Forum Index > Trip Reports > Switzerland - Bernese Oberland area - 8.30.2009 - 9.10.2009
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ragman and rodman
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ragman and rodman
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PostWed Sep 16, 2009 6:08 pm 
Where to begin?... if Denali Girl ever dumps me, I’m looking for a woman with Swiss citizenship! Truly an amazing place for hikers and climbers… and just like most other places, the easy hikes tend to attract crowds… while the harder hikes provide some solitude. We didn’t have a car for our entire stay… and didn’t need one… with the Swiss rail system making it very easy to get around. Nine hikes in 12 days… all in the Bernese Oberland area… originating from the villages of Murren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg, Grindelwald, Wengen, and Kandersteg. While these trip reports are short and stat oriented, hopefully you will find the trip photos a reasonable counterbalance to all of the statistical doo-dah. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Schilthorn – 8.30.2009 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This was our acclimatization day… riding the gondola from Murren (1638m) to the Schilthorn (2970m)… which provided 360 degree views. We chose to hike back down to Murren… stopping off along the way at the Schilthorn Hut (2432m) for refreshments and then again at the Sonnenberg Pension restaurant (1852m). ~4 miles from Schilthorn to Murren, gaining 150 feet of elevation and losing 4520 feet of elevation. Photos of our hike to Schilthorn. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mannlichen, Tschuggen and Lauberhorn – 8.31.2009 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- We used the rail system to get from Murren to Wengen… where we took a gondola ride up to Mannlichen Station (2229m) and then made the short, easy walk up to Mannlichen (2343m). Backtracking to Mannlichen Station, we continued on excellent trail down past the east side of Tschuggen… where I peeled off from the group and hiked up Tschuggen’s SE side on faint path to the summit (2521m). After backtracking off of the Tschuggen summit for a few hundred feet I headed cross-country and connected with the trail leading up to the Lauberhorn summit (2472m). Leaving the Lauberhorn summit I backtracked until I found a direct cross-country route down to a road that left a short walk to the Kleine Scheidegg Station… where I caught a train back to Wengen and Murren. ~4 miles, gaining 2800 feet of elevation. Photos of our hike to Mannlichen, Tschuggen and Lauberhorn. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Obersteinberg, Oberhoresee, Schmadri Hut – 9.1.2009 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- One of my 3 favorite hikes on this vacation… we took the Schilthorn gondola from Murren down to Gimmelwald… then from Gimmelwald down to the Stechelberg Station (862m) and walked the half-mile to the village of Stechelberg (910m) to start our hike. Heading up the Lauterbrunnental valley, we followed the signs for Obersteinberg… soon passing through the small hamlet of Trachsellauenen (1202m) and eventually climbing on switchbacks up to the Obersteinberg Hotel (1778m) and refreshments. Denali Girl and aceman decided that they had enough for the day and headed back to Stechelberg… while I continued up the valley… crossing over the Tschingel-Litschina river and up to the small lakelet of Oberhoresee (2065m)… then over to the Schmadri Hut (2262m) at the base of Grosshorn… then completing the loop portion of the trip near Trachsellauenen… finishing up with the walk down to Stechelberg. ~9 miles roundtrip, gaining 4564 feet of elevation. Photos of our hike to Obersteinberg, Oberhoresee and the Schmadri Hut. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wasenegg Ridge, Rotstock Hut – 9.3.2009 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- aceman and I started this hike from our own backyard in Murren (1638m)… slogging up to the Sonnenberg Pension restaurant (1852m) in the Bluemental valley… then over to the Schilttal valley and the Schiltalp Hut (1946m) for the first refreshments of the day… then continued up to Wasenegg ridge (2155m) and on over to the Rotstock Hut (2039m) for another round of refreshments. Leaving the Rotstock Hut, we backtracked to Wasenegg Ridge… then walked east along the ridge, passing underneath Bryndli and down to the small village of Gimmela… leaving a short walk back to Murren. ~7 miles roundtrip, gaining 1736 feet of elevation. Photos of our hike to Wasenegg Ridge and the Rotstock Hut. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tanzbodeli, Obersteinberg – 9.4.2009 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Denali Girl and I took the Schilthorn gondola from Murren down to Gimmelwald (1363m) to start this hike… giving up elevation as we hiked down the north side of the Sefinental valley and back up the south side of the valley to the turnoff for Tanzbodeli (~2000m)… where it started to rain… causing us to abandon the 20 minute walk up to the “Little Dance Floor” (2095m) and hustle on down to the Obersteinberg Hotel (1778m) for some much needed refreshments. The weather cleared up a bit and we decided to hike on down towards Stechelberg… passing by the Gasthaus Tschingelhorn restaurant (1676m) after hiking for 20 minutes… then switchbacking down to the Lauterbrunnental valley… passing by Trachsellauenen (1202m) and on to Stechelberg (910m)… where we took the bus to the Stechelberg Station (862m) for the ride back up to Murren on the Schilthorn gondola. ~6.5 miles of hiking, gaining 2431 feet of elevation. Photos of our hike to Tanzbodeli and Obersteinberg. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Schwarzhorn – 9.5.2009 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A marginal weather day… but this didn’t keep Denali Girl and me from using the Swiss rail system to get from Murren to Grindelwald (1061m) and riding the gondola up to First (2166m)… where we followed the signs for Schwarzhorn… first giving up 250 feet of elevation before starting to head uphill… gradual at first and then turning steep for the last 1000 feet of elevation gain to the Schwarzhorn summit (2928m). One to two inches of fresh snow from the previous night and clouds covering the upper part of the mountain made for very ugly conditions... taking just as much time coming down in the snow as it did going up… and while conditions did improve lower down and across the valley towards Wetterhorn and Schreckhorn, the Schwarzhorn summit area never did clear. ~6 miles roundtrip, gaining 3038 feet of elevation. Photos of our hike to Schwarzhorn. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wasenegg Ridge, Bryndli – 9.6.2009 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- aceman and I put a little twist on this hike… instead of gaining more than 600 feet of elevation from Murren (1638m) up to the Sonnenberg Pension restaurant (1852m), we rode the Funicular railway from Murren up to Allmendhubel (1912m)… and then dropped down to the restaurant. Being a little early for refreshments, we continued over to the Schiltalp Hut (1946m) for refreshments… then headed up valley towards the Schilthorn… reaching a trail junction at 2315m… where we turned left and walked over to Wasenegg Ridge (~2300m)… then followed the ridge east to Bryndli (2133m) which consists of two rock outcroppings… with the summit register being on the lower of the two. Leaving Bryndli we backtracked a short distance and took the trail back down to the Schiltalp Hut… then over to the Sonnenberg Pension restaurant and down to Murren. ~5 miles roundtrip, gaining 1683 feet of elevation. Photos of our hike to Wasenegg Ridge and Bryndli. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hohturli Pass, Blumlisalp Hut – 9.8.2009 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- One of my 3 favorite hikes on this vacation… Denali Girl, aceman and I got an early start from Murren for the two hour train ride to Kandersteg (1176m)… where we rode the gondola up to 1682m… hiked high around the Oeschinensee (lake) and over to the Ober Bergli Hut (1978m) for refreshments. While Denali Girl and aceman decided to return to Kandersteg, I continued up valley… taking two more hours to reach Hohturli Pass (2778m) and the Blumlisalp Hut (2834m)… where I found time for refreshments before backtracking down to Hohturli Pass and dropping steeply on the north side of the pass for ~2000 feet on the way down to the village of Griesalp (1408m). ~9 miles of hiking from the top of the gondola lift in Kandersteg to the village of Griesalp, gaining 3957 feet of elevation in 4 miles to the Blumlisalp Hut… then losing 4680 feet of elevation in 5 miles down to Griesalp. Photos of our hike to Hohturli Pass and the Blumlisalp Hut. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Schreckhorn Hut – 9.10.2009 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- One of my 3 favorite hikes on this vacation... Denali Girl and I started this hike in Grindelwald… where we rode the Pfingstegg gondola to the top (1391m)... hiked along the left side of the gorge that separates Eiger and Fiescherhorn on the right from Schreckhorn on the left… stopping at the Baregg restaurant (1652m) for refreshments before continuing on up to the Schreckhorn Hut (2529m). After refreshments at the Schreckhorn Hut I returned via the same route I took on the way up. Ladders, chains, cables and steel pegs assist in negotiating the steepest portions of this hike. ~8 miles roundtrip, gaining 4127 feet of elevation. Photos of our hike to the Schreckhorn Hut. ..

"Teanaway 70" Peaks List... a guide to hiking and scrambling in the Teanaway Area. ----------------
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chiwakum
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chiwakum
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PostWed Sep 16, 2009 9:58 pm 
I always appreciate your trip reports. Several of them have given me great ideas for hikes. And I've been really intrigued about the idea of hiking in Switzerland for years. Very cool.

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BarbE
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PostThu Sep 17, 2009 9:16 am 
WOW! You've covered some impressive ground at my favorite place -outside of Washington. Stunning pictures and info! up.gif up.gif up.gif I wish we had trip reports like yours the last few times we stayed in Gimmelwald. Your TR and pictures are way more informative than what the tourist office or the locals I talked to could provide. Now, more than ever I can't wait to go back to the Lauterbrunnen Valley and the Bernese Oberland. chickenleg.gif

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33teeth
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33teeth
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PostThu Sep 17, 2009 9:24 am 
My wife and I spent the first week of our honeymoon in Murren. What a great place!

Is that a kind of beer?
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TrailPair
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PostThu Sep 17, 2009 9:24 am 
slobber.gif slobber.gif slobber.gif up.gif up.gif cool.gif

This thing called work is interfering with my play
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BigPants
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BigPants
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PostThu Sep 17, 2009 4:20 pm 
We stayed at the Obersteinberg on our trip to the Bernese Oberland, what a magical place! I'm going to make time to look at all your photo links this weekend. Thanks for sharing! up.gif

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silly_traveler
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silly_traveler
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PostThu Sep 17, 2009 7:08 pm 
Cool trip and nice photos!!! cool.gif I'm putting this area on my list agree.gif Did ya see us waving at ya from the Matterhorn wave.gif

♫ You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. And you're the one who will decide where you'll go. Oh the places you'll go. - Dr. Seuss
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kaydubpdx
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kaydubpdx
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PostThu Sep 17, 2009 8:56 pm 
Great pics. I hiked from Lenk to Merignon about 4 years ago...loved the section from Adelboden to Lauterbrunnen!

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ragman and rodman
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ragman and rodman
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PostThu Sep 17, 2009 10:14 pm 
silly_traveler wrote:
Did ya see us waving at ya from the Matterhorn wave.gif
Nope... too busy having refreshments at all of the huts... I did notice in your trip report that ice tea was your beverage of choice... I chose a different beverage. dizzy.gif Switzerland has been getting a lot of nwhiker hits this year.

"Teanaway 70" Peaks List... a guide to hiking and scrambling in the Teanaway Area. ----------------
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silly_traveler
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silly_traveler
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PostFri Sep 18, 2009 12:13 am 
The huts are nice, a totally different experience. I really enjoyed having drinks (ice tea, coke, coffee, beer, broth) mid-way through hikes up.gif we call it luxury hiking agree.gif Just curious, did you buy a Swiss Pass to use the rail system or just individual tickets? hmmm.gif

♫ You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. And you're the one who will decide where you'll go. Oh the places you'll go. - Dr. Seuss
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ragman and rodman
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ragman and rodman
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PostFri Sep 18, 2009 8:44 am 
silly_traveler wrote:
Just curious, did you buy a Swiss Pass to use the rail system or just individual tickets?
Our entire stay was in the Bernese Oberland area... with the exception of getting from the Zurich airport to Murren... and then getting back to the Zurich airport at the end of our vacation. So we bought full-fare, second class, roundtrip train tickets from Zurich to Interlaken and then Interlaken to Zurich... $94 per person. All other travel was done on a 15 day Bernese Oberland Pass... which consisted of 5 free days of rail/gondola usage... and 10 days of half-fare rail/gondola usage... with the exception that specialty gondolas (Schilthorn, First, Mannlichen, etc.) were always half-fare and never free... $265 per person. Since our entire stay was in the Bernese Oberland area, the Bernese Oberland Pass provided more cost savings than the Swiss Pass.

"Teanaway 70" Peaks List... a guide to hiking and scrambling in the Teanaway Area. ----------------
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silly_traveler
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silly_traveler
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PostFri Sep 18, 2009 7:39 pm 
I didn't know there's such a thing as the Bernese Oberland Pass dizzy.gif Thanks for the info up.gif

♫ You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. And you're the one who will decide where you'll go. Oh the places you'll go. - Dr. Seuss
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Andy D.
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PostFri Sep 18, 2009 9:06 pm 
Wow eek.gif Awesome report & pictures! An area I've always wanted to visit...

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Bah
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Bah
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PostSun Sep 20, 2009 11:46 am 
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Tigerotor77W
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PostThu Sep 29, 2011 12:28 pm 
Reviving a thread from the two-year dead, just in case anyone else ever has the same question. How technical and strenuous is the hike from Pfingstegg to Shreckhornhütte? Is it just steep, or does it require route-finding and snow navigation? Another way to pose this is, would I need crampons or hiking poles for this? I currently have neither and prefer not to find out the hard way that I'm unprepared. :-D

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