Eiger Trail – snowshoe hiking in Grindelwald
What have we been shivering for the last few weeks, following the weather forecasts every day with eagle eyes and already resigned ourselves to the fact that the snow is letting us down. For the first weekend in January, the Grindelwalden holiday apartment provider GriwaRent invited us to a long weekend of discovery in the Bernese Oberland and we made plans full of anticipation: snowshoe hikes through freshly snow-covered fir forests, a rapid descent on Europe’s longest toboggan run and panoramic winter walks. But the fear and hope was not in vain. This story has a happy ending and what a happy ending. Mother Hulda gave it her all. And so Grindelwald was able to welcome us yesterday freshly sugared. Fantastic! And the whole thing was topped. As if we had placed a weather order, we were greeted this morning by freezing cold, but cloudless winter dream weather (someone must have a guilty conscience).
The motto is clear: dream conditions for a snowshoe hike. After some back and forth, we decide on the “Eiger Trail”. This is not to be confused with the real “Eiger Trail”, which leads from the Eiger Glacier directly below the mighty Eiger North Face to Grindelwald Alpiglen in summer. The snowshoe version runs along the Öpfelchüechliweg from the middle station of the Männlichenbahn Holenstein to Brandegg at the Wengernalpbahn. The locals are sometimes confused when you ask about the Eiger Trail with snowshoes in your hands, because the snowshoe route is much less known than the hiking trail of the same name.
The entertaining route is also suitable for snowshoe beginners and the view of Grindelwald, the Wetterhorn and the Eiger North Face inspire from the first minute. At the beginning, we hardly made any progress because I pulled out the camera every few meters. The only drawback of this snowshoe tour is that it runs on the shady side of Grindelwald. The hours of sunshine – especially in January – are rare. Although we don’t start until the afternoon, we put the first track on the fresh snow cover. Not only the great panorama, but also the promising view of hot Öpfelchüechli with vanilla sauce drive us forward quickly. The trail runs variedly over open meadows and through fir forests. A great tour on a phenomenal winter’s day – and if your feet aren’t itching yet, take a look at these pictures! Bet we’ll see you tomorrow in Grindelwald?
Snowshoe hike Grindelwald – practical route tips
The Eiger Trail starts at the middle station of the Männlichenbahn (Holenstein). The entrance is located directly below the gondola station. The route is a total of 5.5 km long and ends at the WAB station Brandegg. The walking time is around 1.5 to 2 hours. If you hike from Holenstein to Brandegg, you mostly walk downhill, with an ascent of 200 meters in altitude shortly before the end demanding some breath. The trail is well signposted. In each case, a pole or a purple marker is attached to trees within sight of each one. Other beautiful snowshoe hikes in Grindelwald are signposted on the First side – the sunny side. The Wetterhorn Trail and the Panorama Trail are particularly recommended.
The overview of the marked snowshoe routes in Grindelwald (and the rest of Switzerland) can be found at globaltrail. The detailed route description of the Eiger Trail (including GPS data) can be downloaded here: Eiger Trail
Note: The trip to Grindelwald was supported by GriwaRent and the Jungfrau Region. All impressions and opinions are, as always, ours.
Leave a Reply