Challenging hikes in/near Wengen?

  • Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    30 October 2017 at 20:07:06 #813586

    Hi! Next summer my husband and I will be staying in Wengen for one week. Last summer we stayed in Murren and hiked from there to Birg (we wanted to continue to Schilthorn but couldn’t due to a storm). We very much enjoy challenging, steep ascents, with the option to cable-car down (to save our knees). I have been reading that Wengen-area hikes are not as challenging as those near Murren.

    Does anyone have suggestions for us, something comparable in difficulty to Murren – Schilthorn/Birg? We ideally want to depart from our hotel Edelweiss in Wengen, but wouldn’t be averse to departing from somewhere else nearby. We also are more interested in steep 3-4 hours hikes, vs more hours but flatter terrain.

    Thank you!

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    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    31 October 2017 at 7:50:11 #871402

    Hi Mara-

    Others know more details on such hikes than I do,but here are some sources of information that may be helpful for you. There are plenty of challenging hikes in the whole region.

    1.- This report has information on hikes of all kinds, as well as lots of other information:

    http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/tips-about-wengen-and-the-jungfrau-region-by-kim

    2.- This site is a very good sources for information about named hikes, as well as other kinds of personal transport.

    http://www.schweizmobil.ch/en /schweizmobil.html

    The map is useful, and, on the named routes only, such as the via Alpina, clicking on the line on the map can bring up information about altitude profiles, and other information about each section of that hike. I have often have to to fiddle with it a bit to give me some of that information, and some of the response times are a bit slow, but once I get it to do what I want, it is very helpful:

    map.wanderland.ch/?lang=de&route=all&bgLa yer=pk&resolution=20&s eason=summer&layers=Wa nderland&E=2633080&N=1 163100

    The via Alpina shows as a heavy green line. Section 11 runs from Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen, for example, and runs close to Wengen.

    3.-

    The best topo map of Switzerland, with all kinds of information available by using the professional tools is “SwissTopo” a product of the Swiss federal Land Office

    By using the menu (click on “Open Menu” ) to turn on hiking trails, you can see all kinds of trails, color coded in the standard manner as is used for the Wanderwegs.

    map.geo.admin.ch/?topic=ech&lang=en&bgLa yer=ch.swisstopo.pixel karte-farbe&layers=ch.bav.ha ltestellen-oev,ch.swisstopo.swiss tlm3d-wanderwege&layers_visi bility=false,true&X=16 1675.29&Y=636277.12&zo om=7

    There are some challenging trails near Wengen. You might want to climb to Männlichen. that is about 1000 meters ascent, similar to the amount of ascent from Mürren to Birg.

    Slowpoke

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    31 October 2017 at 14:18:38 #871403

    Great resources — thank you so much Slowpoke!

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    31 October 2017 at 15:57:38 #871404

    Hi Mara,

    I haven’t done any hiking in the Wengen area myself, but we do have a list of hikes nearby with details on difficulty etc noted on our Wengen page here.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    31 October 2017 at 16:00:50 #871405

    Hi Mara –

    I just reread your post.

    If you want to add a few hundred more meters of ascent, you could grab the train down to Lauterbrunnen, then hike back up to Wengen , then to Männlichen. About 1400 meters. Then, go up another hundred or so to Männlichen Gipfel for the attached view.

    Slowpoke

    Mark
    Participant
    794 posts
    31 October 2017 at 22:41:03 #871406

    Hello Mara,

    I think Slowpoke is right. Lauterbrunnen to Mannlichen will give you the most vertical feet for the distance. I haven’t done it but while waiting for gondola at Manlichen, I talked to 2 young and fit guys who had just finished the hike. They said it was fairly challenging and exposed in some spots but they didn’t look overly tired to me.

    For variety you might consider hiking from Grindelwald or Grund to Alpiglen to Eigergletcher on the Eiger Trail ( 1300 meters ). Also Grindelwald to First ( 1100 meters ). Maybe Bort to Waldspitz to Bachalpsee to First ( can go strait from Waldspitz to First but Bachalpsee worth seeing ). All of these I have done going downhill and the views are great.

    I’m not familiar with specific hikes up to Schynige Platte ( I’ve always taken the train ) but I would expect you could get some significant elevation gain and the view on top is great .Maybe someone else knows specific routes that would be suitable for you.

    Last, you might consider hiking to Faulhorn. It may not quite have the vertical feet as the others but the last assent to Faulhorn is fairly steep. You can start from First or even Schreckfeld and return back to First for gondola down to Grindelwald.

    All these hikes start and end in places easily accessible to Wengen by gondola or train.

    Good luck, Mark PS sorry didn’t have the correct “a” for Mannlichen as using my Apple laptop not my IPad.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    1 November 2017 at 0:32:34 #871407

    <<“Good luck, Mark PS sorry didn’t have the correct “a” for Mannlichen as using my Apple laptop not my IPad.”>>

    Hi Marki –

    The German work around is to use “ae” for “ä” and “oe” for ö, and “ue” for “ü.” The umlauted vowels represent diphthongs. In some dialects, the diphthongs are “taken apart” and spoken as two vowels in quick succession.

    You can check that out by trying those spellings in the timetable.

    In conventional German, so-called “High German, the ” town spelled Spiez is pronounced as (English ) “Speets.”

    In Swiss German, it can often be heard as “Spee-ets.”

    And, don’t worry about it too much. Especially in the Berner Oberland, decades of accommodating English travelers have caused the creation of a remarkable tolerance for mispronunciation. Still , it is nice to approximate the local version.

    Good thing its not in France.

    By the way, I am mildly surprised to hear that an Apple can’t do everything a PC can do, and do it better an easier. 😉

    Slowpoke

    Mark
    Participant
    794 posts
    1 November 2017 at 21:07:50 #871408

    I expect there is a way to type the proper “ a “ on the Mac book, I just don’t know how. It is easy enough on the virtual keyboard of my IPad Mark

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