PIlatus Kulm - Risete
MODERATE (2.5/10)Hinter Graben → Pilatus Kulm
Use this route
The walk, as far as the open data goes
Getting there
- Start: parking car park, 151 m away
- Finish: Pilatus Kulm bus stop, 104 m away
- Finish: Pilatus Kulm railway station, 119 m away
- Finish: Pilatus Kulm (Luftseilbahn) railway station, 119 m away
Somewhere to stop
- Pilatus Kulm hotel, 2,132 m
- Pilatus Bellevue hotel
Mapped within 200 m of the line. Whether they are open is not something we have read.
Height and time
- High point 2,082 m
- Low point 1,331 m
- Climb 1,283 m from a 30 m terrain model, smoothed
- Swiss signpost time 5 h 34 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.
Route briefing
What comes next
Climbs, descents and decisive places in route order. Not listed does not mean absent: it may not be mapped.
Start
0 m
Hinter Graben
Start
Route geometry · source 2026-04-11
About 0 min in
11.4 km remaining
+1283 m remaining
Climb
0 m
530 m climb
3.0 km at 17.8% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11
About 0 min in
11.4 km remaining
+1283 m remaining
Descent
3.0 km
153 m descent
1.2 km at 12.6% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11
About 1h 19m in
8.4 km remaining
+750 m remaining
Climb
4.2 km
150 m climb
1.0 km at 15.0% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11
About 1h 52m in
7.2 km remaining
+750 m remaining
Climb
7.0 km
286 m climb
1.5 km at 18.6% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11
About 3h 05m in
4.4 km remaining
+596 m remaining
Climb
9.6 km
155 m climb
0.6 km at 27.6% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11
About 4h 15m in
1.8 km remaining
+228 m remaining
Finish
11.4 km
Pilatus Kulm
Finish
Route geometry · source 2026-04-11
About 5h 04m in
0 m remaining
Trail route lab
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PIlatus Kulm - Risete is a 11.4 km point-to-point moderate hiking route in Switzerland, running from Hinter Graben to Pilatus Kulm. The route covers 1,283m of ascent and 631m of descent, with elevations ranging from 1,330m to 2,072m. Allow approximately 5h 03m for the full route.
The route is divided into 10 segments. The toughest stretch is the 1.6 km from Pt. 1309 to Widderfeld, climbing 320m (allow 56 min for this section).
About 58% 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 3,082 kcal of energy expenditure and 3.0 L of water.
Mid-altitude route up to 2073m. Accessible May–October.
Trail Splits
Waypoint-to-waypoint breakdown with estimated hiking times (Naismith's Rule).
| Segment | Dist | ↑ Ascent | ↓ Descent | Time | Cum. km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
📍 Hinter Graben → Risetestock | 1.3 km | +234m | -1m | 38 min | 1.3 |
⛰️ Risetestock → Blaue Tosse | 1.0 km | +184m | -4m | 30 min | 2.2 |
⛰️ Blaue Tosse → Stäfeliflue | 0.9 km | +124m | -17m | 24 min | 3.2 |
⛰️ Stäfeliflue → Stäfeliegg | 0.5 km | +0m | -97m | 10 min | 3.7 |
⛰️ Stäfeliegg → Mittaggüpfi | 1.6 km | +157m | -49m | 37 min | 5.3 |
⛰️ Mittaggüpfi → Rot Dossen | 1.4 km | +1m | -160m | 25 min | 6.7 |
⛰️ Rot Dossen → Pt. 1309 | 0.6 km | +26m | -23m | 10 min | 7.2 |
⛰️ Pt. 1309 → Widderfeld | 1.6 km | +320m | -88m | 56 min | 8.9 |
⛰️ Widderfeld → Tomlishorn | 1.3 km | +236m | -104m | 44 min | 10.2 |
⛰️ Tomlishorn → Pilatus Kulm | 1.2 km | +69m | -88m | 26 min | 11.4 |
| Total | 11.4 km | +1,283m | -631m | 5h 03m | 11.4 |
Pace & Fuel Calculator
Adjust your flat 10K pace to see personalized finish time, calorie burn, and hydration needs.
Terrain Analysis
Surface & Technicality
Gradient describes steepness, not exposure, scrambling, footing or current conditions. Technical difficulty is unknown where no mapped rating is available.
Tree cover and UV
🌤️ 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
Based on 1991–2020 climate averages, the weather on PIlatus Kulm - Risete is usually best from June to September. Snow is likely at the high point (2082 m) in December to May.
Weather this week
Loading the forecast for low point (1,331 m) and high point (2,082 m)…
Weather by month
Typical weather on this trail: at the lowest point (1,331 m) and the highest point (2,082 m). Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.
| Month | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Good | Good | Good | Good | Mixed | Poor | Poor |
| High point, day / night | -2°/-7° | -2°/-8° | 1°/-6° | 4°/-3° | 8°/2° | 12°/5° | 14°/7° | 14°/7° | 10°/4° | 6°/1° | 1°/-3° | -1°/-6° |
| Low point, day / night | 2°/-4° | 3°/-5° | 6°/-2° | 10°/1° | 14°/5° | 17°/9° | 19°/10° | 19°/10° | 14°/7° | 11°/4° | 5°/0° | 2°/-3° |
| Rain, mm | 107 | 100 | 108 | 110 | 144 | 156 | 166 | 156 | 124 | 124 | 124 | 127 |
| Snow at high point | Likely | Likely | Likely | Likely | Likely | – | – | – | – | Possible | Possible | Likely |
| Daylight | 8 h 54 | 10 h 16 | 11 h 49 | 13 h 33 | 15 h 01 | 15 h 52 | 15 h 33 | 14 h 17 | 12 h 39 | 10 h 59 | 9 h 25 | 8 h 33 |
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
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
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.
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 11.4 km, 1283m ascent, max altitude 2072.9m, ~5h duration.
- 👟 Trail running shoes / hiking bootsRequired for any trail
- 📱 Phone (charged) + offline mapNavigation & emergency contact
- 💧 3L hydration vestWater source information is incomplete; plan supplies before departure
- 🍫 Trail mix, bars & sandwichEst. 3082 kcal burn
- 🧴 Sunscreen SPF 50+UV intensifies above 2000m
- 🧢 Sun hat / capExposed alpine terrain
- 🧥 Windbreaker / shell jacketSummit at 2072.9m — wind chill
- 🕶️ Sunglasses (cat 3+)Snow & rock glare at altitude
- 🧤 Warm mid-layer (fleece)Temps drop ~6°C per 1000m
- 🩹 Mini first aid kitBlister plasters, tape, antiseptic
- 🥢 Trekking poles46% steep terrain, 1283m+ ascent
- 🧊 Microspikes / light cramponsSnow risk in Jan, Feb, Mar
- 🦵 GaitersKeep snow out of boots
Logistics
This route runs from Hinter Graben to Pilatus Kulm (11.4 km by trail). You'll need to arrange transport back to your starting point.
Nearby Points of Interest
⛰️ Peaks
- Risetestock km 1.3 · 706m off trail
- Blaue Tosse km 2.2 · 742m off trail
- Stäfeliflue km 3.2 · 1.4 km off trail
- Tosse km 1.9 · 1.6 km off trail
- First km 2.5 · 2.0 km off trail
📍 Nearby Places
- Ober Stäfeli km 3.4 · 1.7 km off trail
- Junkholz 1.8 km off trail
- Graben km 3.2 · 1.9 km off trail
- Äner Stäfeli km 4.2 · 1.1 km off trail
- Oberärtig km 4.3 · 1.5 km off trail
Route Details
- Network
- Local Trail Network
- Sport
- hiking
- Start
- Hinter Graben
- End
- Pilatus Kulm
- Start Coordinates
- 46.96361, 8.14648
- OpenStreetMap
- View on OSM →
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Route resources
Specialist links and source details for this route. Everyday actions are kept in the route rail above.