Paragliding Grassen_Grassengrat

Grassen, located behind the well-known tourist mountain Titlis, offers a high-alpine launch site with stunning views of the surrounding glaciers, Spannort, and the Urner and Berner Alps. The ascent can be approached from both the Obwalden and Uri sides, with launch options in both directions. Here, I'll describe the northern route, which I have personally experienced. The hike begins at Herrenrüti in Engelberg, where the valley station of the Fürenalpbahn is located. This area is historically significant in the paragliding community as one of the first places where the sport was practiced. From Herrenrüti, the path ascends through the first rock wall, passing Alp Bödmen into Firnalpeli. The trail continues steeply up the mountain, crossing the lateral moraine of the Firnalpeli Glacier to Gorisegg. At the upper end, you must traverse a largely filled-in bergschrund to reach the rocks. Here, the ridge leading to the Grassen bivouac begins. The climb is easy and well-secured, leading to a viewpoint between Titlis and Grassen. The path is marked white-blue-white up to this point; beyond that, you must find your own way. One option is to use crampons to cross the glacier, requiring full mountaineering gear. If there is little snow, you can also ascend directly via the north ridge. The initial climbing section is about grade 3a, manageable without protection. After this, the route continues on foot to the summit. The launch site is approximately 100 meters east of the summit, on a flat snowfield that gradually steepens. Be cautious of crevasses in the steeper section. The launch faces north, with the prevailing wind direction being northeast. Another option is to start further east, where the path from the Sustlihütte SAC reaches the ridge, launching south from a snowfield. Although I haven't tried this route myself, it should also be feasible. On the north side, you need to fly a bit further to reconnect with the thermals, but Fürenalp is easily reachable, and from there, you can potentially fly the entire Engelberg valley under the right conditions. Starting Point: Engelberg, Herrenrüti, 1060 m above sea level Elevation Difference: Engelberg to Grassen: 1900 m Hiking Time: Herrenrüti to Summit: approximately 6 hours Tour Character: Easy high-altitude tour Notes: Alternative approach from the south via Sustlihütte SAC For more details, visit: [Grassen Paraalpinismus](http://www.paraalpin.de/grassen.html)