Eiger and Jungfrau Up Close, Switzerland

The Trip

One of the world’s great mountain ranges, the Alps have played an important role in the development of western civilization. Straddling this high, frozen barrier between northern and southern Europe, Switzerland lies at the most rugged and, by common agreement, the most scenic portion of the range.

Our itinerary takes us on a varied series of hikes through the Bernese Oberland, close by the three towering summits of the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau. We’ll make use of gondola lifts and cogwheel railways to get to our trailhead in the morning, returning to our comfortable hotel in the afternoon. On hotel transfer days our baggage travels between hotels while we hike.

The high point of our itinerary is the Jungfraujoch, the saddle between the Jungfrau and the Mönch, reached by a one-of-a-kind cogwheel train that tunnels through the Eiger and up to a viewpoint at 11,300 feet, from which we can look over to the Jungfrau summit and down across the longest glacier in Europe.

Day 1: We meet at our hotel near the train station in Interlaken West at dinnertime. Interlaken, as the name implies, lies between two lakes, Thun and Brienz, and is the entryway into the Alps of the Bernese Oberland.

Day 2: After a hearty Swiss breakfast, we make our way to Beatenbucht, and take a cable car and gondola lift up the steep cliff to the Niederhorn. From the Niederhorn, the panorama of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau stretches before us. From there we take a "warm-up" hike of about 3 to 4 hours from the Niederhorn toward the Gemmenalphorn and back down to the middle station of the gondola. From there, we return to Beatenbucht and continue on to our hotel in Interlaken.

Our hike starts at 6,375 feet and ascends to 6,770 feet, then descends to 5,250 feet over a distance of about 4.5 miles.

Day 3: Today, after sending our luggage on, we ride the cogwheel railway to Schynige Platte. Our hike follows a ridge that looks down to the Brienzersee on one side and across to the many snowy peaks of the Bernese Oberland on the other.

After a picnic lunch along the way, we have an opportunity to visit the Alpine Garden, featuring displays of over 800 species of alpine flowers. The garden is a center for research and focuses on conservation of the biodiversity of the alpine environment. Then we take the train to our next hotel in scenic Wengen. This quiet town permits no private vehicles and offers outstanding views of our favorite mountains.

Our loop hike starts at 6,450 feet, descends to 6,260 feet, and ascends to 6,820 feet before returning to the starting point, for a distance of about 4 miles.

Day 4: We start the day with a bit of Alpine sightseeing in the morning, and then hike after lunch. A bus, a cogwheel train, a gondola, a regular train, and then another gondola bring us up to the Schilthorn at 9,744 feet, where we take in spectacular panoramic views of the Bernese Alps and distant mountain ranges. Dubbed Piz Gloria, this summit was made famous as the setting for scenes from the James Bond film, “On Her Majesty's Secret Service.”

Returning from the Schilthorn, we descend via gondola to Gimmelwald and continue on foot down about 3 miles to the floor of the Lauterbrunnen Valley (1,644-foot elevation loss). We return to our Wengen hotel by bus and train.

Day 5: Today, we take the gondola lift from Wengen up to Männlichen, where we first hike uphill to the summit viewpoint and then enjoy a fairly easy hike to Kleine Scheidegg -- the “Royal Walk”. After stopping for lunch at a mountain inn, we hike from Kleine Scheidegg through flowering alpine meadows to Wengernalp, where we board the train back to Wengen.

Our hike today starts at 7,250 feet, going up a steep path to 7,690 feet in a half mile. The trail descends gradually to 6,792 feet in a little over two and a half miles. Our second hike descends to 6,150 feet over two and a half miles.

Day 6: Today we take the cog railway up the mountain, transferring at Kleine Scheidegg to the Junfraujoch line and continuing on to Eigergletscher at 7,610 feet, where we begin our 4.5-mile descending traverse along the famous Eiger Trail. With binoculars (and luck!) we may be able to spot climbers high above, scaling the Eiger’s North Wall.

After stopping for lunch along the trail, we continue hiking to Alpiglen (5,300 feet) where we re-board the train for our ride back to Wengen.

Day 7: This morning, after sending our luggage on to our next hotel, we head up on the cogwheel railway to Kleine Scheidegg. There, soaring above us, are the Eiger, the Mönch, and the Jungfrau. We then take the famous Jungfrau train high up to the snow-covered Jungfraujoch, the "Top of Europe" at 11,333 feet.

If we’re feeling sufficiently energetic after our fairly rapid railway ascent, we hike a mile across the glacier to the Swiss Alpine Club’s Mönchsjoch hut for lunch.

Back at the Junfraujoch station, one can visit the Ice Palace, the Scientific Station and the Sphinx for incredible views in all directions. After several hours of breathing in the thin air of the Jungfraujoch, we descend via another cogwheel train to Grindelwald and check in to our hotel for the next two nights.

Day 8: We defy semantic logic by riding our last gondola lift to First, with its magnificent view across to the Eiger North Wall. We stroll through flowering meadows to Bachalpsee, a lovely alpine lake -- a hike of approximately 4 hours, depending on which route we choose.

Our easy 4-mile out-and-back hike today starts at 7,106 feet and gradually ascends to 7,350 feet. Tonight we celebrate our unique alpine experiences at a festive farewell dinner.

Day 9: After breakfast, we cast a last look at the glorious mountains where we have walked for the last eight days, and say good-bye to our new friends as we begin our return journeys back home.

Please be aware that this itinerary may be altered due to inclement weather, trail closure, or the safety of the group.

Getting There

Many airlines fly to Zurich or Geneva international airports. The trip begins in Interlaken and ends in Grindelwald, both easily accessible by train from the airport terminals previously mentioned. The leader will send detailed instructions to trip participants.

The cost of travel to Interlaken and from Grindelwald is not included. 

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

From our welcome dinner in Interlaken West to our final breakfast in Grindelwald, all breakfasts, one lunch, and all dinners are included. Breakfasts are at our hotels. Some dinners will be at our hotels and others will be at local Swiss restaurants. One group lunch will be provided at a restaurant. On other days, you may purchase lunch items for picnic lunches at local grocery stores. Please note that alcoholic beverages, extra snacks, and any meals not eaten with the group are not included.

We will be staying at simple, but very comfortable, Swiss hotels every night. We will sleep in two-person rooms with hot showers, warm duvets on the beds, and friendly Swiss service. Participants travelling alone will be assigned a same-gender roommate. The tap water in Switzerland is safe, and may be used to fill your water bottles for the day’s hike.

All train, gondola lift, and cogwheel railway travel that we take during the trip as part of our itinerary is included in the trip cost. Although we will make every effort to follow the planned itinerary, it may occasionally be necessary to alter the schedule, either in advance or during the trip due to weather or other considerations. Please be flexible and respect the decision of the leaders. The safety of the group will always be our number one concern.

Trip Difficulty

This trip will include daily hikes of varying lengths, which will proceed at a moderate pace. Our hikes will typically involve approximately 3 to 6 hours on the trail and elevation gains and losses that range from 500 to 2,500 feet. The trails are generally maintained in very good condition, but some trails will have a few steep grades up or down, with uneven stretches. Depending on the amount of the previous winter’s snowfall, some of our hikes may require that we cross snowfields.

The hiking pace will allow ample time to enjoy the scenery. Anyone in good physical condition who enjoys hiking in the mountains should be able to comfortably enjoy this trip. Pre-conditioning on similar terrain is the best way for you determine if you are comfortable with the length and type of hiking you’re likely to encounter on this trip.

Equipment and Clothing

Lightweight, waterproof hiking boots with good ankle support are the preferred footwear, since some trails are rocky, “rooty,” and occasionally steep. Hiking poles are recommended, as they can be very useful for the rougher patches or for crossing snowfields. Traction cleats are also recommended, but you should expect that they will only be needed on occasion, or perhaps not at all.

The weather may be variable, from warm, short-sleeve temperatures (particularly in the valleys) to quite chilly, fleece-and-jacket temperatures, particularly on the Jungfraujoch or the Schilthorn. Clothing layers are the best and most flexible approach to this uncertainty. Good quality rain gear can serve as an excellent outer layer for both rainy or windy conditions.

On our hikes, you’ll carry a day pack with rain gear, an extra warm layer, water, and lunch. Everyone will also carry his or her own personal first-aid kit for basic needs. The leader will carry a more complete first-aid kit for emergency use.

References

The Internet has many great sites describing the Swiss Alps and their history and culture, including:

• http://www.myswissalps.com/berneseoberland/pictures

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland

Many guides for exploring Switzerland can also provide useful information on history, wildlife, geology, and the Swiss people:

• Alspach, Philip H. and Loretta H. Alspach, SWISS Bernese Oberland - Newly Revised 5th Edition - A Travel Guide with Specific Trips to the Mountains, Lakes. 2013.

• Steinberg, Jonathan, Why Switzerland? 1996.

• Reynolds, Kev, Walking in the Bernese Oberland (International series). 2015.

Some books on the Eiger include:

• Harrer, Heinrich, The White Spider. 1998. (The story of his participation in the first successful accent of the North Face of the Eiger.)

• Anker, Daniel, Eiger: The Vertical Arena. 2000. (Pricy, but beautiful pictures.)

• Krakauer, Jon, Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains. 1997.

• Trevanian, The Eiger Sanction: a Novel.

Hiking map that will cover our trip:

• Jungfrau Region No. 18, Hiking Map 1:60,000, Kümmerly + Frey.  www.swisstravelcenter.ch

Conservation

Since its founding in 1892, Sierra Club has worked to preserve and restore the natural environment we all share on this planet. Thousands of grassroots-level volunteers spearhead our efforts to conserve and sustain resources, both in our own backyards and on a global scale. Through direct experience in the outdoors, Sierra Club outings enable participants to better understand, advocate, and participate in the environmental conservation goals of the Club.

Waterpower is the chief natural resource of Switzerland. The principal source of water is runoff from the considerable annual precipitation that falls on the Alps. An important complement is melt water from the country's hundreds of glaciers.

The Swiss have long harnessed the energy of falling water for productive uses. Long ago, torrents turned waterwheels that powered pre-industrial mills and machinery. Today, the flow is captured by hundreds of hydroelectric power facilities, which provide about 60 percent of the country's domestic electricity. This makes Switzerland, relatively, one of the largest producers of renewable energy.

On the other side of the energy equation, nuclear power provides close to the remaining 40 percent of electrical requirements. A referendum that tried to phase out or extend an existing moratorium on nuclear power recently failed to pass.

Although the reasons for the failure are complex, it is clear that one reason is that the Swiss are afraid that climate change will decrease the amount of snow in the Alps, and thus decrease the amount of energy they can get from hydropower.

The entire Swiss train system is electric, but Switzerland continues to rely heavily on imported fossil fuels for heating and other transportation. The primary sources of oil, petroleum products, gas, and coal are Nigeria, Libya, and the United States.

In 2023, Swiss voters passed a referendum entitled the “Climate Innovation Act” which imposes a “carrot and stick” approach to reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels, providing financial assistance to individuals and companies to transition to clean energy while also setting targets for the reduction of emissions.

The impact of climate change in Switzerland is already visible. The retreat of the glaciers in the Alps is very clear to see. The Jungfrau's large glaciers used to reach well into the high meadows. They now end high up on the sides of the Jungfrau.

One thing to admire about Switzerland is the fact that for thousands of years the people have lived with their rugged environment without destroying it. The construction of cable cars or gondola lifts instead of roads, with switchbacks causing destruction of the environment and soil erosion, enhances the environment and is one of the joys of traveling in the country.

The Swiss have also been known to construct tunnels instead of destroying their waterfalls and streams. As we hike through these magnificent Alps, we will view Switzerland's balancing act between "progress" and "conservation" at close quarters.

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.