The Mythen

The Grosser and Kleiner Mythen stand over Schwyz as two sharp pyramids, and their geology is the surprising part: they are klippen, blocks of Austroalpine rock carried far north over the surrounding younger strata during the Alpine collision and left sitting on ground they do not belong to - the rock beneath them is much younger than the rock above. The Grosser Mythen at 1,898 metres is climbed by a zigzag path of some forty-seven switchbacks cut in the 1860s, steep and exposed in places but not technical, with a small inn at the top. The peaks are a Swiss national emblem of sorts, standing over the canton where the Confederation began, and the view runs across Lake Lucerne and the Alps.

What you actually see

• Rock that travelled here - klippen sitting on much younger ground.
• Forty-seven switchbacks - the 1860s path up the Grosser Mythen.
• A summit inn - refreshment at 1,898 metres.
• Lake Lucerne below - the view over the founding cantons.

When to go

June to October. A day for the ascent.

Honest expectations

The path is steep, loose in places and exposed on the upper section - it is a walk, but a demanding one with real drops. It is very busy on fine weekends. Snow lingers into June and makes the upper zigzags dangerous. There is no water on the route.

Nearby

Schwyz and its archive of the founding charters are below; Brunnen is on the lake.