Alter Tomliweg | Mountain hiking | Swiss Alpine Club SAC

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Alter Tomliweg Tomlishorn 2128 m

Difficulty

T4
Ascent

4 h, 1250 m
Descent

0:30 h, 200 m

Much more than a tourist destination

Pilatus is one of the best known and most interesting mountains of the foothills of the Alps. A railway and an aerial cableway go up to the summit on Lake Lucerne, the former from the north (Kriens) and the latter from the south (Alpnachstad). However, despite the infrastructure for a large number of tourists Pilatus has a whole range of lone, secluded, surprising, multifaceted and sometimes challenging routes in store for you. The route presented here – the «Alte Tomliweg» – is a spectacular, but not too difficult route to the highest point of the massif, called Tomlishorn. From there you hike to the summit station of the railway and the cableway, which allows for an exciting ascent and a knee-friendly descent. Around Tomlishorn very often alpine ibex can be observed at close range.

In the lower part of the route, on the "Heitertannliweg". © Yves-Laurent Grize

View towards Klimsenhorn and Klimsenchapel. (07/2022) © Yves-Laurent Grize

The spectacular ledges of the alte Tomliweg. (07/2022) © Yves-Laurent Grize

Fixed ropes in the exposed sections of the route. (07/2022) © Yves-Laurent Grize

In the upper part of the Alter Tomliweg. In early summer the fixed ropes are buried under old snow, which makes the tour more precarious. (06/2010) © Marco Volken

View towards Widderfeld. (07/2022) © Yves-Laurent Grize

Tomlishorn, the highest peak of the Pilatus range. (09/2012) © Marco Volken

Route description

Eigenthal – Chastelen

From Eigenthalerhof hike on a marked mountain trail through beautiful forests and moors via Chräigütsch and Höchberg until ca. 1260 m, then branch off right to Ober Lauelen (1330 m). That is where «Heitertannliweg» begins, a trail ascending southeastward above a rocky gorge. It crosses the creek twice and leads to the foot of Chastelen (1668 m), a depression which is full of scree. Now follow the mountain trail towards the chapel at Klimsen until ca. 1780 m.

Chastelen – Tomlishorn

At about 1780 m leave „Heitertannliweg“ and try to detect the faint path which ascends south-westward on the scree field. Through a valley you reach a saddle just south of Chastelendossen (1882 m). Now the trail ascends in the fall line and traverses, sometimes exposed, on ledges and schrofen ribs which seem hardly accessible from below (several fixed ropes) to reach a narrow and steep, but not very exposed gully. Climb directly up the gully to the summit ridge, which you reach slightly west of Tomlishorn. From there follow the marked mountain trail to the summit, coming from the south.

Tomlishorn – Pilatus

From the Tomlishorn summit descend a few metres and without any difficulties follow the marked and large, almost horizontal trail on rocky terrain to the Pilatus summit station.

Additional information

Departure point

Eigenthal, Eigenthalerhof (1017 m)

Get there Google Maps

Eigenthal, Eigenthalerhof

End point

Pilatus Kulm, Bergstation (2118 m)

Rack railway from Alpnachstad or cable car from Kriens: www.pilatus.ch

Get there Google Maps

Pilatus Kulm

Difficulty / Material: Between Chastelen and Tomlishorn there are faint paths in the scree, followed by an exposed traverse on a one meter wide ledge and at the end some scrambling passages (fixed ropes). As the route lies mainly in the shadow, it is often wet (thus precarious), and in the spring you encounter treacherous fields of old snow.