Tour of the Jungfrau Region - A Trekker's Guide
Tour of the Jungfrau Region
Price
£12.00
STAGE 4 - Alpiglen to Kleine Scheidegg/Grindelwaldblick
Distance: 8km
Time: 3½–4hrs
Start altitude: 1620m
High Point: Eigergletscher 2320m
Height gain: 700m
Height loss: 259m
Accommodation: Eigergletscher (2hrs 40mins) – beds & dorm; Kleine Scheidegg (3hrs 50mins) – hotel beds & dorms; Grindelwaldblick (3hrs 55mins) – dorms
A splendid medium-length stage on a popular trail, with an opportunity to visit a noted vantage point as a recommended addition.
Taking the popular Eiger Trail to Eigergletscher station above Kleine Scheidegg, the TJR crosses high pastures edging against the great North Face that for several decades played such a prominent part in 20th-century mountaineering history. The mountain soars above you, but is so close that views are foreshortened. However, on arrival at Grindewaldblick, on the trail from Kleine Scheidegg to Männlichen, the face comes into proper focus and can be seen in all its formidable glory.
Return along the path used on the previous stage to reach Alpiglen. Signed for the Eiger Trail it will take about 20mins to reach the junction at 1725m where the route to Bonera and Grindelwald diverts from the start of the Eiger Trail proper. Here you bear right to slant up and across the hillside towards the Eiger’s North Face. Crossing flat limestone slabs, the path makes long winding zigzags with tremendous views northeast to the Wetterhorn and Grosse Scheidegg, and northwest to Schynige Platte above the valley of the Schwarze Lütschine. Over scant pastures the way then crosses scree at the foot of the North Face, and at the top of the scree rises across a high basin, then up again to a splendid grass shoulder at 2280m from where views are magnificent in all directions. Mürren can be seen across the hinted depths of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, with the Schilthorn above that. More impressive are the Gspaltenhorn, Büttlasse and the Blüemlisalp massif, while much nearer the graceful Silberhorn projects from the face of the Jungfrau.
Over the western side of this grass shoulder the path descends, curves left and then climbs again in a long slant across a final scree slope, at the top of which you come to the complex of buildings at
2hrs 40mins: Eigergletscher (2320m) with its railway station on the line to the Jungfraujoch. There’s a restaurant by the station. Accommodation is available at Gasthaus Eigergletscher; beds and dormitories; full meals service (Tel: 033 828 78 66). Note that immediately above the first building you reach, a path climbs briefly to the old Mittellegi Hut which formerly stood in a precarious position on the Eiger’s Mittellegi Ridge at 3355m, from where it was winched off to make way for a larger hut, and relocated at Eigergletscher to serve as a small museum.
The Jungfraujoch Railway
Designed by Adolph Guyer-Zeller of Zürich, Europe’s highest railway took 16 years to build (1896–1912) at a cost of 15 million Swiss Francs. This remarkable piece of engineering penetrates a wall of limestone and gneiss at Eigergletscher and makes a long rising loop through Eiger and Mönch before emerging at a gradient of 1 in 4 at the 3454m Jungfraujoch terminus. The Jungfraujoch is a tourist circus, but views down the icy wastes of the Aletschgletscher can be sublime. Trains run throughout the year from Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald via Kleine Scheidegg, and not surprisingly it has become both Switzerland’s most popular and expensive railway journey.
Go down to the railway, where a sign indicates two ways to Kleine Scheidegg. The first is short and direct (35mins) and more or less follows the railway line, while the recommended alternative is longer but much more interesting.
On the uphill side of the restaurant take a path on the right between buildings and descend to the moraine wall alongside the Eiger glacier. Walk along the crest (there’s a ‘non-exposed’ alternative path just below) and follow this downhill for about 10mins as far as a signed junction. Here you break to the right to descend a little, then contour across a grass slope before rising to a shoulder which makes a fine viewpoint. Over this an easy path winds round the hillside to reach
1hr 10mins: Kleine Scheidegg (2061m) with its bustling railway station, souvenir kiosks, money-changing facilities, post office, restaurants and hotels. Accommodation may be found at: Bahnhof Restaurant; beds and dorms; refreshments and full meals service (Tel: 033 855 11 51); Hotel Bellevue des Alpes, 100 beds, full meals service, open June to Oct (Tel: 033 855 12 12).
While Kleine Scheidegg offers plentiful accommodation with spectacular close views of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, the frequent coming and going of trains to and from Wengen, Grindelwald and the Jungfraujoch intrudes into the peace of the mountains. For a more restful accommodation alternative walk just 5mins along the Männlichen trail heading north, to reach
5mins: Restaurant Grindelwaldblick (2116m) 90 dormitory places, refreshments and full meals service; open throughout the year except May and Nov (Tel: 033 855 13 74). This is a busy and understandably popular restaurant by day, with a good atmosphere of an evening when the crowds have departed. As its name suggests, there’s a splendid view into the Grindelwald basin from here, although it is the direct view of the Eiger’s North Face that captures most attention. Above the restaurant to the northwest stands the 2472m Lauberhorn, a well-known ski mountain.
Recommended Walk from Restaurant Grindelwaldblick
Assuming you arrive early, and with energy to spare, a visit to the Männlichen is recommended. Simply continue north beyond the restaurant on the obvious broad path that eases along the right-hand (east) side of the Lauberhorn–Männlichen Ridge. After about 1hr 15mins you come to Berggasthaus Männlichen (28 beds, refreshments and full meals service; Tel: 033 853 10 68) and the gondola lift from Grindelwald. Continue along the path which now rises towards the modest summit of the Männlichen peak (2343m) and is reached about 15–20mins from the Berggasthaus. The summit is a magnificent vantage point, with views north to the Thunersee, and south to Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, the deep cleft of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and its spectacular headwall. Allow 1hr for the walk back to Grindelwaldblick.
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