Churfirsten
Seven limestone summits in a row above the Walensee, gentle pasture on one side and sheer cliff on the other.
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The Churfirsten are a line of seven main peaks - Chaserrugg, Hinterrugg, Schibenstoll, Zuestoll, Brisi, Frumsel and Selun - and their shape is a textbook consequence of tilted strata. The rock beds dip north, so the Toggenburg side rises as a long even grass and rock slope that can be walked up, while the southern side, where the beds are cut off, drops as a wall of nearly two thousand metres straight to the Walensee. The result is that you can stroll to the crest and then stand on the edge of a cliff. Chaserrugg has a cable car and a summit building by Herzog and de Meuron. Ibex, chamois and alpine choughs are common along the ridge.
What you actually see
- Seven summits in a row - Chaserrugg through Selun along one crest.
- Two completely different sides - walkable slope north, sheer wall south.
- A near-2,000-metre drop - the southern face straight to the Walensee.
- Herzog and de Meuron at the top - the Chaserrugg summit building.
When to go
June to October. A day.
Honest expectations
The ridge traverse between summits is exposed and long - it is a serious mountain day, not a stroll, despite the easy approach from the cable car. Weather turns fast on the crest. Snow lingers into early summer on the north side.
Nearby
Walensee is below the southern wall; the Toggenburg valley is north.
What to pack for Churfirsten
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.