2 days in Wengen in July – what must we do?

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    12 April 2018 at 13:14:02 #815286

    Hi

    My wife and i will have only two days in Wengen (sigh) in July and we wondered what are the absolute “must do” activities whilst we are there. Would love one day hiking and then the other day doing something else.

    thanks

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    Removed user
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    12 April 2018 at 17:18:18 #882057

    Hi Robbyb22,

    Oh that is a hard one – lots of must-sees there! To start you off have a look at our list of recommended activities near Wengen here. There are lists of mountains as we ll as detailed notes on hikes available as well.

    I’m sure other members will chime in on their personal favourites.

    kim11
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    604 posts
    15 April 2018 at 17:50:40 #882058

    SO many wonderful things to do/see. For only two days my top picks are:

    1. Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg walk. Take gondola from Wengen to Männlichen and spend some time admiring the views from there. Then enjoy the positively stunning easy 3.5 mile downhill walk to KS. Panoramic views of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Once at KS take a seat at one of the communal tables by the train tracks and enjoy a really great lunch overlooking the glaciers. Top picks from the menu are Rösti (with optional ham, egg, and/or cheese add ons) and the apple cake with cream (Apfelkuchen mit Rahm). To NOT skip the cream. Both of these items are large enough for two people to split.

    2. Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg, optional to Mürren. This is another must-do hike as it provides a glorious trip down the entire Lauterbrunnen Valley and beyond. The Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg segment is an easy, four mile long flat walk and truly a “trail for everyone”. The valley is full of waterfalls – the literature claims 72 but, depending on the time of year, you may see as few as 10. Take the train from Wengen down to Lauterbrunnen, exit left from the train station, walk through town, and directly onto the wide footpath that runs down the Valley. The path is paved about half of the total distance from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg then turns into a wide and well-graded dirt and gravel path that parallels the Weiss Lutschine river. Soon after leaving Lauterbrunnen you will pass right by the famous Staubbach Falls. In fact, along the trail there are markers at all of the major falls enroute with interesting details about each.

    About 45 minutes into the walk you will see a cut off (to the left) that leads across the Valley to Trümmelbach Falls. This is well worth doing — these are falls that run through the center of the mountain and it is all very dramatic. Secure footing and railings let you get an up-close look. (Fee for entry.) After touring there, you can either walk on the road in front of the falls down to Stechelberg (continuing south) or, preferably, cut back across the meadow and rejoin the footpath.

    Another 30 minutes or so after rejoining the footpath you will come upon the Stechelberg-Schilthornbahn station where you can catch the gondola up to Mürren.

    If you wish to continue the walk, I highly recommend heading onward to the Stechelberg Inn, which lies at the end of the Valley and is a great lunch spot. It’s usually full of locals and they have a nice patio and an extensive menu with top-notch food and desserts.

    From Stechelberg gondola station you can ride up to Mürren via Gimmelwald. If you wish, hop off in Gimmelwald to admire the views then catch the next ride (about 20 mins later) on up to Mürren.

    Once you reach Mürren you can make this your destination for lunch (if you haven’t dined in Stechelberg) and a walk through the lovely village. The views from Mürren are much different than those from Wengen, very dramatic and rocky peaks.

    Another option is to stay on the gondola all the way to the Schilthorn. Stay there for an hour (one revolution of revolving restaurant) then return to Mürren. Only go up to Schilthorn peak if the weather is clear.

    After you’re done touring Mürren you can either take the train to Grütschalp or enjoy the 3 mile flat panorama trail to get there. There is a cable train that will take you from Grütschalp to Lauterbrunnen where you can catch the train back to Wengen.

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    15 April 2018 at 19:29:42 #882059

    thanks Kim

    i actually have your full 3 page document on Wengen printed off. It is excellent.

    Would you not recommend the Jungfraujoch trip?

    kim11
    Participant
    604 posts
    15 April 2018 at 19:42:52 #882060

    Sure, but only if the weather is clear.

    You can add this on to the Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg outing but you will want to get started early. There will be huge crowds on the Jungfraujoch train in July so you will need to buy your ticket and seat reservation the night before or very early the morning of. Don’t book any further in advance than PM before the day you want to go so you can be sure the weather will be okay.

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    16 April 2018 at 8:16:01 #882061

    Hi Kim

    Your notes recommend the Schynige Platte to First hike as being the No 1, although i can see it is an all dayer! This looks amazing too. We are both young and relatively fit so this option looks quite seductive. Would you still rate it is as the best one to do or do the ones already mention now take precedent in your view?

    kim11
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    604 posts
    16 April 2018 at 15:18:17 #882062

    SP to First is a stunner but is also quite strenuous. You need to have quite strong alpine hiking experience (meaning accustomed to hiking lots of steep vertical) to enjoy it. There is 3200 feet of vertical ascent that comes in the first 5 or so miles of the hike. And you need full on hiking shoes or boots, not just gym/running shoes as some of the way is very narrow and most of it is over uneven and rocky terrain. Most visitors to the BO don’t fit this profile, that’s why I don’t recommend it very often.

    Removed user
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    16 April 2018 at 17:40:59 #882063

    when you say “steep vertical” what do you mean? I dont have much hiking experience at all, aside from climbing Bobotov Kuk in Montenegro last year. That involved a fair bit of scrambling and a little rope work here and there. That is fine but we want to avoid anything that involves exposure to falls! I am much more comfortable climbing upwards than descending downwards as i have a weak knee.

    kim11
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    16 April 2018 at 19:13:32 #882064

    I am not familliar with Bobotov Kuk but googling it yielded an easy way, difficult way, and a combo of the two. Don’t know which route you took so can’t compare.

    By steep vertical I mean hiking up hill, sometimes very steeply. 3200 feet of vertical ascent is comparable to climbing 296 flights of stairs (where one flight = one story of a building)

    The SP to First hike has just a wee bit of exposure, nothing you are going to fall off of if you are paying close attention. I have a fear of heights and there are only a couple of sections that sorta set me off but they are short and most normal folks wouldn’t freak out about those stretches at all!

    The downhill portion (after you reach the Faulhorn) can be quite steep at times. Faulhorn is about half way through the hike.

    Another issue with the SP to First hike is that there is no “bail out” point. Meaning once you’re committed you have to go all the way (or turn back to SP) If your knee gives out on you you’re going to need a rescue.

    The other two hikes I mentioned have incredibly stunning scenery but without the drama. But if you want a quite challenging and long hike by all means go for it!

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    17 April 2018 at 14:39:34 #882065

    thanks for all your advice.

    Tough decisions ahead! I’d love to do it all.

    Arno
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    15471 posts
    17 April 2018 at 14:59:58 #882066

    I completely understand Robbyb22. That’s why I keep coming back to Switzerland year after year. There’s always something else to do, or something to do again 🙂

    Removed user
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    17 April 2018 at 16:01:14 #882067

    to add, we took the “Easy” route up Bobotov Kuk from a place called Sedlo. The starting point is already quite high up so all in all i think we climbed about 2,500 ft up to the summit which took about 3 hours.

    i can thoroughly recommend it for a change of scene! So cheap there too.

    Slowpoke
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    17 April 2018 at 16:13:16 #882069

    what is the altitude at the highest point?

    kim11
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    17 April 2018 at 16:16:09 #882070

    Faulhorn at 8,796 feet. Starting point (SP) is 6,811, end point (First) is 7,110. Lots of up and down along the way which yields total elevation gain of around 3,200 feet

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    17 April 2018 at 16:33:20 #882071

    Kim, Option 1 – Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg walk – can you hike from Wengen to Mannlichen?

    Once in KS, how do you get back to Wengen?

    kim11
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    17 April 2018 at 16:41:31 #882072

    Yes you can hike from Wengen to Männlichen but it’s REALLY steep. About 3300 feet of vertical ascent over only 3 miles. That makes it more challenging than the SP to First hike. Near the top you have to climb around avalanche fences; I don’t like that exposure but, again, I’m a chicken when it comes to steep drop offs.

    Once in KS you can take the train back to Wengen. Or walk (but it’s all downhill, about 2600 feet of vertical descent, don’t know that your knee would like that)

    Slowpoke
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    17 April 2018 at 17:50:59 #882073

    Hi Robby-

    <<“what is the altitude at the highest point?”>>

    Please take a look at the map I linked.

    Faulhorn is just at the right edge of the portion that I selected. The summeit is 2681 meters above see level. In german, “”M.ü.M” or meters above the sea.”

    At hose altitudes, you will likely find yourself short of breath unless you are acclimated to the reduced oxygen content of the air.

    That map will also give you locations of cableways. You can see on it the possible trails down or others in the region.

    The color coding of the trails follows this scheme:

    http://www.alpenwild.com/stat icpage/trail-signs-in-the-swiss-alps/

    Slowpoke

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    23 April 2018 at 15:45:33 #882074

    Ok, assuming we opt to go from Wengen to Mannlichen and then walk to Kleine Scheidegg, I have a couple of questions:

    1) the cableway from Wengen to Mannlichen – is it….er…..scary? I mean, is it a stable ride or a bit….wobbly?

    2)tickets – http://www.myswissalps.com/mannlichen/tickets – this link seems to have the prices and what looks like a “round trip back to Wengen. If i bought that does that mean we can travel up to Mannlichen at the start of the trip, and then back to Wengen from KS on the train? It isn’t made all that clear on this link. I’m trying to get a grip on costs for the day.

    thanks

    Slowpoke
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    7567 posts
    23 April 2018 at 16:53:40 #882075

    Hi Robby -]

    <<“Ok, assuming we opt to go from Wengen to Mannlichen and then walk to Kleine Scheidegg, I have a couple of questions:

    1) the cableway from Wengen to Mannlichen – is it….er…..scary? I mean, is it a stable ride or a bit….wobbly?”>>

    It is quite stable. The car is very large. Such a car ( Die Luftseilbahn) does sway if it goes over na intermdiate support pylon, as often occurs as it nears the end stations. Otherwise, smooth and stable.

    <<“2)tickets – http://www.myswissalps.com/mannlichen/tickets – this link seems to have the prices and what looks like a “round trip back to Wengen. If i bought that does that mean we can travel up to Mannlichen at the start of the trip, and then back to Wengen from KS on the train? It isn’t made all that clear on this link. I’m trying to get a grip on costs for the day.”>>

    My memory is a but uncertain on the details, but I recall thatthe fare to return to Wengen from KS or from Männlichen is the same or similar. In cases klike this, why not check the timetable?

    It shows the fare up to Männlichen from Wengen is 11.50 CHF, and from KS to Wengen is 12 CHF.

    Those are probably “half- fare ” prices . Need to get a week or so closer to the start running date for the cableway before I can check an actual price. I think you have to be within 30 days of the run date…You don’t have to buy a round trip on the Wengen-Männlichen leg. And round trips usually have little or no discount from two one way tickets.

    Kim suggested lunch at KS.

    You can also eat outdoors with nice views at Männlichen.

    You can consider a train from KS up to Eigergletscher station, and walk the Eiger trail across the base of the Eiger then down 400 meters to Alpiglen. The Käseschnitte there are notorious. Those are grilled cheese sandwiches, with lots if cheese and ham, and the bread is soaked in wine before the grilling. The ones at Alpiglen are huge.

    http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/alpiglen-rail-station-timetable

    Train from KS to Alpiglen, also.

    http://www.swissholidayco.com /Public/Assets/User/fi les/Map-of-Jungfrauregion1.jpg

    However, if you wish to go up to Schilthorn after your walk, you’ll take the train from KS down to Lauterbrunnen and continue from there.

    Slowpoke

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    24 April 2018 at 11:53:07 #882076

    thanks

    Or once in KS we could take connecting train up to Jungfraujoch, assuming weather is fine? I imagine we will have plenty of time that day if we start out early as the walk from Mannlichen to KS is not far?

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