FOO PASS

VIA ALPINA DAY 40 –  FRIDAY 31 JULY 2026
WEISSTANNEN –> ELM

DISTANCE HIKED: 22.35 km
ELEVATION GAIN:  1,240 m

TOTAL DISTANCE HIKED:  996.75 km
TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN: 50,321m 

Another hot day is ahead. We made an early start in the cool of the morning, leaving our campsite at 6am.

As we rose up the river valley waves of warm air were already forming. And a full moon was setting just behind the mountain crest we were walking towards.

It was almost an hour before we had the sun at our back. The trail rose gradually and the March flies were awake and hungry for blood. It is surprising that  the we have been struck by  March flies  when there are no cattle around. Today was by far the worst.

We were climbing towards Foo Pass which is the first of the 14 passes in Switzerland.   It sits in the Glarus Alps,  a UNESCO designated Welterbe Tektonikarena Sardona area. A geologically significant area as it was the first place where 19th century geologist developed an understanding of plate tectonics. 

The ascent followed the Heidelnack River. The volume of flow did not match the engine roar sound that echoed around us. We’re reached a meadow about two thirds of the way up the climb. We were above the trees and the meadow was busy with cows grazing. We had to side step them in a few spots but they were not threatening.  Swiss cows do look a lot bigger then the cows we’ve seen so far on trail.

From the meadow it was another hour
of slowly inching our way up to reach the pass. Reaching the pass at 2,223 m  on a clear day like today was rewarding. The view from the pass into the next valley was breathtaking. Mountain peaks, many still holding snow and at least two glacial peaks to our right. Sections of the ridgeline and the steep grassed slopes below were very similar to what we had seen in the Allgäu Alps.

The descent from the pass was continous without any flat sections.  We both remarked that descending the passes is sometimes more difficult then asceding. We had only seen two hikers all day. They were going in the opposite direction as we were descending. Didn’t envy them the long grind in the afternoon.

We had planned to stop for the day at the next town Elm, even though it would still be early in the afternoon.

Very pleased that we did as about 10 minutes after we arrived lightening and a thunderstorm followed.

We stopped at a small campground next to Segnes Hotel and had the tent up just before the skies opened. It rained and thundered all afternoon. By 6pm it had cleared and even patches of blue sky appeared.