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Today is one of the very few times on the H2H when you go over a pass on a road. And this is the only time you do it on a busy road. Really busy. The Klausenpass road between Linthal and Altdorf is one of the most popular scenic drives in Switzerland (with several thousand vehicles driving along it per day), and so, although you will spend as little time as possible actually on the road (about 2km), this is not a day when you will feel far from the madding crowd.

The trouble is, there aren't too many other ways to get from Linthal to Altdorf, and those there are would add another day to the trip. To the south the way is blocked by the great bulk of Tödi and the Clariden / Schärhorn wall. To the north there are at least some paths, but they would have you trek (slowly) across the stony wastes around Glattalp, overnight in an isolated mountain hut, then descend into and climb out of the nearly uninhabited Bisistal, and at the end of all this you would still have to find somewhere else to stay another night before reaching Altdorf.

So there aren't really any better choices. On the other hand, looking on the bright side, this will certainly leave you with a renewed appreciation for the car-free surroundings the H2H normally goes through. And anyway, if you can ignore the traffic this is actually a lovely walk!

You start with a steep climb up to the ridge above Linthal, then follow a belvedere walk around the mountainside with great views of the Glarner Alps capped by the 3614m Tödi.  In the afternoon you drop down slightly into the Urnerboden, the largest Alpine meadow in Switzerland, where, after a short stretch along the road, you take a path along a stream for several kilometers before climbing, at times steeply, and at other times along the road, to the pass. Half an hour down the other side is the idiosyncratic Klausenpass Hotel, your goal for the day.

Route
From Nussbüel onwards, today's hike again follows the same trails as the Via Alpina. From Linthal take the steep zig-zag path up to Nussbüel (1263m) where there is a nice restaurant, although, unfortunately, it will be too early to have lunch. Continue west on the trail until it descends to meet the rising main road, and then, after a few hundred meters along the road, take the path off to the left. It drops slightly down to the Fätschbach River, and then follows it (parallel to the road) for several kilometers to the village of Urnerboden (1351m). After the village you'll be back on the road for a kilometer, then off, then on... keep an eye out for a path rising off to the right and when you see it, take it and follow it to the pass. On the far side of the pass take the path to the left of the road, and the hotel will be up and to your right after a little less than 2km.

Alternatives: if the weather is bad and you are a purist, take a rest day. Although there are no really exposed places, long hikes are no fun and have a tendency to become longer in the rain. If you are not a purist, and you are looking to make the day shorter, there are buses which go up from Linthal over the Klausenpass stopping at various points along the way. However, you should try to reserve seats ahead of time (see below) since this is a very popular route.
Map: ST-246T Klausenpass.

Journal
The House to House blog... stage 25.

Photos
<A couple of representative photos from this stage will be added here after the hike>
In the meantime, click here to go to all of the H2H photos on Flickr.

GPS Track
<To be added during or after hike>

Room and Board Options
Lunch: picnic. Before you leave Linthal, make sure that you have enough food with you for both today and at least one picnic lunch during the next stage.
Dinner and overnight: the only place to stay for miles around is the Hotel Klausenpasshoehe (+41-(0)879/1164, 28 beds in 15 rooms and a further 38 places in bunkrooms). If this is booked, you could stop earlier in Urnerboden, where there are several places to stay (for a complete list, see here), but you will then have to take the valley route in the next stage (which isn't tragic, but is less scenic and closer to / along the road). The totals to Urnerboden from Linthal via Nussbüel are 4.25h, 11km, +890m, -200m.

Getting There and Back
Linthal: regular buses run to here from Schwanden where there is a railway station (for bus and train schedule information, see the SBB).
Klausenpass Hotel: there is a regular bus service in both directions over the Klausenpass (i.e., to Altdorf, where there is a railway station, and to Linthal) but, as mentioned above, due to its popularity you should try to reserve seats ahead of time (+41-(0)368/1010).
ViaMichelin Road Map and Driving Directions: centered on Linthal, centered on the Klausenpass.

Background Information and Links
Many and various...

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