Posts by timstrutzi@zug.network
(DIR) Post #B6Ofn152aEw0eyq9Ro by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 1 repeats
Appenzell hiking
(DIR) Post #B6XxRuY1Duwruq7TcG by timstrutzi@zug.network
2 likes, 1 repeats
Das hab ich mich vor ein paar Jahren auch gefragt
(DIR) Post #B6paj8FXDAgGb4kHtw by timstrutzi@zug.network
1 likes, 0 repeats
:austria_woozy:
(DIR) Post #B7hdT8MM87QjO7slkW by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 0 repeats
Yesterday afternoon I decided that today shall not be a work day. Time for an alpine heat escape manouver to a really cool place: The Linth-Limmern hydro power plant. But first, we had to get there. Upon arrival in Linthal at the far end of the Swiss canton of Glarus, it was time to fold out the bikes because the base area of the plant is not reachable by public transport. It is a 6km road from the train station, but unfortunately I forgot to check the elevation (up 180m on the first 1,5km). I regretted not bringing the MTB with more suitable transmission rates instead.
(DIR) Post #B7hdT8dN6r2cEtqMGu by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 0 repeats
A tiny aerial tramway in a huge station awaited us. It is completely unstaffed locally, you just buy a ticket from a vending machine, go in and start it yourself. Outside the operating hours (8-12 and 13-18) the cable car is reserved for staff. They even added a :ch_selbstkontrolle: indicator light for this to the Sisag indicators that almost every Swiss cable car has.
(DIR) Post #B7hdT8sGDUx0z4oFTk by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 0 repeats
The cable car is quite steep and very high above the ground. One of the highest I've been in.
(DIR) Post #B7hdT951S39vcemRN2 by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 0 repeats
The mountain station is equally massive and equally empty. But you can clearly see that *something* was here before.There are two doors to exit the station, more on that in a bit.
(DIR) Post #B7hdT9HQhv5GF8aLi4 by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 0 repeats
Now, what was here before?A lot of the construction of the power plant was done in the 1960s, when the Limmeren dam in the south was built. To increase storage capacity, a second dam was constructed between 2010 and 2016, which can be seen in the North East. The new setup can produce 1 GW of power and store 33GWh of energy (if your unfamilar with electric grids, that is massive for a hydro plant).For the construction of this second dam, a heavy duty freight cable car was in operation from the same station buildings. It was capable of carrying 40t of payload. It has been dismantled afterwards, but Garaventa documented it on their Youtube channel. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dmFsr1CFiNM
(DIR) Post #B7hdT9VFsW8uw13OG8 by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 1 repeats
And now for the right of the two doors:When opening it, you're greated by roughly 10°C cold moist air (absolutely amazing in the current weather). And then you're in a 3km long tunnel towards the large lake.Now in most other countries, this would be considered trespasing on critical infrastructure, but in Switzerland they call it an official hiking trail. Just wear high vis please, this is an active industrial site after all!Also looks like they had trains up here in the 60s. New railmap layer?
(DIR) Post #B7hdTA9fSGT8xLxfFY by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 0 repeats
A staircase down, another tunnel. Then we finally stepped onto the dam. A steep valley down on the one side, the lake with cliffs on all sides on the other. They chose an inaccessible spot for their dam, hence all the tunneling.
(DIR) Post #B7j3BLMhpQd6TiBRaK by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 0 repeats
A kvikk lunsj brake later (thanks @aebahn) it was time to hike up.
(DIR) Post #B7j3BLfUhZetPyyRs0 by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 0 repeats
Impressive view down from the top of Muttenchopf
(DIR) Post #B7j3BLrXylIe1Mc4em by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 0 repeats
On the other side, the second dam came into view. It serves as the upper basin for the pump storage. No trace to be found of the second heavy haul cable car that was used for construction.Interesting to see solar panels on a dam. Makes sense though, it is exposed to the sun and snow can't accumulate well on the angled surface.
(DIR) Post #B7j3BM8Cyocwr2PNcu by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 0 repeats
Route time calculation in the mountains is always tricky. We arrived quite late (our gondola departed at 11:59, lunch break is from 12:00...), so we had to worry about making it back for the ride down.Organic Maps, which I found to consistently overestimate my travel time in flat terrain, calculated 2:50 of travel time. This would've gotten us in at 18:00 exactly, not great.Yet the signpost claimed it was 1:45 back to Chalchtrittli. We decided to trust the sign more than the app and stop at the Muttseehütte for food. This turned out to be a good decision. Organic Maps massively overestimated the last part of the hike, calculating over an hour for 1km. We needed 20min.Trusting the signs is tricky though, I can reliably beat those times in Austriay but usually match their speed in Switzerland. Especially when there are tricky sections its hard to know how much the calculations consider this.
(DIR) Post #B7j3BMPZwEWPiuXFhY by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 0 repeats
For the way back, we chose to go over the mountain instead of through the tunnel. These pictures don't even capture the full vertical dimensions of this place.The way was fine tho, looks worse than it is.
(DIR) Post #B7j3BMdl5VreQtAZns by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 0 repeats
Finally, the station came back into view. And then we found ourselfs infront of another suspicious door.
(DIR) Post #B7j3BMp6PKwF04TdU8 by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 1 repeats
Inside are more remnants of the cable car from the 1960s. More places that give you a 'you shouldn't be here' vibe. But once again: Markes as official hiking trail.And with that we have reached the left door of the station hall and the end of this hike and thread. What a gem this area is.
(DIR) Post #B7pbgxb2IZvdPutSVc by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 1 repeats
Dialect ticket machine
(DIR) Post #B8EK8ifGoCl0TpmnuS by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 1 repeats
So are you more of an active or a passive recreation person?
(DIR) Post #B8TOfQTorut2rpqe5w by timstrutzi@zug.network
0 likes, 1 repeats
Important meowsecode message:Meeeeeow MeeeeowMewMeeeeeow Meeeeow MeeeeowMew Meeeeow Meeeeow