since 1914, with jugs and basins for washing) and 70 places in bunk rooms of 3 to 12, for which you need a hut sleeping bag (rent one for CHF 5). Hot and cold water are in the washrooms in the annex. Book online or by phone (+41 71 799 11 44). It prefers cash and takes Maestro, Mastercard and Visa. Dogs sleep in the side building. Its tap water is collected rainwater, filtered.

The other inns are in Huts and rules.

Food

On Day 1 I ate an apple by the Seealpsee and had a coffee at the Aescher. At the Schäfler I had soup, then macaroni with cheese, onions and a sausage, and muesli in the morning. On Day 2 I had a coffee at Mesmer and a salad at Bollenwees. On the flight home I had an Appenzeller beer with my lunch, and it's from the exact spot I was standing.

Prices at the Schäfler (2026 menu). Coffee CHF 5, barley soup CHF 9.50, Chäshörnli (Swiss macaroni and cheese) CHF 18, rösti CHF 19.

Water

There's an inn every hour or two, and every one sells drinks. Running water is scarce up high. If you drink from a stream, treat it: cows graze the alps. At the Schäfler the tap water is rainwater, filtered with particle and UV filters (a 3 dl glass was CHF 2 in 2026); the Aescher's water also comes from rain, collected in the cave. Carry enough to get from one inn to the next on a hot day.

Gear for this route

What this route needs

• Sturdy hiking boots with grippy soles: Appenzell tourism says trainers aren't hiking boots
• Trekking poles for the steep descents
• A warm layer, a rain jacket, a hat and gloves: the Säntis has frost even in summer
• A hut sleeping bag for the dorms (the Schäfler rents them for CHF 5)
• Water bottles and a way to treat stream water
• Swiss francs in cash for the inns, and a card
• Headlamp, sunscreen, a small first aid kit
• Offline maps and the GPX files on your phone
• In early summer or after an early snowfall: microspikes, and the sense to turn around

Paid links: I earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Here's what I carried in September 2024, what I'd take now, and what I filmed with.

What I carried in 2024

My film shows my pack, my camera and my tripod. I did bring my tent and all my equipment for a night out at the Saxer Lücke, and didn't use them.

Hiking

• Pack: my backpack
• Puffy: Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody (Arc’teryx). In mid-September 2024 an early storm left snow on the high trails.
• Hut shoes: Crocs Classic Clog (Amazon). At the Schäfler I changed into Crocs in the boot room.
• Shelter: my tent and sleeping gear. For a night out at the Saxer Lücke. I was sick, it was cold and there was snow, so I didn't use them.

Other

• Phone data: Holafly eSIM. Holafly sponsored the film.

What I'd take now

My current kit for a night in a mountain inn and steep, sometimes snowy trails.

Hiking

• Hut sleeping bag: Naturehike ZY20 Sleeping Bag Liner (Amazon). You need one for the Schäfler's bunk rooms, or rent one there for CHF 5.
• Pack: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 (Hyperlite)
• Poles: Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Z Poles (Amazon). For the steep descents. I used my tripod as a walking stick on Day 1 because I was struggling.
• Shoes: Oboz Katabatic LT Low GTX (Amazon)
• Rain shell: Arc’teryx Beta AR Jacket (Arc’teryx)
• Hat: PATH Projects Hoyt Merino Beanie (PATH Projects). The Säntis has frost even in summer.
• Gloves: Unigear Touchscreen Liner Gloves (Amazon)
• Microspikes: Yatta Life Ice Spikes (Amazon). For early summer or after an early snowfall. Turn around if it's too snowy.
• Water filter: Katadyn BeFree AC · 1L (Amazon). To treat stream water.
• Headlamp: Nitecore NU20 Classic (Amazon)

Other

• Navigation: AllTrails+ (AllTrails, 30% off). Import my GPX files and download them offline before you start: the signal comes and goes under the cliffs. Offline maps need the paid plan.
• Phone data: Airalo eSIM (Airalo, $3 off)

Filming kit

What I filmed this trip with in 2024, from my photos' camera data. My setup is smaller now (below). Check the drone rules in Huts and rules before you fly.

Hiking

• Phone: Apple iPhone 14 Pro

Filmmaking

• Camera: Sony a7S III (Amazon)
• Lens: Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G (Amazon)
• Tripod: my tripod. It was my walking stick on Day 1.

What I film with now

Since September 2026 I film with a smaller setup: the Pocket 4 and the Mic 3 on the trail, and the Mini 5 Pro in the air.

• Camera: DJI Osmo Pocket 4 (Amazon)
• Mic: DJI Mic 3 · 1 TX + 1 RX (Amazon). It pairs with the Pocket 4.
• Drone: DJI Mini 5 Pro (Amazon)

Is it open? (October 2026)

Checked on the official pages of Appenzell tourism, the Swiss trail closures map, the cantons and the inns and cable cars on October 1, 2026.

Open. The official Swiss map of trail closures and diversions (Schweizer Wanderwege) shows nothing on this route. Appenzell tourism's trail report of October 1, 2026 says the mountain and hiking trails are in very good condition ("bestens präpariert"). The two notices in the area are off the route: a diversion on the far side of the Säntis while the Säntis cable car is closed for its renewal (May to late autumn 2026), and a logging closure below the Hoher Kasten.

Rockfall above the Seealpsee. In September 2026 rocks fell from an unstable face above the lake. A local news report of September 22 said warning signs are up, geologists are watching it, and no closure is planned for now. The reports didn't say which path is under it. Check the signs when you get to the lake.

The inns' new rest days. From 2026 the Berggasthaus Schäfler is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in May and June and on Wednesdays from July to October. It calls 2026 a test season and will review it. Other inns on the way take no overnight guests on certain nights (see Huts and rules). Plan your days around them.

The cable cars in 2027. The Ebenalp cable car is getting a new line, ideally in 2030, built beside the old one so that it keeps running. Its 2027 timetable isn't published yet; in 2026 it was closed for maintenance from April 7 to 24 and from November 2 to December 24. The Hoher Kasten cable car is closed from March 1 to 24, 2027 for maintenance, then runs until November 2028, when it closes until its replacement opens, planned for summer 2029. The Staubern cable car is closed from January to March.

What to do. Before you plan dates, check each inn's own page for its season and rest days, and book. Look at the trail report on appenzell.ch and the closures layer on the SchweizMobil map the week before you go.

Mid-September, as I did. I went on September 18 and 19, 2024. A few days before, I went for a trail run to scout the area: a big snowstorm had dumped a ton of snow up high early for the season, so I was checking how safe it was and making sure the huts were still open. They were. There was still a lot of snow blocking the high trails, but it was only high up. Lower down it was beautiful, the green grass and the lake with snow-capped mountains above. MeteoSwiss called it a massive drop in temperature that brought locally exceptional amounts of snow to higher ground in the first half of September 2024.

The season. The trail along the ridge from the Hoher Kasten to the Saxer Lücke has its season from the end of June to October, according to the Hoher Kasten cable car; Switzerland's hiking federation gives June to October for its mountain tour from Wasserauen to the Säntis. Old snow can lie in the shade into early summer, and new snow can come in September, as it did for me.

Average temperatures (MeteoSwiss, 1991 to 2020, °F high / low). St. Gallen is in the lowlands north of the Alpstein, at 2,546 ft (776 m). The Säntis is the range's highest summit, at 8,209 ft (2,502 m). This route runs between 2,848 ft and 6,312 ft, so expect something in between.

Summer is the wettest season. In MeteoSwiss's figures, June to August bring the most rain and thunderstorms; September and October are drier, with fewer rain days, and in October the Säntis gets about 60% more sunshine than St. Gallen.

Daylight (2027, Appenzell). Mid-June: sunrise 5:25 a.m., sunset 9:20 p.m. Mid-September: 6:59 a.m. and 7:35 p.m. Mid-October: 7:40 a.m. and 6:35 p.m.

Weather and safety

Emergencies. Call 1414 for Rega, the air rescue (it works from a foreign phone too), or 144 for an ambulance, 117 for the police; 112 works too. The Rega app sends your position with the alarm, but needs at least some phone signal. The federal coverage map predicts a signal along the whole route, but not in every gully; if you have none, move and try again, or try 112.

Falls. Every trail on the route is a white-red-white mountain trail: steep, narrow and partly exposed. Appenzell tourism warns that wet grass slopes and snowfields raise the risk of slipping and falling, and to expect rockfall anywhere in the mountains. A hiker died after a 70 m fall from the trail between the Aescher and the Seealpsee in June 2025. Wear proper boots, keep to the trail, and turn back in good time.

Snow. In MeteoSwiss's averages the Säntis has frost on 4 to 5 days in July and August and 12 days in September, and old snow can lie in the shade into early summer. In mid-September 2024 an early storm left snow on the high trails, and the route from Mesmer over the ridge was too snowy for me. Ask at the inns about the next stretch.

Thunderstorms. They're most common in summer and often build very suddenly. MeteoSwiss says to keep away from ridges when one is coming, and the Stauberen ridge and the Saxer Lücke are exactly that. When storms are forecast, plan to be off the ridges before they build.

Föhn. The warm, strong south wind blows down the Rhine valley, most often in spring. The Hoher Kasten warns that strong wind can change its departures.

Cows and dogs. Keep your distance from mother cows, and keep dogs on a lead.

Leave a plan with someone at home: your route, your inn and when you'll be out.

How many days do I need? I did it in two, with one night at the Schäfler. If you don't want to go back down to the Seealpsee as I did, you can do it in two shorter days, or spread it over three with a night at Bollenwees or Meglisalp. See Other ways to do it.

How hard is it? Day 2 is a big day: 12.6 miles and about 4,080 ft of climbing by my GPS, ten hours with my stops. Every trail on the route is a white-red-white mountain trail, which in Switzerland means steep, narrow and in places exposed, with cables on the hardest bits. You need to be sure-footed and not bothered by drops. Appenzell tourism rates its tours over the stretch from the Schäfler to Mesmer and over the Widderalpsattel T3, and the Saxer Lücke ridge T2.

Do I need a permit? No. You pay for the cable cars and book the inns.

Is there water on the trail? Running water is scarce up high (the Schäfler and the Aescher collect rain for theirs), but there's an inn every hour or two: at the Seealpsee, the Aescher, Ebenalp, the Schäfler, Mesmer, Meglisalp, Bollenwees and Staubern. Buy drinks and fill up there. See Where I slept, food and water.

When should I go? The high trails have their season from about the end of June to October; the inns are open from about May to the start of November. I went in mid-September, a few days after a big early snowstorm. See When to go.

Can I wild camp at the Saxer Lücke? I wanted to, and people were doing it, but no. Appenzell Innerrhoden's tourism office says wild camping isn't allowed in the Alpstein, the canton is drafting a law, and on the St. Gallen side the local town says it isn't wanted. Sleep in the inns. See Huts and rules.

Can I fly a drone? No. Drones have been banned in the Alpstein since November 1, 2020.

How do I get back from Staubern? The Staubern cable car goes down to Frümsen in the Rhine valley, and an hourly bus connects it to the trains. In 2026 the cable car ran until 10 p.m. from May to October, much later than the others. I got a lift from someone in my cabin back toward St. Gallen. See Getting there.

Can I bring my dog? Yes, on a lead during the alp season, and some inns don't take dogs overnight. Check before you book.

My first plan: the ridge first

My original plan was to take a cable car up onto the ridge, hike along the spine, see the Saxer Lücke early on, and then make it up and over to the hut. It would have been a big day, but I'd planned on just making it a really big first day. The snow up high made it almost impossible, so I would have had to change my route regardless. In the official trail data, the ridge from the Hoher Kasten to Staubern and the Saxer Lücke is the Geologischer Wanderweg (T2, white-red-white). Its season is the end of June to October.

Two days without going back down

If the high trail is clear, you don't need to drop back to the Seealpsee. Appenzell tourism's high trail (rated difficult, T3) goes on from Mesmer over the Ageteplatte to Meglisalp, with safety ropes most of the way between Mesmer and the Ageteplatte. Ask at the Schäfler or Mesmer whether it's free of snow before you set out.

Three days, with a night at Bollenwees

Day 1 to the Schäfler, Day 2 to Meglisalp or Bollenwees, Day 3 over the Saxer Lücke and along the ridge to Staubern or the Hoher Kasten. Bollenwees and Meglisalp both have dorms and rooms; check their rest days.

The lakes in a day

Appenzell tourism's tour of the Alpstein's mountain lakes goes from Wasserauen past the Seealpsee, Meglisalp, the Widderalpsattel, the Fälensee and the Sämtisersee to Brülisau: 11 miles (17.6 km), about 6 hours 45 minutes, rated T3.

In bad weather or snow

Stay low: the Seealpsee from Wasserauen, or the Aescher and Ebenalp by cable car. On snow, think about where the shade is, as I learned on Day 2: there's going to be a lot more snow there.

Before you go, check these

These change every year. Everything else in this guide stays the same.

Is it open?

• The trail report on appenzell.ch, and the closures layer on the SchweizMobil map
• Each inn's season and rest days, especially the Schäfler's (it's reviewing its 2026 rest days)
• The Ebenalp, Staubern and Hoher Kasten cable cars: dates, hours and the last ride down

Getting there and back

• Trains and buses on sbb.ch (the timetable changes on December 13, 2026, and bus 411 at Frümsen changes then)
• Parking at Wasserauen, if you drive

Conditions

• The forecast for the Säntis (MeteoSwiss), and snow on the high trails: ask the inns

Your stuff

• Your inn bookings, Swiss francs, a hut sleeping bag, boots, a warm layer and rain gear
• Offline maps and the GPX files on your phone