scatcat

Another hiking suggestion from Grindelwald. I just did this one last month while the temperatures were in the 90's. Take the bus to Grosse Scheidegg, then hike to First. I think about a 2 hour hike with cows sleeping right on the path!

smm_18

Thanks, scatcat – would this be a reasonably challenging hike? We like something challenging. Ups, downs, a few scrambles, amazing vistas...

scatcat

It was told to me that it was not a hard hike by one person. Then 2 hikers at Grosse Scheidegg said it is not easy and looked at my shoes. Nike Air Max and said I could do it. They pointed to First way up and away! But I did it. Wouldn't have been so tough if it hadn't been 93 degrees that day and I forgot my sunscreen. It is not a dangerous hike at all. Paved wide path. Nice views all around.

smm_18

OK, thanks. Won't forget sunscreen! I notice many others mention the burning sun.

PalenQ

One day I hiked up to Grosse Schidegg and then to First and onto down the Schwendi (sp?) Valley - all the way to Reichenbach Falls and Meiringen and - no that was a strenous up hill hike nearly the whole way to Gr Schiedegg but a sweet gentle stroll down thru the cow-strewn Schwendi Valley to Reichenbach Falls (where Sherlock Holmes and arch-enemy Prof Moriarity tangled - with the presumed death from the belevedere in the middle of this long torrential cascade - fell presumably but not sure to his death.

PalenQ

On another day perhaps a trip to a lake and castle>

boat rides on either of the two lakes bookending Interlaken are great fun for all ages - for a boat to a castle hop on the boats on Lake Thun - from behind Interlaken-West train station and head to Spiez, where the castle of your dreams broods high above on a hill awesomely overlooking the dock and lake below.

smm_18

Thanks, PalenQ – for both these suggestions and for the literary references and poetic images!

I really have to sort out these names: Sheidegg (Grosse and Kleine), Schynigge... Getting muddled. All will become clearer once we're there, I hope. Trying to visualise all the locations. Which way, which valley, which mountain...

michele_d

smm_18,
Here is a topo type of map I studied before we went to the BO. It really helped with visualizing where we were going.

http://mappery.com/map-of/Jungfrau-G...ion-summer-map

You will be starting from the center bottom of the map, between the two lakes and heading up to the second intersection. From here your train will go left up to Grindelwald. If you were to continue straight at the second intersection you would go up to Lauterbrunnen, changing trains to continue up to Wengen and KS and Jungfrau. As you can see, you can also take a train from Grindelwald to KS and Jungfrau.

You should be able to find all you hiking locations on the map also. Hope this helps.
Michele

smm_18

Thanks again, Michele – that's very helpful. I'll spend some time studying this and get my head around it all. I really can't believe we're going to be there in just over a month.

PalenQ

every hotel and train station and tourist office in the Berner Oberland will have a free copy of Jungfrau Magazine which contains detailed info on hikes - it has a huge relief map with the trails colored in three colors - for easy, moderate and rugged - see what color your trail is if not into rigorous or want something more demanding that say the easy Kl Schiedegg to Mannlichen hike.

smm_18

Thanks, PanelQ – I'll pick one up in Basel.

PalenQ

Well I am not sure about Basel but all over the Berner Oberland - every hotel desk I have been to - tourist office - train station racks but not sure about out of the area.

smm_18

OK, no probs. Pick up at Grindelwald stn on arrival.

PalenQ

http://www.jungfrau.ch/en/tourism/

has a wealth of info to appetize you and your kids for this awesome - in kids words perhaps "totally awesome" place!

smm_18

Thanks again. First thing I did with this link was print off timetable to/from Jungfraujoch!

I actually hope the boys are lost for words. We were talking about it last night, saying that our highest mountain will be a hill in comparison to these.

michele_d

I think this trip is something your boys will remember and talk about for the rest of their lives. We live in the western US and routinely visit elevations over 8000' and we were stunned by the beauty of Switzerland. I am excited for your boys. How lucky they are to have this experience.

smm_18

Thanks, Michele. Our highest is 2228m! Imagine their reaction. And mine. I'll probably be gulping back tears...

Toucan

>One day I hiked up to Grosse Schidegg and then to First and onto down the Schwendi (sp?) Valley - all the way to Reichenbach Falls and Meiringen>

Palen, I would like to do a similar hike next summer but I'm confused by this route. Grindelwald-Grosse Scheidegg-First-Schwendi is a circular route but you ended at Reichenbach Falls & Meiringen? Can you clarify. Thanks.

PalenQ

Toucan - well we went to First first then to Grosse Sheidegg - so I was confused when I wrote Gr Scheidegg to First then down the lovely valley to Reichenbach Falls. It was a long grueling ascent most of the way to First if I recall correctly.

PalenQ

for folks wishing to walk down the tranquil mellow Schwandi (sp?) valley who do not want a strenuous uphill trek all the way from Grindelwald can take the Grindelwald bus - a mini-bus going thru all those hairpin turns just before Grosse Scheidegg - take the bus and do a leisurely downhill stroll to Reichenbach Falls and Meiringen and take the bus back (not sure how far the bus goes - to Meiringen I guess.