Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles
Click PLAY or get a glimpse of my June hike on YouTube.
I did the Jungfrau region right in 2009, wild camping 3 days, 2 nights across the face of the mountains.
So 2023 was a re-visit.
Grindewald is one of our top 10 hiking towns in the world. Everyone either going to, or coming from, a hike. Everyone is happy — despite the high Swiss prices.
I stayed at the excellent and inexpensive Grindewald hostel. It’s a fair walk uphill from town. But you can take the hourly bus for free.
Of many excellent day hike options, I decided on the Eiger Trail starting in Alpiglen, climbing 800m. Lazy this time, I took the expensive Jungfrau Railway up to Alpiglen. (A woman I’d spoken with had hiked it to and from Grindewald the day before — MUCH tougher.)
My route was only a 12.9-km loop — but it might take 5 hours as you stop so often for the fantastic vistas both UP and DOWN.
While hiking, I listened to the The Eiger Sanction, the 1972 thriller novel by Trevanian set right here.
Time allowing, I’d hike all the way back to Grindewald and save some Swiss francs.
Click PLAY or see the route on YouTube.
Unfortunately, the typical afternoon rainstorm broke just before I sprinted into Kleine Scheidegg near the top.
I ended up buying an expensive train ticket back down to Grindewald. And enjoying Swiss soup at Kleine Scheidegg while I waited out of the rain.
Weirdly, the weather broke right after soup. I could have easily hiked down — but could not get a refund on the train ticket as it came out of a machine.
I do feel the Eiger Trail is the best hike out of Grindewald.
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