After the Luzern Marathon: Pilatus
The Route: Lucerne → Alpnachstad → Pilatus Kulm → Lucerne Logistics: A regional train to Alpnachstad, then the cogwheel railway up and the same railway down. Marathon Month: October Duration: Day trip
Lucerne station ──(~17 mins train)──> Alpnachstad ──(~30 mins cogwheel)──> Pilatus Kulm
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Lucerne station ◄──(~17 mins train)── Alpnachstad ◄──(~30 mins cogwheel)─────────┘
The SwissCityMarathon turns around at Alpnachstad, at the far end of Lake Alpnach, so the foot of the Pilatus railway is a place you may have run to a day earlier. The marathon finishes at the Verkehrshaus in Lucerne on a Sunday in late October. The train from Lucerne to Alpnachstad takes about 17 minutes according to the railway's connection table, and the cogwheel railway climbs from there to Pilatus Kulm in roughly 30 minutes.
October on Pilatus: this is the end of the season. The Kriens gondolas and cableway have closed for maintenance from around the third week of October into late November in recent years, and the lake boat to Alpnachstad stops running in mid-October. The usual boat, railway and cableway circuit is therefore not available on race weekend, and the cogwheel railway up and down is the version to plan. Check pilatus.ch for the current timetable and for any date-specific closures, and reserve a seat in good weather. Snow is possible at the top in late October, and cloud sits on the summit more often than in summer. Look at the webcam before you buy.
The Railway and the Top
The Pilatus cogwheel railway opened in 1889 and has a maximum gradient of 48 per cent, the steepest of any cogwheel railway in the world. The carriage tilts its seats to compensate, which looks odd from the platform and feels natural once you sit. Sit on the side facing the lake for the way up. You have no climbing to do. The railway does it.
Pilatus Kulm, at about 2,073 metres, is a rock terrace with a hotel and restaurants. The paths at the top are short and paved or cut into rock, with steps in places, so decide before you go how many you want. Gloves and a hat are worth carrying even if Lucerne was mild. The cold is more noticeable after a marathon because the body is slower to warm itself. Stay close to the station buildings and take a table inside if the wind is up.
The mountain's name is often explained by a legend that Pontius Pilate's body was thrown into a lake on its slopes, but it is a story and not a proven origin. Local tradition also holds that dragons lived here, and the dragon is the mountain's emblem.
Getting Back
Take the railway down in the afternoon and leave time for the final train. Cogwheel services run at set times in the autumn, so check the last descent on the day. Back at Alpnachstad, the train to Lucerne runs several times an hour. You can use a regional ticket for the whole return; check sbb.ch for fares. A hot meal in Lucerne's old town finishes the day.