briar

Can anyone help me sort out the sledding process in Jungfrau region?
I am only going to be there for a day and want to take the gondola ride up to Jungfrau and then do some sledding. Can i buy a one day ticket? Do they have ski lifts that take us back up to the top each time? Is this a good idea for my "one day in the Alps'? I looked on the Jungfrau website and didnt find the answers to these questions so if anyone can help, I would be super grateful!!! Someone mentioned the lack of snow but i will be going there in a couple of weeks February 15-23 and probably will be in Jungfrau on a Saturday - bad choice? Thanks!

FlyFish

Although I haven't been sledding in the Jungfrau area I have been skiing there several times. There is no gondola that goes up the Jungfrau, and you wouldn't want to be sledding down it if there were! I think you may be referring to the train that goes from Kleine Scheidegg up to the Jungfraujoch, the train station and observatory on the ridge between the Eiger and the Monch. It's a great trip and very interesting, though much of it is spent inside a rock tunnel inside the Eiger (and it's not cheap).

There are many lifts in the area that go to other locations from which there are a number of trails that are designated for sledding - often referred to as "bob runs" on the ski map, but are also used by skiers and hikers. It looks to be great fun and the sledders mix in very well with the skiers on the various lifts and trains, which form part of the lift system in the area. You can indeed buy a one-day ticket and I think it may even be possible to buy single trip tickets though I've never really looked into that.

You can rent sleds right in town (I'm most familiar with Grindelwald, but there are other locations as well, I'm sure) and the shop would certainly have information on where to go. Check out the Grindelwald site (www.grindelwald.ch) for more info. Don't know much about the snow over there at the moment, but it's easily possible to have great skiing/sledding on the upper slopes even when there's no snow in town.

Melnq8

The only way to get to the top of the Jungfrau is via cog train (the highest railway in Europe) - it's a great way to spend your day in the region, but only if the weather is clear. When we took the train to the Jungfrau in September 2000, it was about $75 per person - it's a one shot deal - once up, once down. If you have a Swiss Pass, you will get a 25% discount.

You certainly won't be doing any sledding from the Jungfrau, but there may be sledding opportunites in Kleine Scheidegg, Wengen and Murren as well as Grindelwald.

We visited Murren over Christmas this year and the highlight of our visit was the day we spend sledding from Murren to Gimmelwald - we made several runs, then would take the cable car back up to Murren and do it all over again - it was a complete blast.

FlyFish

It may be a minor point, but as I said before, the train does not go to the top of the Jungfrau, but rather to the Jungfraujoch, which is at a much lower elevation, on a ridge between the Eiger and Monch - the Jungfrau is the next mountain in the group, to the south and west of the Monch. Nonetheless, it's a "must do" (once) sort of trip, with amazing views from the windows cut into the infamous "North Face" of the Eiger (Nordwand).

There is another nice sled run that more or less parallels the cog train route at the foot of the Nordwand between Grund and Kleine Scheidegg on the Grindelwald side of the Y-shaped valley and I understand that it's possible to arrange an evening that involves taking a bus to Bussalp, then having dinner and sledding back into Grindelwald in the moonlight. Somewhat iffy depending on snow conditions because of the lower altitude.

Ursula

Last year, I had to organize a sledding out for some people.
They ended up in doing the Alpiglen-Brandegg run (seveal times) at night. Had a fondue at the Brandegg restaurant and took the train down later in the evening.
It wasn't easy to arrange all this for about 12 people and the biggest problem for me was to organize the sleds. Unless your bring your own one, you have to rent it with a local sports shop, make a money deposit and bring it back the other day.

The Bussalp run (about 8 kms) seems like fun as well.

And briar, Saturdays are likely to be very crowded, yes. Besides, it's school holiday season, when you will be there. The peak, I'd say. Also, the area is extremely popular with Japanese tourists. It seems, Grindelwald is always on their 'Europe in 10 days tour'.
But nonetheless, you should go up to the Jungfraujoch.
Have fun!

Melnq8

Flyfish is right - the train stops at the Jungfraujoch, at 3454 meters. Once you reach the summit, you can visit the Ice Palace, the Sphinx weather station, or walk scross the glacier. You can also take a Husky driven sled ride or slide down a hill in a plastic disc, but this hardly counts as sledding. There are also guided glacier walks if you're so inclined.

briar

Thanks for the replies everyone! - especially the two from Flyfish! Ursula, Thanks for the heads up about the holiday and crowds.
I have no idea about the weather so if it is cloudy, i probably wont take the train trip even though it sounds beautiful. I'll wait and see how the day turns out. Another question for you all, Which sled run do people think is the best? We thought about the grindlewald area(i guess the "First" is
what i see mentioned the most) as it is a touristy town but having a hard time finding a cheap place to stay there. (i know- its switzerland) Would Murren or Wengen be just as good and cheaper? Lautenbrunnen? Any comments/ suggestions, etc would be great! Thanks so much already!

Melnq8

I personally prefer Murren and Wengen over Grindelwald, but I'm not sure if lodging would be less expensive or not. When in Murren, we stay at the Hotel Alpenruh ***,(www.schilthorn.ch), which is 180 CHF for a double room including breakfast. All their rooms have unobstructed mountain views. The road/sled run from Murren to Gimmelwald that I mentioned previously starts a short distance from the hotel. The Alpenruh provides sleds free of charge for it's guests. It's possible to sled down to Gimmelwald, then take the cable car back up to Murren - it runs at 30 minute intervals, so it's easy to time your decent to meet the cable car back up. The cable car is free with the Swiss Rail Pass, otherwise it's about 7 CHF per trip, although multiple trip passes may be available.

If you take the Allmendhubel funicular above Murren you will not only be rewarded with spectacular views, but you can sled, snowboard and ski from this area as well.

There are good ** hotels in Murren such as the Hotel Alpina, and a * hostel - the Eiger Guesthouse, which I'm sure would be quite reasonable.

In Wengen our hotel of choice is the Hotel Bellevue *** (www.bellevue-wengen.ch)the double rooms here range from 180 CH and up. There are some great paths above Wengen from which you can sled as well.

Lauterbrunnen is located in a valley, so you'll have to go higher to find any sled runs and mountain tops. I've heard good things about the Valley Hostel which also has a laundromat/Internet station, which we've used many times.

I've never stayed in Lauterbrunnen, although I've been there many times. I believe it's less expensive than Murren and Wengen.