After another fabulous breakfast we mulled over options for the day. We didn't really want to do anything too hard, but we rarely stick with our original way of thinking it seems.
We geared up and hopped on the train to Grindewald. When we got there we shopped at the new Co-op for food and drink. Last time we were here it was under construction and it's a great upgrade from the previous location.
Once fully provisioned we hit the trail. We had decided to hike up to Alpiglen and then do the Eiger Trail which runs along then foot of the North Face of the Eiger. We had done that trail before, but not starting from the valley floor. And the last time we did it, the trail was covered in snow. Today it was over 30 degrees.
Here is the view from our starting point down in the valley
It got vertical right away and that picture doesn't really show the perspective properly. Here is a view looking back down from part way up as we were approaching Alpiglen....that town in the distance is where we started
We stopped in Alpiglen and ate some of our food and then started up the Eiger Trail. I say up because most people take a train to the top and walk down. But as I've said before, we're not most people. The last time we did this trail in the snow we only saw 3 other people. Today we must have seen 300 or more, but less than a dozen were going in our direction.
The North Face of the Eiger is a legendary mountain for those who have a passion for mountaineering. It is not the highest of mountains, but in the early days of alpine exploration this face created more stories than any other. It was even the location of an older Clint Eastwood movie called the Eiger Sanction. There is a DVD copy in the TV lounge at our hotel and its played almost round the clock.
The stories of the Eiger are what first brought me to this place 15 years ago. The natural beauty, the views and the total sense of calmness are what has brought me back 6 times now. There is not a more peaceful place on earth!
So back to the trail....we started our ascent of the Eiger Trail. I really love to capture these vanishing point photos when I can.
After a number of steep switch backs the trail meets up with the bottom of the North Face. There are snow and ice fields on the mountain year round, but there is always run off and there are a number of waterfalls along the trail that have carved deep into the rock.
A little further along the trail we stopped to look back to where we had started earlier in the day
Another waterfall along the way
Looking almost straight up the infamous North Face. You can't really get a sense of the height, but you can tell how the face is concave which makes it a challenge to climb.
Climbing higher we took a few pics looking back down across the face, with the trail and the line of ants in the foreground. All of the scree on that slope was once part of the mountain and you do have to pay attention for falling rock.
We crossed over the trail that leads up to Rotstock Via Ferrata, which we have climbed twice previously. We may try to do it again this trip, depending on the weather forecast. It's a technical climb that goes to the summit of the Rotstock and you don't want to get caught up there in rain or snow.
Then we reached the top of the trail at the Eigergletscher station. This is the point where the famous Jungfrau railways enters the side of the Eiger and winds its way up to the Junfraujoch. The ride up, and the view at the summit is amazing....we did it last visit so if you go back through some older posts you can see it :-)
Then we started to descend to Kleine Schiedegg which is well known in mountaineering circles. A few pics of the mountains on our way down
Cow hanging out in the high alpine
And a last look at the Eiger
We had gained about a mile in elevation since starting and we were feeling pretty tired so we had no shame in buying train tickets for the one hour ride back down to our valley.
As soon as we got down we ate then headed back to our hotel to shower and relax. Another awesome day in the mountains. Wish you could all be here to experience this!
Posted with Blogsy