Berner Oberland

The Berner Oberland haute route has some of the most spectacular scenery in the European Alps. We will travel hut to hut with only light packs, being able to enjoy the skiing along the way.

This is a high level ski tour about long ski descents and peak bagging. It is almost entirely on glaciers. There is not as much emphasis on having to make it to the next hut as other traverses in the Alps. Indeed we often spend two nights in the same hut to take advantage of the numerous skiing and climbing objectives. We stay on the high glaciers and do not descend to a low valley until the end of the tour when we drop 6000 feet to the small town of Munster. Many of the peaks that we climb are done as summer mountaineering objectives, the fast descent on skis makes them much more enjoyable in the spring.

This area of central Switzerland is a picturesque landscape of rolling green hills and snow capped mountains. There is huge vertical relief, up to 11,000 feet, between the peaks and the valleys. We will be traveling from spring in the low valleys, to snow on the high glaciers, then back down to spring again in a completely different region of Switzerland.

From the north the Berner Oberland is dominated by three great peaks; the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. On the right the Jungfrau, the virgin pure and beautiful, is draped with white glaciers beckoning in the sun. On the other side of the range is the Eiger: the Ogre a giant that eats human flesh. It’s huge, rocky North Face towers above Grindelwald, dark imposing and feared. Local legend has it that the Monk was put in between to protect the Jungfrau from the Eiger.

To start our trip we will ride the train, which tunnels up through the North Face of the Eiger. We can stop at a window and look out on eiger North Face of mountaineering legend. The train takes us to the saddle between the Monch and the Jungfrau (3464m) where we step out onto the glacier.

Itinerary:

Day 1: We meet in Grindelwald. We will go over equipment for the trip.

Day 2: We ride the train up through the Eiger to the Jungfraujoch (3464m). From here we ski over the Louriohorn (3773m), down an 800m ski run and then up a short distance to the Hollandia Hut (3240m).

Day 3: We climb the Abeni Flue (3962m) and then ski down to the Concordia Hut (2850m)

Day 4: Climb the Gross Grunhorn (4043m) and return to the Concordia Hut.

Day 5: We traverse to the Finsteraarhorn Hut (3048m) via the Grunlucke (3280m), possible climbing the Weisnollen (3594m) or other objective on the way.

Day 6: Climb the Agassizhorn (3946m) or the Gross Wannenhorn (3905m) and return to the Finstereaarhorn Hut.

Day 7: The big ski descent down to Munster, 6100 feet vertical! We skin up to the Galmilucke (3293m) and then the long run down to the Rhone valley and spring.

Dates: April 18- 24, 2010
Price: $2100 Canadian
Meeting Place:  Grindelwald, Switzerland
 

Berner Gear List 

Ski touring in the Alps offers the unique advantage of being able to ski with light packs and arrive at a well-provisioned hut for the night. While food and blankets are provided at the huts we are still in the high mountains and must bring clothing to deal with any weather conditions. We can be baking in the hot sun or on a windy ridge in a blizzard. Many days in the spring start with cold mornings and icy snow, then turn hot as the day progresses especially when we ski down to a low valley.

One of the keys to enjoy ski touring in the Alps is to make sure that your pack is light, preferably under 20 pounds. While the weather may be severe, we are seldom standing still in cold weather and the huts are warm. Try to minimize the amount of gear that you bring. When we change huts, we will be skiing for the day with all of our equipment. It is not only safer to have a light pack, but much more enjoyable.

There will be a luggage room at the start of the trip in Grindelwald. You can leave anything that you won’t be using on the trip there. I don’t recommend that you leave anything too valuable there. At the end of the trip we will be in a different valley and have to take a train back around to Grindelwald. I normally wear my ski boots or inner boots for this trip. Slippers are provided at all the huts. It is also possible to have gear shipped on the train to our end point.

Technical Gear

Note: People often ask whether they can do the trip with telemark gear. While it is possible for a very strong skier to do the trip on telemark gear, it is not recommended. The sometimes difficult snow conditions, deep heavy snow or windcrust, make it much more difficult without the heel locked down. It can be done if you are a strong skier but it takes a lot more energy, especially with your pack. Another difficulty is finding ski crampons to work with a telemark system. Ski crampons are necessary on steep icy slopes especially in the morning when the snow is still frozen hard. Manufacturers do not make ski crampons for telemark systems. The ski crampons for telemark that I have seen are adapted from alpine touring systems. One possibility is using a Dynafit binding plate on your ski, which will fit Dynafit ski crampons. I have yet to see a telemark ski crampon that works as well or is as easy to change over as an alpine touring system.

Personal Equipment