After the beautiful hike the day before to Säntis, Rita and I hadn’t planned much for the rainy Sunday, July 6, 2025 — a day, wild and uncertain, but the morning weather turned out surprisingly bearable, a contrast between expectation and possibility. On Instagram, we spotted an interesting restaurant called Aescher Wildkirchli right in the mountains — wow! A quick Google search revealed it was only about nine kilometers from our hotel, and no convincing was needed, so shortly afterward we took the gondola up to Ebenalp, rugged and determined.
A Hike Through Fog and Rain
After a short lunch stop at the Aescher Wildkirchli, we hiked back down through misty forests, passing the Seealpsee — a spectacle of nature and mystique. Although heavy rain returned near the end, it was a great hike in a stunning area, especially impressive since it was only about an hour from home.
The altar in the rock cave of the Wildkirchli.
Light falls through the clouds onto the mountains of the Alpstein.
The Aescher clings beneath the overhanging rock face.
“Willkomm im Alpstein” above the windows of the Aescher.
Clouds drifting past the rock walls.
Barely any outlines left: dark forest beneath a thick blanket of fog.
Mist lying over the forest – the way back down to the valley.
Forest and rock vanishing into the mist.
Wisps of fog creep over the rock face on the wooded slope.
Rocks briefly emerging from the mist.
Only a thin strip of forest still shows at the very bottom.
Spruce tops rising out of the fog, a rocky outcrop behind.
Clouds resting on the ridge, dark conifer forest below.
The slope fades into grey as it climbs.
Pale limestone walls between spruces, the sky above them white.
Boulders in the meadow, mist in the forest behind.
A band of fog drifts across the rock terraces of the Alpstein.
Spruces on the slope, mist drifting through the trees.
Between two dark wooded slopes, a patch of pale valley opens up.
Shreds of cloud hanging over the wooded hilltops.
Low clouds over the ridge – shortly before it started raining hard again.
