Day 8: Lauterbrunnen

Alternative

Continue on up to Murren via a cable car (see the options for day 9, recommended walk to end of valley and take Grutchalp way), pickup any supplies before you head on up though. But if you do this you'll not have access to the shops in L'brunnen especially if using here as a rest day, also the option of the of walking to the end of the valley to get out of L'brunnen and to Greisalp is not an option....either way it's a nice problem to have.

Stats

Distance: 17.8 km

Minimum Elevation: 802 m

Maximum Elevation: 2049 m

Total climb: 1044 m

Total descent: 1233 m

Waypoints

Grindelwald 1036 m 3.2 km / 1h30 Brandegg 1315 m 1.8 km / 0h40 Alpiglen 1625 m 4.2 km / 1h40 Kleine Scheidegg 2062 m 2.2 km / 0h30 Wengernalp 1887 m 4.1 km / 1h20 Wengen 1262 m 2.3 km / 1h10 Lauterbrunnen 803 m

Route Profile

View route map for ViaAlpina To Lauterbrunnen on plotaroute.com

The climb to Kleine Scheidegg over undulating meadows is gentle, the rock and ice scenery of the Eiger North Wall close and awe-inspiring. Sunny high-level trail to Wengen, then deep into the Lauterbrunnen Valley with its vertical walls and spectacular waterfalls.

Alternative routes

Eiger-Trail (Alpiglen - Eigergletscher station)

Train can be taken all the way

Could also push on through Lauterbrunnen and take the cable car to Murren, saving a day on the next leg. Lauterbrunnen while beautiful can get busy this time of year. See next chapter for details.

Where to stay

For Wengen, Lauterbrunnen and Mürren, see wengen-muerren.ch for a variety of choices.

1. Valley hostel www.valleyhostel.ch 43CHF for the best room (Visa/MC) - laundromat is located at the Valley Hostel, and is open for use by the public
2. Hotel Silberhorn https://www.silberhorn.com/en/rooms/#single CHF109 (Visa/MC)
3. Hotel Oberland http://www.hoteloberland.ch/zimmer/ CHF80 (Visa/MC)
4. Hotel Horner http://www.hornerpub.ch/en/ 35-50CHF

We stayed here and it was great: http://www.valleyhostel.ch/index.php

This place was average in 2007, nice clean but $$: Hotel Restaurant Schuetzen

Dorfstrasse 1

3822 Lauterbrunnen

In Murren:

These 2 seem like the better options but are a little further up above Murren:

Suppenalp pension

Private room CHF 95.- per person/ Dormitory bed CHF 75.- per person

Sonnenberg CHF 80.00 per person and night incl. breakfast

Notes from others

I was there in late Sept. The trail was covered by a little bit snow, making the scenery so beautiful and the view of Eiger summit from the trail was very close making it very spectacular. Highly recommended. Then I stayed one night in Kleine Scheidegg (Restaurant Grindelwaldblick), the food and services are so good. Also highly recommended.

Lauterbrunnen: Very good hot chocolate at the bakery opposite the train station

Kleine Scheidegg very crowded and hectic.

For local information, see wengen-muerren.ch. A good overview drawing of the Grindelwald area is at jungfraubahn.ch under English-> Jungfrau Region-> Maps. At schilthorn.ch there's a panoramic hiking map (pdf) which is also available in paper from the cable car stations in Mürren. There's some information about the Griesalp area (now in German only) at kiental.ch.