Trift Bridge

At 170 meters (560 feet) long, the Trift Bridge is the longest pedestrian-only suspension bridge in the Swiss Alps.  All aspects of the bridge are incredible–the drive to the bridge, then the hike (or chair lift + hike if you choose) to the bridge, and the bridge itself.  Not even the crummy weather could have dampened our experience.

First, in order to arrive to the trailhead from Liechtenstein, we drove along Lake Lucerne.

Then we continued up and over Susten Pass from east to west.  Like all passes in Switzerland, the pass left us in awe with its incredible views at every turn.  Dozens of trailheads dotted the pass, rivers and waterfalls gushed from all directions, motorcycles and even cyclists zig-zagged along its cliffs, and a small cafe or two sleepily awaited the wandering traveler.  

Once at the Trift Bridge trailhead, we had two options: to ride the aerial cable car (24 CHF roundtrip or 12 CHF one-way) and hike the remainder of the way to the bridge, or skip the aerial cable car completely and hike from the trailhead.  To save the 48 CHF ($50) we hiked the entire way up and back.  Despite being a steep ascent into the valley, it wasn’t difficult, especially compared to summiting Mount Olympus!  To my amazement, everyone else that day rode the cable car up, giving us a beautiful trail all to ourselves.

What also makes this bridge so spectacular is how it seldom sees crowds. Trift Bridge is surprisingly off the tourist radar; tour buses definitely don’t stop there, and most inexperienced hikers (and unfit people) won’t be able to reach the bridge.  It took us about 1 hour and 15 minutes to hike from the bottom of the trail to the path that crossed with the aerial cable car trail, and an additional hour or so to Trift Bridge.

Trift Bridge and the glacial lake below:

Crossing the bridge:

Unfortunately we didn’t stay long since the mix of high altitude and rain was too cold for us to endure.  Hiking down took longer than expected due to the mud and slippery rocks, but it was still a wonderful hike nonetheless.

https://youtu.be/ltH6k0RiGfM