Leistchamm, high above the Walensee

Once you stand up there, looking almost straight down into the Walensee, you know the effort was worth it. The views across to the Glarus Alps and along the Churfirsten of St Gallen are not something you see every day.

First, though, comes the hard climb. Seen from the side, or on the map, it looks like a straight line to the top. By then the gentle landscape above Arvenbüel, where the walk began, is forgotten – and it is precisely this contrast that makes the tour so fascinating.