[earthdigr]

11 June 2019 at 23:31:39 #822206

My husband and I will be staying in Kanderstag for 5 days beginning July 4. We love to hike and are having trouble finding information on hikes in the area. We’re drawn to beautiful vistas , water, and wild flowers. Kim, from the forum, has been incredibly helpful for our time in Wengen which is one week earlier.

Thanks in advance,

earthdigr

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[Arno]

12 June 2019 at 5:24:09 #914863

Hi Earthdigr,

You’ll find various options on our page about that region: http://www.myswissalps.com/ka ndervalley/activities. Apart from that the tourist office will be able to offer more suggestions. It’s a wonderful area!

A rather famous hike not on our website is the one to Leukerbad in the Valais across the Gemmi Pass.

[earthdigr]

12 June 2019 at 15:00:28 #914864

Thank you, Arno. I’ll check out the links you sent.

Earthdigr

[Removed user]

12 June 2019 at 15:19:29 #914865

Hi earthdigr– Kandersteg is a wonderful hiking locale, with excellent hikes radiating 360 degrees from the center. I recommend investing in a Swiss topo Wanderkarte for that area to help your planning.

Am not sure of your conditioning, but two of the more ambitious hikes to consider are on the Via Alpina– proceeding West to the Bundechrinde and back, and going East to the Hohturli (the highest point on the VA) and back. For the latter you could save about 400 meters of elevation by taking the lift to the Oeschinensee and start from there. The hiking time going up is about 3 hours with the lift. You’ll pass some small glaciers on your way to the top of the pass. For an easier day you could walk up to the Oeschinensee and back. It is for my money one of the nicest Swiss alpine lakes. But, there is much more in the area..

Vistas, water and wildflowers are everywhere.

You’ll have a terrific time.

NTL

[earthdigr]

12 June 2019 at 17:08:35 #914866

My husband and I are 70 yrs. old and very active. We have been conditioning in our local Oregon mountains but only up to about 5,000 ft. so altitude may be an issue. We are hoping to hike 5-6 hours a day depending on elevation gain. We would also like to make use of lifts and other modes of transportation. Thank you for your help.

earthdigr

[Removed user]

12 June 2019 at 17:46:28 #914867

Earthdigr– Am very familiar with your wonderful hiking opportunities in OR– I live in the northern Sierras. Altitude per se should not be a problem for you, but elevation change is definitely something to be aware of. Hohturli is just shy of 8800 feet, and Bunderchrinde is maybe 800 feet lower than that. The Kandersteg valley is at roughly 3500 feet, so you can see the task at hand. If you take the lift up to the O’see going to Hohturli, you shave off maybe 1400 feet vertical, which still leaves some 3800 feet of climbing for the day. It’s a stunning walk, however, and the nice thing about an out and back route is that you can turn around anytime. Bunderchrinde, since it lacks any lift assist, is perhaps the more ambitious outing, with about 4000 feet of climbing from K’steg.

I’d recommend against trying either Bunderchrinde or Hohturli in bad weather. Both hikes are steep, with some exposure in places, and the predominant rock is shale, which is extremely slippery in the wet.

BTW, since you are also spending time around Wengen, I’d suggest buying a copy of "Walking in the Bernese Oberland" by Kev Reynolds. It covers over 100 hiking routes for the area from West of Kandersteg to Grindelwald, including the hikes I’ve described.

NTL

[earthdigr]

12 June 2019 at 19:57:53 #914868

Thank you. I appreciate all your suggestions.

earthdigr