Skitour on the Raten to St. Jost

A short ski tour on the Raten, up to St. Jost. Low hills above the Ägerital in canton Zug, nothing serious, but it was skinnable and close to home in the middle of January.

Raten – St. Jost, 1077–1155 m

Low-angle pasture and forest tracks / no published SAC ski grade / snow-dependent

The Raten is the pass road between Oberägeri and Biberbrugg at 1,077 m, and the St. Jost chapel sits a little above it at roughly 1,155 m, on the old pilgrimage path from the Ägerital over to Einsiedeln. It is gentle Molasse hill country rather than anything alpine: pasture, forest tracks, wide views over the Ägerisee and, from the Gottschalkenberg side, Lake Zurich.

Nothing here is steep enough to need a real ski-touring grade, and I have not found a published SAC ski rating for it. What it needs instead is snow, and enough of it to cover the asphalt and the farm roads. On a good winter week it is a pleasant, low-effort tour close to home.

Logistics

Approach

Bus 1 from Zug to Oberägeri, then bus 10 up to Raten. By car there is parking at the pass.