Basking in the View of the Eiger North Face

Wednesday Oct.4, 2017 -- This Wednesday I had to do a hike without my hiking partner, as he had to work. But days are counting down until we can no longer ride the bus or many cable cars into the higher elevations (mid-October for the mountain buses, some cable cars already don't run since end of September) and I couldn't let this nice day go to waste.

I hadn't been to the Grindelwald area for a couple years (usually try to avoid it because of the masses of Asian Tourists) but there was a bus ride I had never tried, from Meiringen in the Hasli Valley to the North, to the pass called Grosse Scheidegg at the foot of Mount Wetterhorn (where the road continues to Grindelwald). This is not the usual way to get to the popular vacation town of Grindelwald (usually reached by train from Interlaken to the West) and the bus trip comes with a supplemental charge, even for holders of the Free Pass subscription like me...

My hike started at the Pass, took me to Grindelwald First cable car station (most tourists come up with this cable car from Grindelwald), then along a well-traveled wide road to the very popular Bachsee Lake, and then over a very interesting ridge to a steep descent on the Grindelwald side. I didn't walk all the way back to Grindelwald, but took another mountain bus (with another supplemental charge) from the little mountain restaurant called Waldspitz. My descent had already involved a steep 500 altitude meters, and to continue to the valley would have been another 900m, and that is just too much downhill!

In all I walked a fabulous 13 km in five hours, and even though the sun disappeared as I got near the lake (and the wind was COLD!) I never tire of the Bernese peaks up close, especially the spectacular North Face of Mount Eiger.

On the bus ride up from Meiringen to Grosse Scheidegg, this is the view looking North (the way we had come)

Shortly after getting off the bus, I went up a small hill and got this splending view into the Grindelwald Valley

At the start it was very cold, and my cold coffee didn't help much!

The low road was paved so I took the high road. First goal is Grindelwald First cable car station at the arrow on the picture
(6 km, approx. 2 hours)

It was an easy, pleasant and sunny trail all the way to First, always with the Eiger North Face in sight.

The fabulous North Face of Mount Eiger (The white peak behind it is Mount Jungfrau)

Soon it got quite warm, and stayed that way till up at the Bachsee Lake. Then the clouds covered the sky.

At Grindelwald First there is a popular Zipline...

Since I took a shortcut below the ski lift station on the left, I didn't notice the cliff walk until I was up higher, and wasn't going back.
This will be an adventure for a different day!

Cliff walk and lookout platform at Grindelwald First. The sunny cauldron in the back used to be half-filled with glacier ice 30 years ago.

The road to the Bachsee is rather dull and stretches a boring 50 minutes, and is also a popular route for tourists who come up via cable car to Grindelwald First.

The Bachsee Lake is a popular tourist destination at all times of year. The road is even cleared in winter for winter walking, and you can pull a sled along to the saddle at the back (total 2.5-hours hiking time) to sled down the longest toboggan run in the world on the other side (15 km)

A popular view of the Bernese Alps from the Bachsee Lake

Interesting side note: I was here 30 years ago, and you can see the difference in the glacier ice below Mount Schreckhorn. 30 years ago it filled the cauldron, and there was even a glacier cave you could visit, which no longer exists.

From the Bachsee Lake I changed my original plan (which was to walk down the valley to Waldspitz) and climbed instead an easy 90m to a rocky formation on a ridge, and then steep down the other side. It took longer, but was much more exciting.

My original plan was to descend to Waldspitz through this moor landscape.

Instead I walked up a bit to pass through the gap left of the rocky tower, to descend steep on the other side.

It was a good decision to change plans. I had better views and more afternoon light.

Stunning rock formations on this side of the ridge. And silver thistles.

It was a steep but rewarding descent from the rock tower on the ridge above.

Beautiful landscape, even without the sunshine.

I passed an alpine pasture where it was evident that the cows had recently been here....

.... and then I saw them being herded along the road below to lower pastures. This is called an "Alpine Cattle Descent", although a small one and without the headdresses.