Via Alpina, Grindelwald to Wengen
Via Alpina Section 11
Grindelwald (1034m) – Kleine Scheidegg (2061m) – Eigergletscher (2320m) – Kleine Scheidegg – Wengen (1274m)
21.4km, with 1300m up and 1050m down
The breakfast place was full of Indian and Korean tourists. Maximum calories intake again and off I went for another sunny morning.
The sun was up above the mountains and the sky was crisp blue, but the path skirts at the bottom of the towering Eiger and in the complete shadow of the massive Northface.
The yellow hiking path sign says 4 hours (of course, up!) to Kleine Scheidegg. I told myself, well, it is one hour shorter than yesterday.
I met two middle-aged German hikers who were also heading for Kleine Scheidegg. Looking at the imposing Eiger Northface and eyeing the mountain train passing by, we went steadily up to Brandegg.
After a while, the path turned to the car road and we continued on. Soon I realized that I needed to turn somewhere to get to Alpiglen and took a wrong path : ((
I debated myself if I should cross uphill to the official path or go back. My GPS map showed there was a small stream in-between (in general it means going steep down and steep up) and the forest looked dense. It was too risky.
I was upset with myself because the official path passes the “Eiger Trail” which I was interested in walking. The two Germans behind me also missed a turn and came up just behind me. After looking at the map for a while, I decided to keep going on this rather boring car-road till it crosses the official hiking path.
In another half an hour or so I finally came out of the forest to the open field where the car road turned to dirt road and finally met the hiking path. I was face to face with the massive rocky Eiger Northface! There a large board shows several Eiger summit routes. The Northface looked vertical and it made me wonder who wants to go up there!
After around three hours from the start I was standing at Kleine Scheidegg (2061m). The Kleine Scheidegg was in the full sunshine and buzzing with tourists who came up by the mountain train. I thought of eating something warm at the station restaurant terrace (only one which was open), but soon I moved away escaping from the noise and the crowd.
Going up a little further, I found a quiet viewpoint. I had a stunning view of the Eiger, the Mönch and every other mountain in the area. I had my bread and snacks, fully taking in the fantastic scenery with bliss.
It was still past noon and I decided to go up to Eigergletscher (2320m), which is one hour away. I hiked up already 1000m today and I could have said it’s enough for today, but it was too bad to leave this wonderful area so soon and go down to the valley.
Massive Eigergletscher (Eiger glacier).
The Eiger summit looked close!
Near the Eigergletscher, I met a friendly woman who was about to do the Eiger Trail. I chatted with her and thought of doing this today, but it was already at 14:30 and I needed to go down the valley. Oh well, next time! I have another good reason to come back to this treasure hiking land.
After watching the Eiger Trail and the woman who was walking that path for a while with envy, I finally started to go down to the other side of the valley. The view was again spectacular. I looked back many times to see Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
The postcard beauty of Eiger and Mönch with the red Jungfrau mountain rail.
The truly amazing four days of Via Alpina! It was like in a dream.
The next section goes over a 2600m pass and November is getting too late for this. I have to do the rest of Via Alpina to the next year.
Via Alpina, Meiringen to Grindelwald
Via Alpina, Section 10
Meiringen (595m) – Grosse Scheidegg (1962m) – Grindelwald (1034m)
23km, 1530m up and 1095m down
After making sure breakfast would provide a maximum of energy for the day, I briskly went out into the fresh morning air and walked through the town of Meiringen. It is now low season and not many tourists were on the street. For the same reason, there was no more buses heading for Grosse Scheidegg, so I was told by the hotel personnel. Therefore I had to abandon an idea of taking a bus and gain some altitude. I had no choice but to walk up 1500m for 5 hours using my own leg power : (
The snow-capped pointy tip of Wetterhorn was visible above the town and I was already äall smiles!
Crossing the town and leaving a village, a hiking path next to the farmhouse started uphill. It was gradual uphill and crossed the car road many times. It was early in the morning so there was almost no traffic.
Walking on the precipice, I arrived at Reichenbachfall, a small gorge. When I tried to look at the waterfall (no gushing water, though), I noticed a memorial for Sherlock Holmes. Apparently here he was “killed” by his enemy in the story of Arthur Conan Doyle. For a moment I was full of reminiscences for my teen-age time as a avid Sherlock Holmes mystery story reader.
Looking back from there, I had a good view of Meiringen and yesterday’s walk from Planplatten, which was shining in the sun.
In two hours or so the pink-walled traditional-looking, beautiful Rosenlaui Hotel appeared alongside the road. Around there the road was frosted and I had to be careful not to slide and fall on my face (or back). By this time, more cars with bikes on top started coming up the road and they were also slowing down on the slippery road.
It had an early winter feel. Walking through the rather dark forest, all of a sudden the tip of the snow-covered Wellhorn and Wetterhorn appeared. It is always a mesmerising moment to see shooting mountain peaks.
Soon the mountain’s gigantic rocky face became closer and closer and the path came out to a rather large pasture. The cold wind was blowing and I hurried to put on my gloves and warm hat, which I had never used till this moment.
A view of Wellhorn (3191m) from Gschwantenmad (1304m).
I walked along the river and crossed the stream back and forth. I could see the light blue sky up in the cold air, but this side of the mountain was completely in the shadow and it was too cold to stop for a break.
After Schwarwaldalp (1458m), the path was going on the side of spectacular rocky Wellhorn .
After 4 hours of serious uphill, finally I got out into the sun! Everything was in the sun and it was warm. I felt as if I am in a complete different world!
I estimated another hour to reach Grosse Scheidegg and sat down on the bench for a well-deserved lunch, enjoying the sunshine. Several bikers were passing by.
Feeling better, I made the last uphill effort (later a downhill of 1000m was waiting today but I decided not to think too much) to Grosse Scheidegg.
A view of Wetterhorn from Grosse Scheidegg (1962m)
Standing at Grosse Scheidegg, I could see the other side of the pass, the town of Grindelwald and Eiger’s soaring northface.
I enjoyed the fruit of my 4-hour, 1500m ascent and basked in the sun for one hour, with amazing 360-degree view: Schwarzhorn, Wetterhorn, Eiger, Kleine Scheidegg…
A young, friendly Swiss couple was also sitting near me and kindly offered a Swiss chocolate to a foreign-looking tourist hiker (i.e. me) and we chatted for a while about the mountains and the (wonderful) life in Switzerland.
The descent was supposed to be easier, but, as usual, it seemed never-ending! However, the sun was shining and the view of Eiger and Schreckhorn (4078m) was absolutely gorgeous!
A view of Schreckhorn…
Going down to Grindelwald (1034m).
After 1500m up and 1000m down hike, my feet were tired but I was simply delighted, embraced by the view of breath-taking Bernese Oberland mountains.
Via Alpina, Engstlenalp to Meiringen
Via Alpina section 9
Engstlenalp (1834m) – Tannalp (1974m) – Tannsee – Planplatten (2255m) – Reuti (1061m) – Meiringen (595m)
21km, 890m up and 2120m down!
A beautiful morning in the mountain. How wonderful it is to wake up to the snow-covered mountain peak view from the window! The Wetterhorn was already shining in the sun.
Good morning, Wetterhorn! Good morning, Titlis!
A quiet walk from the mountain hotel. No one was on the path and I am smiling to myself to be able to walk with a magnificent view. Soon it lead to a narrow, uphill path to Tannalp, with a Wetterhorn view ahead!
After going around the mountain, I arrived at a quiet, charming village of Tannalp, with a white church. It seems to be off-season and the mountain hotel/restaurant was closed.
Soon to Tannsee, a mirror-like lake. It was a wonderful, lonesome early morning.
From the Tannsee, the path branched out, one to another lake Melchsee and the other uphill. My path was, of course, the uphill one and I started climbing up. Higher up, I could look down the Tannsee as well as the shining snow-covered Mt. Titlis and the path I walked yesterday.
The ridge walk started, with the valley 1000m down. Lots of up and downs.
After a series of several small peaks, I came to the highest point, I thought… From there, however, I saw today’s real highest point, Planplatten (2255m), further and higher : (
The path looked dangerously traversing on the flank of the mountain. I told myself, oh well, if it is too scary, I can stop and come back. Fuelled by lunch and snacks, I took a deep breath and started climbing. Still I was completely alone on this path.
Successfully managing my fear and the path, one hour later I arrived at Planplatten, a large ski station. The gigantic ski lift installation appeared all of a sudden, strangely out of place and in sharp contrast to my lonesome, middle-of-nowhere path from Tannsee.
Some workers were working on the ski-lift for its winter season preparation. I stood at the summit and watched all the directions. This place calls itself “Alpen Tower” and apparently one can see over 40 peaks. I was busy looking at the Bernese Oberland mountains, Brienzersee and its area where I walked as part of my Jakobsweg route…. Truly amazing views!
It was a long way down, but I enjoyed fantastic views of the mountains and lake, beautiful farmhouses along the path and the forest of Muggenstutz dwarf (a Swiss folklore).
After 2100m downhill (!) I was happy to put my feet up in a hotel of the charming town of Meiringen.
Via Aplina, Engelberg to Engstlen Alp
Via Alpina route, Section 7
Engelberg (1000m) – Trübsee (1780m) – Jochpass (2207m) – Engstlensee – Engstlen Alp (1834m), 11km, with 1285m up and 455m down
Starting at the foggy Engelberg and heading for Trübsee.
After a steep uphill of 800m, the Trübsee was also in the mist.
But soon it opened up and gave me a complete view of Mt. Titlis (3238m).
While walking around the lake, the mist streamed in and out. It was so beautiful that I felt as if I were in a dream. I stood there, completely captivated by the beauty of the nature.
Heading up to Jochpass and looking back the Trübsee and the Engelberg valley.
Beyond the Jochpass, Engstlensee was shining in the afternoon sun. A lone fishing boat was on the mirror-like lake and some were fly-fishing. It was so peaceful.
A quiet Engstlenalp and a traditional mountain hotel for the night.
Going nuts over a bowl of ramen @ Ichiryuan
At 11h30 in the morning Yasuko and I think about lunch. It is cold this morning and a nice steaming bowl of noodle may warm us up. Ramen it shall be. Read More
Noboribetsu Foot Onsen
We’re off to Noboribetsu Onsen. It’s located in Jigokudani, the “Valley of Hell”, and indeed, steaming hills and mountains, blubbling water, geysers and dark, thick mud ponds everywhere. No doubt the devil will make an appearance soon.
We observe this natural spectacle from a safe distance, but not distant enough to escape the omnipresent devil’s fart (i.e. sulfur smell).
We stroll the walking path leading to another hot spring “Oku-no Yu”, a hot water pond with 120 degree at the bottom and 50 degree on the surface. From there, hot water streams into a river and down to a foot-bathing spot, nicely setup in the nature.
Basically, if a Japanese can soak any body part in sufficiently warm water (that would be equivalent to freaking hot for me), life is good. Downstream, at the beautiful foot bath spot, the temperature was 40 degrees celsius. Pleasantly warm at best, according to Yasuko. So we sat comfortably under the trees of the river bank and soaked our feet.
Usu-zan, an active volcano
A still active volcano above Toya-ko (洞爺湖), Usu-zan (有珠山) is one with an impressive story of recent eruptions and destruction. That story is very well documented and illustrated at the nearby Volcano Museum. In the earthquake-simulation room you hear and feel the roaring sound of eruptions, see flying red lava and rocks into your window in an eerily realistic way. We came out of the eruption show feeling small, vulnerable and powerless.
This volcano erupted two times in the last 40 years and created a couple of new craters and cones. The earthquake in 1977 covered the town of Toya-ko Onsen with lava and rocks. Due to a rare predictability of this volcano’s activity, nobody died.
We did a beautiful stroll around the Usu-zan crater, watching steaming smoke and inhaling sulfur-saturated air. It’s a peaceful and scenic walk with a steep staircase going 260 steps up and down. It’s also a bit scary to imagine that the mountain might explode again anytime.
After the walk, we went back to the Toya-ko and warmed up our feet…
Shinsennuma, Niseko
A peaceful wooden path walk to the Shinsen Marsh.
Hiking Mt. Yōtei
From Makkari Trailhead (371m) to Yōtei-zan (1989m) , 11km hike, 1500m ascent and decent
Hiking up 1’500m of altitude to the crater of Mt. Yōtei, Hokkaido’s Mt. Fuji, … and down again. A fantastic view of the enormous crater and the mystic Toya Lake in the south with an island floating in the middle.
8h after the start, the only thing we wanted was an onsen and a steaming bowl of udon 
Great to soak in the outdoor bath at Makkari Onsen with a direct view of Yōtei-zan, reflecting our hard, but memorable day of hike.
Daian-ji Temple 大安寺, Fukui
Our visit to Daian-ji (大安寺), a beautiful, mystic Zen temple in the mountains, Fukui.
Read more about the Daian-ji:
http://en.japantravel.com/fukui/daian-zenji-temple-fukui/13533
Fly, Hike & Travel. 