Lüthispitz West

HARD (3.1/10)

Lauboden → Schwarzchopf

Distance
11.5 km
Ascent
+1,450 m
Descent
-842 m
Est. Time
6h 28m
Altitude
1,309–1,949 m
Type
point-to-point

Use this route

The walk, as far as the open data goes

Height and time

  • High point 1,950 m
  • Low point 1,306 m
  • Climb 1,450 m from a 30 m terrain model, smoothed
  • Swiss signpost time 6 h 47 the official method, on our line

Computed on 2026-09-20 from OpenStreetMap, the terrain model and the federal route layer — not read from the operator's own page, and not checked on the ground. Hikes we have reviewed say who published each fact and when.

Explore the route

Read the topography, inspect the climb, or preview the route over real terrain.

Loading topographic map…
1,400m1,500m1,600m1,700m1,800m1,900m2,000m02 km4 km6 km8 km10 km11.5 km1,946m1,312m
Flat (<5%) Gentle (5–10%) Moderate (10–15%) Steep (15–25%) Very steep (>25%)

Route briefing

What comes next

Climbs, descents and decisive places in route order. Not listed does not mean absent: it may not be mapped.

14 route events
  1. Start

    0 m

    Lauboden

    Start

    Route geometry · source 2026-04-11

    About 0 min in

    11.5 km remaining

    +1450 m remaining

  2. Climb

    2.0 km

    275 m climb

    2.2 km at 12.6% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11

    About 1h 08m in

    9.5 km remaining

    +1159 m remaining

  3. Climb

    5.5 km

    203 m climb

    0.9 km at 22.5% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11

    About 3h 06m in

    6.0 km remaining

    +844 m remaining

  4. Descent

    6.4 km

    290 m descent

    1.6 km at 18.6% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11

    About 3h 37m in

    5.1 km remaining

    +628 m remaining

  5. Climb

    8.0 km

    214 m climb

    1.6 km at 13.7% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11

    About 4h 29m in

    3.5 km remaining

    +626 m remaining

  6. Climb

    10.0 km

    374 m climb

    1.4 km at 27.1% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11

    About 5h 39m in

    1.5 km remaining

    +397 m remaining

  7. Finish

    11.5 km

    Schwarzchopf

    Finish

    Route geometry · source 2026-04-11

    About 6h 29m in

    0 m remaining

Trail route lab

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11.5 km Distance1,450 m Climb6h 28m Est. time1,949 m High pointHARD Difficulty
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Lüthispitz West is a 11.5 km point-to-point hard hiking route in Switzerland, running from Lauboden to Schwarzchopf. The route covers 1,450m of ascent and 842m of descent, with elevations ranging from 1,309m to 1,949m. Allow approximately 6h 28m for the full route.

The route is divided into 3 segments. The toughest stretch is the 11.2 km from Schlofstein to Schwarzchopf, climbing 1,039m (allow 4h 31m for this section). In contrast, the 2.1 km from Lauboden to Mittelberg is much gentler.

About 68% of the trail is runnable, but the remaining steep sections will push most people into power-hiking mode. Some pitches hit 60% gradient, so trekking poles are strongly recommended.

Budget roughly 4,055 kcal of energy expenditure and 3.9 L of water.

Mid-altitude route up to 1949m. Accessible May–October.

Trail Splits

Waypoint-to-waypoint breakdown with estimated hiking times (Naismith's Rule).

SegmentDist↑ Ascent↓ DescentTimeCum. km
📍
Lauboden → Mittelberg
2.1 km+186m-56m46 min2.1
⛰️
Mittelberg → Schlofstein
3.4 km+243m-110m1h 10m5.5
⛰️
Schlofstein → Schwarzchopf
11.2 km+1039m-676m4h 31m16.7
Total11.5 km+1,450m-842m6h 28m11.5

Pace & Fuel Calculator

Adjust your flat 10K pace to see personalized finish time, calorie burn, and hydration needs.

7:00 /km
4:00 /km (elite) 12:00 /km (leisure)
Fast Hiker / Jogger
Est. Finish Time
3h 30m
Calories
3,311 kcal
Water Needed
3.2 L
Effort Distance
30.2 km
flat-equivalent
🍫 Recommended: ~45g carbs/hr (158g total) Electrolyte needs vary with conditions and sweat losses; no individual sodium target is estimated.

Terrain Analysis

Lower-gradient terrain
68%
Gradient estimate, not surface or technical difficulty
% of route below 15% gradient
Climb Ratio
126 m/km
Very steep profile
↑ 1,450m ↓ 842m
High Point
1,949.4 m
Sub-alpine zone
Low point: 1,309.4m — Range: 640m

Surface & Technicality

Gradient breakdown
Low gradient (13%) Easy Grade (16%) Moderate Climb (17%) Steep (26%) Very steep gradient (28%)

Gradient describes steepness, not exposure, scrambling, footing or current conditions. Technical difficulty is unknown where no mapped rating is available.

Tree cover and UV

🌤️ Mostly open ground 62% open to the sky · 38% under canopy
Estimated canopy along the route
Under canopy (38%) Open terrain (62%)
South-facing: 12% of route — mostly north-facing, less direct sun

🌤️ Mixed. Sections above the treeline are open to the sky; lower sections have some canopy. Carry sun protection for the open parts.

Canopy is inferred from elevation against a 2000 m Alpine treeline and from gradient below it, not from observed tree data — treat it as an estimate. It is a different question from the terrain shade above, which is about whether a mountain is between you and the sun at a given time.

Current Conditions

Loading live weather...

Based on 1991–2020 climate averages, the weather on Lüthispitz West is usually best from June to September. Snow is likely at the high point (1950 m) in December to May.

Weather this week

Loading the forecast for low point (1,306 m) and high point (1,950 m)…

Weather by month

Typical weather on this trail: at the lowest point (1,306 m) and the highest point (1,950 m). Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.

Monthly climate averages and daylight
Month
WeatherPoorPoorPoorPoorPoorGoodGoodGoodGoodMixedPoorPoor
High point, day / night-2°/-8°-2°/-8°1°/-6°5°/-2°10°/2°13°/5°15°/7°14°/7°10°/4°7°/1°2°/-3°-1°/-6°
Low point, day / night2°/-4°2°/-5°5°/-2°10°/1°14°/6°17°/9°19°/10°19°/11°14°/7°11°/4°6°/0°3°/-3°
Rain, mm10192110116170180187192154127120119
Snow at high pointLikelyLikelyLikelyLikelyLikely––––PossiblePossibleLikely
Daylight8 h 5310 h 1511 h 4913 h 3315 h 0315 h 5415 h 3514 h 1812 h 3910 h 589 h 248 h 31

Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. These values describe the whole trail's lowest and highest points. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.

Averages cannot establish current trail conditions. Check recent local reports, the forecast and restrictions before departure. Snow and ice can persist on shaded sections or arrive outside the usual season.

Current snow conditions

Current route snow

Insufficient evidence

Enable “Current snow map” in the route map’s Map layers to see the surrounding snow evidence. Current conditions do not describe a future departure date.

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Safety & Bailouts

Exit routes not verified

We do not have a verified emergency exit plan for this route. A nearby settlement, hut or route endpoint is not necessarily reachable or open. Do not leave the trail based on a straight-line distance or compass direction.

Mapped high point: 1950 m, approximately 16.6 km along the route. This is not an assessment of the most remote or exposed point.

Review possible exits against current local information before your trip. In an emergency, contact local rescue services; this page is not live rescue guidance.

Suggested Gear List

Auto-generated based on 11.5 km, 1450m ascent, max altitude 1949.4m, ~6h duration.

Essential 7 items
  • 👟
    Trail running shoes / hiking boots
    Required for any trail
  • 📱
    Phone (charged) + offline map
    Navigation & emergency contact
  • 💧
    3L hydration vest
    Water source information is incomplete; plan supplies before departure
  • 🍫
    Trail mix, bars & sandwich
    Est. 4055 kcal burn
  • 🧴
    Sunscreen SPF 50+
    UV intensifies above 1500m
  • 🧢
    Sun hat / cap
    Exposed alpine terrain
  • 🆘
    Emergency space blanket
    Critical for preventing hypothermia if you stop moving
Recommended 6 items
  • 🕶️
    Sunglasses (cat 3+)
    Snow & rock glare at altitude
  • 🧥
    Light rain jacket
    Weather changes fast in the mountains
  • 🔦
    Headlamp
    6h route — plan for delays
  • 🩹
    Mini first aid kit
    Blister plasters, tape, antiseptic
  • 🥢
    Trekking poles
    54% steep terrain, 1450m+ ascent
  • 🧊
    Microspikes / light crampons
    Snow risk in Jan, Feb, Mar
Nice to have 1 items
  • 🦵
    Gaiters
    Keep snow out of boots

Logistics

This route runs from Lauboden to Schwarzchopf (11.5 km by trail). You'll need to arrange transport back to your starting point.

Start — Getting There
Lauboden
No transit stops detected nearby.
Finish — Getting Back
Schwarzchopf
No transit stops detected nearby. Check local timetables.

Nearby Points of Interest

⛰️ Peaks

  • Schlofstein km 5.5 · 284m off trail
  • Spisslen km 2.1 · 2.2 km off trail

📍 Nearby Places

  • Gächtig 506m off trail
  • Hag 600m off trail
  • Zun 629m off trail
  • Rotenstein km 0.4 · 643m off trail
  • Zigerwisli 685m off trail

Route Details

Network
Local Trail Network
Sport
hiking
Start
Lauboden
End
Schwarzchopf
Start Coordinates
47.20286, 9.24162
OpenStreetMap
View on OSM →

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