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Männlichen-Kleine
Scheidegg | Kleine Scheidegg-Wengen ny number of fine rambles start in Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg and Grindelwald in the heart of the mountainous interior of the Swiss Berner Oberland. Whichever of the mountain villages you choose as a home base, you can get to any of these walks in under 60 minutes. (Add 30 minutes from Interlaken.) There are many excellent books about walking in the Swiss Alps, among them several favorites of ours. Finding Your Wayrails are commonly well-marked. No map is ordinarily required, though one is useful in planning. We find one in the pack reassuring while walking. While signage is usually good, once in a while we find a need to orient ourselves or resolve what seems an ambiguous marking. A cheap compass may be useful as well. Most of the signage looks like that to the right. Without the single red line the trail would be more sidewalk than trail. With two red lines a "mountain trail" ... not requiring technical skill, necessarily, but typically requiring more care than a forest path. Times are shown in hours (Stunden in German, Std.) and minutes (Minuten, Min.). These durations are almost always a bit shorter than we take, and are probably set for moderately-well-conditioned, experienced walkers. No allowance included for rest stops, sightseeing, wandering children or out-of-condition office-working Americans! Kümmerly & Frey publishes a range of maps at 1:50,000 and 1:60,000 scale, available in Switzerland. These are commercial versions of the official Swiss agency maps and quite reliable. The Verkehrsverein Lauterbrunnen - Mürren - Wengen puts out a good hiking map for the region in 1:33,333 scale, with brief descriptions of 44 walks in German, French and English. The Swiss 'Geological Survey' publishes 1:25,000 maps for the entire country; maps 1228, 1229, 1248 and 1249 cover the Jungfrau region. This series is the best to have as a basic detailed reference ... available only in Switzerland so far as we know. You can order official 1:50,000 series topos from Adventurous Traveler Bookstore. Map 5004 (AT #G7845) is the one you want for the Berner Oberland/Jungfrau Region. Mountain Weather
Favorite Ramblesännlichen (2239 Meters/7346 Feet) to Kleine Scheidegg (2061
Meters/6762 Feet.) The classic Alpine stroll. 1 hour 20 minutes (less for most). Gentle
downhill. Easy, almost wheelchair-accessible. Great scenery for the entire trip, and a
sense of being on top of the world. leine Scheidegg (2061
Meters/6762 Feet) to Wengen (1275 Meters/4183 Feet.) A half-mile vertical descent
packed into 6-1/2 kilometers (less than 4 miles.) Part of the stroll is next to the
Jungfrau, the balance overlooking Wengen and the Lauterbrunnen Valley. 1 hour 45 minutes.
Relatively easy, though you may discover parts of your legs you didn't know existed. The
Swiss, and conditioned walkers, walk it uphill in 2 hours 45 minutes with far less
discomfort to the muscles. ürren (1639 Meters/5377 Feet) to Rotstockhütte (2039 Meters/6690 Feet.) About 4 hours roundtrip, moderate. An easy 45 minute walk to Spielbodenalp (visit the Sprutz Waterfall on the way), and a stop for refreshments. The climb up nearby Bryndli (or Brünli) is steep and tiring, but offers a rewarding view at the end. (Be careful descending.) From Bryndli it's another 20 minutes or so to the hut where you can enjoy a picnic or lunch, followed by homemade pastry. Return the way you came, or choose an alternate route. |
ürren (Allmendhubel
(1900 Meters/6225 Feet)) to Grütschalp (1481 Meters/4859 Feet). 1 hour 45 minutes. An
excellent scenic stroll at and above the tree line. You never lose sight of the Jungfrau
and companions. Level and easy, except for a fairly steep descent at the end. auterbrunnen (797
Meters/2615 Feet) to Wilderswil (584 Meters/1916 Feet.) 2 hours 15 minutes. Easy. For
most of the trip you'll be alongside the rushing waters of the Lütschine River. It's a
gentle downhill path. You'll pass next to a restored iron smelter built in the late 17th
Century. If you find yourself tiring, you can end the trip at Zweilütschinen after 50
minutes. auterbrunnen to Stechelberg. This is a 4-5 km walk on fairly level ground. We
describe it in One Day in the Swiss Mountains. irst (2171 Meters/7122 Feet) to Bachalpsee (2265 Meters/7431 Feet.) 95 minutes roundtrip. Fairly easy. The starting climb from First up the initial hill is moderately steep if you're not in condition and makes up most of the 100 meter altitude gain. The balance is mostly downhill. Bachalpsee is a delightful reflecting pool amidst an Alpine pasture. Wonderful views. Plan a picnic. (Photo courtesy of, and copyright © by, Karen Walker, 1996.)
irst (2171 Meters/7122 Feet) to Schynige Platte (1987 Meters/6519 Feet) via Bachalpsee and the Faulhorn (2680 Meters/8793 Feet). This is one of the most scenic mountain walks in Europe, if not the best. 5-6 hours. (Watch your timing - you want to be sure you catch the last train down from Schynige Platte, unless you'd like to add over 3 hours to your trip.) Moderately strenuous.
chynige Platte (1987 Meters/6519 Feet) Panorama Trail. In under 2-1/2 hours you can make an easy tour of several fine viewpoints including the Oberberghorn and Tuba. There are two steep, though short - 100 meters or less gain - ascents. Wear good footwear since there is a stretch with a steep dropoff at trailside. Bookshere are several good to excellent books about hiking in the area or the country; some can be ordered online through our relationship with Amazon.com (more information about ordering online):
If you'll also be visiting Zermatt, you'll enjoy Dick Hess' walking article. The Schweizer Alpen Club (SAC) maintains a website with information on membership, mountain huts and more. Unfortunately much is in German only. Back to Visiting The Berner Oberland A Personal Visit To Switzerland Our Favorites Trip Tips and Tools Copyright © 1997-2001 E.J.
Gehrlein Traveling
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