Pure winter pleasure: After a short gondola ride, a majestic mountain backdrop and a snow-covered landscape await winter hikers high above the Wakker Prize-winning village of Elm.

From the Ämpächli mountain station, a wide path leads to the sleepy hamlet of Hengstboden (“stallion ground”). The horses may be long gone, but the picturesque wooden sheds known as “Ghaltigen” still bear witness to the 19th century, when farmers drove their animals up to the Alpine pasture on foot. They would also cook and sleep in these huts, which were mainly used for storing hay. The route continues on a prepared trail through a short woodland section to the Berghotel Bischofalp and valley station of the Bischof Lift. The former ski racer Vreni Schneider once started her skiing career on these slopes.

Up here, the view of the Tschingelhörner including the Glarus Overthrust and Martin’s Hole is impressive. Hikers who happen to arrive on March 12 or 13 will also be treated to a natural spectacle: at 8.52 a.m., the sun shines through the rock window and directly onto Elm church tower for two-and-a-half minutes. In the Berghotel Bischofalp hikers and skiers can recharge their batteries on the sunny terrace. Back at the Ämpächli mountain station, there are two ways to return to the valley: a comfortable gondola ride or a thrilling toboggan run.