Uri: Gitschen Summit & The Rotstock Raincheck

A Classic Urner Adventure: High Speeds & Sun-Basking Lizards

Beating the heat on Gitschen with Thor

What a phenomenal Saturday out with Wicher! To beat the brutal summer heat, we committed to an early wake-up call, rolling out of bed at 5:00 am. By 7:30 am, we were at the base, laced up, and ready to tackle the route from Isenthal up via the Gietsiflue cable car.
Leaving the Trail Signs in the Dust
The hike up toward Rinderstöckli and Gitschen felt surprisingly smooth, and we were absolutely buzzing with energy despite the early start.

The trail signs estimated a 3.5-hour trek to the top. I caught myself flying up the mountain and started worrying that I was setting a relentless, exhausting pace. I turned to check on Wicher, but he just shrugged it off and said it was perfectly fine. I guess that shouldn't have surprised me—he’s Dutch, built like Thor, and stands as a tall, strong powerhouse of a hiking partner!
Sure enough, we crushed the ascent, standing at the summit of Gitschen by 10:20 AM—a clean under-3-hour climb.

🦎 Summit Life
The peak was utterly breathtaking, but the midday sun was already blazing. To escape the heat, we found a narrow little ledge sandwiched between two massive rocks. We squeezed ourselves in there, basking in the shade like a couple of mountain lizards just trying to stay cool.
The heat was intense, so we got creative to keep our temperatures down. We kept a constant lookout for cold, running meltwater from the remaining snowpatches, and even packed snowballs to carry along with us as portable, refreshing ice packs.

The Plan vs. Reality
Our original grand ambition was a two-day epic:
Day 1: Stay overnight at the Gitschenhörelihütte.
Day 2: Summit the mighty Uri Rotstock and make the long trek back down.
Unfortunately, the hut was completely fully booked. Combined with the fact that the evening sky was looking a bit unstable and we couldn't be sure if a storm was brewing, we made the smart executive decision to pivot.
Since Uri Rotstock was off the table, we skipped the return cable car ride entirely. Instead, we turned the adventure into a massive, leg-burning loop, hiking all the way down on foot through the gorgeous Mussenalp and back to our starting point.

A Reality Check at the Finish Line
By the time we finally reached the bottom, wiping the sweat from our brows, we both looked at each other and agreed on one thing: we can't wait for winter.
Then, the sudden, hilarious realization hit us—it's only the end of June. Summer has literally just begun!

Despite the scorching temperatures and the change of plans, it was an unforgettable day trip. Incredible views, record-breaking paces, and top-tier company. Thanks for the adventure, Wicher—the Uri Rotstock is officially on notice for Part 2!Read more