This walk may be our favorite. One goes steeply up from the western side of the Lünersee (1978m) to the Totalp-Hütte (2385m) and then across, down and back up, to the Gemslücke (2380m), a steep pass leading over into a beautiful, green valley on the Swiss side; then along the Swiss side (down to about 2100m), back over the Gafalljoch (2239m) and around the eastern side of the lake to the Lünerseebahn and home. Beautiful scenery and great fun!
1 Walking around the west side of the Lünersee, our goal is visible ... up there.
2 The Totalpweg takes off from the Lünersee-Uferweg (Lünersee shore path)
3 Beautiful Alpenrosen color the foreground of this view of our destination, right in the middle of the skyline.
4 Finally, the Totalp-Hütte comes into view.
5 Totalp-Hütte with the Scesaplana "crater" in the background
6 Gemütlichkeit (and beer) at the Totalp--Hütte
7 Themselves above the Lünersee
8 "Gemslücke climb only for practiced mountain walkers."
9 And the Totalp is not dead at all, but covered with a profusion and variety of flowers not often found 1000-2000m lower. Like these Zwergenzian (dwarf gentian).
10 Rocks... and flowers
11 Just yellows, not Arnika
12 Leaving the Totalp-Hütte behind, this part looks almost dead.
13 Thar she blows!
14 Close to the goal, the path crosses a treacherous zone of scree -- slippery, loose stones.
15 The sign pole at the Gemslücke is visible in the middle of the right half of this shot.
16 Reaching the top
17 Happy to be there!
18 Himself at the top, getting ready to go down the other side.
19 The line of steep cliffs is a natural border between Austria and Switzerland.
20 The valley floor actually looks soft.
21 We start back down.
22 It's rocky and steep, but there are cables to assist.
23 Yup, we came down that.
24 Gorgeous colors
25 Swiss mountains
26 The Scesaplana "crater"
27 Back down to the Lünersee. Now all we have to do is walk around it.
28 On our first visit, there was still lots of snow left.
29 Snowy Lünersee
30 A sunnier view of the "crater" (Mulde) of Scesaplana
31 Moony-looking Totalp landscape
32 Kanzelköpfe (2442m)
33 Lünersee, looking east
34 The Totalp is well worth a visit by itself. In spite of the intense rockiness of the area, an extraordinary variety and incredible number of flowers abound here.
