The Walensee is one of the most dramatic lakes in Switzerland, and one of the least visited. It lies in a trench between the Churfirsten range to the north and the Glarus Alps to the south, a long narrow lake of intense green, with cliffs that fall almost vertically into the water. The photograph is the Churfirsten wall reflected in the surface on a still morning, seven jagged peaks mirrored in the lake.
The lake is about fifteen kilometres long and around a hundred and fifty metres deep at its deepest, and the cliffs on the northern shore are so steep that for a long stretch no road runs there at all. The hamlet of Quinten, on the north shore, can only be reached by boat or on foot, which gives it an air of seclusion, and a mild microclimate that allows figs and grapes to grow. Along the southern shore runs the busy motorway and the railway, tucked into tunnels and ledges, with the old road beside them.
For riders, the good road is the one that climbs from Walenstadt toward Amden, a village on a terrace high above the lake, with outstanding views down to the water. The corners are tight at first and then open out, and the lookout points come up quickly, so slow down and pick your stop. Another approach is from the Weesen end, on the western side, where the road sits close to the water and the cliffs hang overhead.
Fuel and food are in Walenstadt, a town of five thousand at the eastern end, which has a lakeside promenade and a few good cafes. The weather on the lake is changeable, with strong winds funnelling along the trench, and the Föhn can blow hard in spring and autumn, making the air startlingly clear and the water choppy. Early morning and the evening are the best times to photograph, before the haze builds or when the sun has dropped behind the ridge.