Via Alpina (Middle Section): Engelberg to Griesalp
The middle section of the Via Alpina from Engelberg to Griesalp.
Wild Camping View from Gimmelwald
Technical Summary:
Day 1: Engelberg to Meiringen
Stats: 24.3km (112m ascent/1852m descent)
Trail Conditions: The whole trail was typical dirt/rock mountain trail. The technical difficulty increases towards the top where there is an amazing ridge hike. The descent goes through some grassy patches, which can be difficult to manage once your legs are fatigued from going down. I slipped a few times even with poles!
Good to Know: There is a gondola GB 2534 that brings you up to Trübsee. There are a few different gondola options going down from Planplatten area. The first closes early around 16:00, so if you arrive later in the day like I did you may have to hike down or catch one of the smaller gondolas below. I ended up catching one of the lowest gondolas PB2480 at Hasliberg Reuti to Meiringen. The 1800+ meters of descent will have catch up with you so the gondola was much needed by that point.
Day 2: Meiringen to Gimmelwald
Stats: 19.7km (1144m ascent/1385m descent) & 5.6km (462m ascent/49m descent)
Trail Conditions: On the first section around Meiringen/Grindelwald were a lot of paved road throughout the way as well some rocky roads. The second part I intentionally started from Mürren to start back on normal dirt/rock mountain trails.
Good to Know: This section I found the most annoying. There was a lot of transportation options, which I ended up using some (buses B164 & B128 from Meiringen to Schwarzwaldalp to Grindelwald; gondola PB2461 from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp & train R66 to Mürren). I happened to arrive on the day of a bike race and got instantly annoyed trying to share the streets the paths were on and within Grindelwald there were tons of tourists and traffic. Honestly, my least favorite section of the trail.
Day 3: Gimmelwald to Griesalp
Stats: 12.3km (634m ascent/1280m descent)
Trail Conditions: The trail starts off as the same typical mountain trail as the day before, but becomes rocky and steep after Hundshubel. It remains that way until it reaches a rocky road. The road was very rocky and I slipped quite a few times (also due to my lack of hydration and nutrition).
Good to Know: There is one hut (Rotstockhütte) right by the start here where there is a water fountain nearby, but after that there is nothing until close to Griesalp. I was dehydrated and hungry most of this day and wished I had stocked up better in Mürren the day before.
Daily Blog:
Day 1 - Engelberg to Meiringen
Trübsee
The first day from Engelberg was very hot so I immediately opted for the gondola to Trübsee. After the quick ascent from there to Engstlensee, the cows there at the top even looked exhausted from the heat.
Exhausted cow and I in the heat
Right at the top, there was one of the stamp stations.
Stamp Station
Then a short descent to Engstlensee, which was really gorgeous. This part of the path was like a dirt road with plenty of places to stop for lunch. I opted for under a pine tree.
Engstlensee
Then there was a short but really beautiful ascent to Tannensee.
Near Tannensee
Around the lakes, there were cute goats. The trail became like road again and there were more tourists including a little tourist “train”, which was linked little cars that looked like a child’s train.
Goats next to the Via Alpina sign
Tannensee
There was another ascent from Tannensee to the start of the ridge hike. The ridge hike was very stunning and started the most technical segment of the hike. From this point, I didn’t see any more people - just sheep!
Start of ridge hike
At one point, I found two marmots. See if you can see them in the video below.
….and then the sheep!
The rest of the way down. I was very focused on my footing due to the amount of grass. I slipped a couple of times before taking the gondola from Hasliberg-Reuti down to Meiringen, where I camped for the night. The camping spot there was on a playground in AlpenCamping and the lady at reception was very kind. I had no reservation and she even ordered me bread for the morning. I met a British man and Dutch couple were doing a cycling tour and camping next to me. We had a lovely chat over dinner. Meeting people at the camping spots is a real perk. It’s so nice to meet fellow outdoor-loving people and exchange recommendations of adventures to do.
Altitude description and map of trail
Day 2 - Meiringen to Gimmelwald
Schwarzwaldalp
The morning started off very relaxed with the delivery of the fresh bread and gipfelis. After saying goodbye to my new friends, I went to Coop and get some supplies for the next couple of days. The next part of the route was right along a bus line to Schwarzwaldalp. At the top there was connecting bus down to Grindelwald. Around Schwarzwaldalp there was a lovely view from the base of Wetterhorn as I waited for the connecting bus, which I was glad I did because the trail ran along the road and there were a couple of different biking races going on at the time. One on the road for race bikes and one on the trails for mountain bikes. It felt good to avoid all the bikers - however, I would soon learn in Grindelwald the races would continue from there again following along the trail. Grindelwald felt very overwhelming with the heat coming off the pavement and the tourists everywhere. I started to continue the trail to Wengen.
Grindelwald
The trail towards Wengen was mostly on the road with lots of cyclists from the race. It was not ideal and un-motivating to continue.
Cute sign for goat cheese. There were white Saanen goats (native to Kanton Bern)
I stopped part way to Wengen and took the train to Lauterbrunnen as the combination of the heat, roads, and cyclists were all wearing on my enthusiasm and energy to continue. At Lauterbrunnen, I took the gondola up and then took the tiny mountain train to Mürren. I have done the trail from Lauterbrunnen to Mürren many times, so I did not feel the urge to repeat it along it is a very nice trail.
In Mürren, I purchased some snacks, which I enjoyed while gazing at the magical views from the village. I would end up regretting not purchasing more snacks or drinks for the next day (as I would run out of food and water).
View from Mürren
The hike out of Mürren towards Gimmelwald was beautiful. After the road, there was the classic dirt mountain trail (my favorite type of trail).
And then I stumbled upon more Saanen goats at a little farm before the first true ascent.
Saanen goats
The sun was getting lower in the sky and this part felt really refreshing and my enthusiasm was high as I made my ascent.
View from the ascent in Gimmelwald
After the ascent, the trail was easy with breathtaking views!
It was shortly after this point that I found what may be the most beautiful wild camping spot that I have camped at.
The sunset there was gorgeous!
Happy camper!
Sunset from wild camping spot
Map and Elevation Profile (Grindelwald to Wengen)
Map and Altitude Profile (Mürren to Gimmelwald)
Via Alpina: Vaduz to Montreux
The most scenic route across Switzerland
I have been obsessed with the Via Alpina Green trail since I discovered the starting point at Montreux on a random day trip. After looking it up, I mapped it out and read multiple articles about the trail. This trail was a dream to me — a chance to cross Switzerland through its most scenic mountain passes.
Here’s a link to a GPX file for the entire tour from Vaduz to Montreux: Via Alpina - GPX Link
For further information about the first section please read my article about my journey from Vaduz to Engelberg here: Eastern Via Alpina Section Link
For information about my journey on the western part of the Via Alpina read my article here: Western Via Alpina Section Link
In order to prep for my Via Alpina journey, I packed all the items pictured below (total weight around 17 kilos without water):
This includes food (dried fruit, nuts, canned tuna, granola bars, rice cakes, and carrots), toiletries and sealed trash bag, quick dry towel, hiking clothes including a swimsuit, hat, packable raincoat and light down coat, headbands, and buff, inflatable mattress and pillow, sleeping bag, tent, hiking sticks, first aid kit (with emergency blanket), sunglasses, electronics case with portable and wall chargers, and whistle.
Via Alpina (West Section): Montreux to Adelboden
Via Alpina (West Section) from Montreux to Adelboden
Greetings from the French speaking section of the Via Alpina!
Technical Summary:
Day 1: Rochers de Naye to Rossinère (then train to Château d’Œx)
Stats: 18.7km (74m ascent/1834m descent)
Trail Conditions: Mostly small dirt trails with a couple of intersecting roads. Beginning is moderately technical but gets easier towards the middle with a more intense section at the end with “Les Traverses”. The physical demands get a bit heavier towards the middle where the ascent starts but the physical toll is really felt going down “Les Traverses”.
Good to Know: There is an option to take the train R37 from Montreux to Rochers de Naye, which I did since I had done the path once before from Montreux to Rochers de Naye and much of the path was on or around streets.
The end of the path contains “Les Traverses”, which is very steep and exposed for such a forested, low alpine section. Do not underestimate the technicality as well as the risk for landslides. In hindsight, I would have preferred climbing up “Les Traverses” rather than going down. I took train PE30 from Rossinère to Château d’Œx since there was camping site I had reserved there - with a pool!)
Day 2: L’Etivaz to Gstaad (took bus from Château d’Œx to L’Etivaz)
Stats: 29.4km (1655m ascent/1492m descent) without bus or
16.4km (1123m ascent/1192m descent) with the bus B175
Trail Conditions: The whole trail after the bus was a typical dirt mountain trail with some rocks and grass, but all very technically and physically normal for a typical red and white trail in CH. There was only a brief section of pebble road approaching the final descent into Gstaad around the ski slopes.
Good to Know: There is a bus B175 from Château d’Œx to L’Etivaz. The campsite in Gstaad did not require reservations; however, in the morning, the office to pay was only open from 10am. The campsite was about 20 minutes out of the way but offered clean showers and toilets.
Day 3: Gstaad to Lenk
Stats: 17.1km (774m ascent/984m descent)
Trail Conditions: Starts off on a wide walking trail that turns into a dirt/rocky road, which turns into a normal dirt mountain trail part way up the ascent and continues that way all the way to Lenk.
Good to Know: There is a bus B182 that takes you to Turbach where the path starts to avoid the roads. There are apparently lynx in the area. One of the trail sections is all about lynx, but I didn’t see any but keep any eye out! Also there is a very sweet lady who lets Via Alpina trekkers stay in her garden shed in Lenk and she has a bathroom with a shower inside that trekkers can use. I found out about her via other Via Alpina hikers I met along the way (Bühlbergstrasse 22 with a stone side for Via Alpina).
Day 4: Lenk to Adelboden
Stats: 4.2km (295m ascent/243m descent)
Trail Conditions: Easiest conditions of all; there is a gravel road up and a paved road down
Good to Know: Super easy with bathrooms and public transportation available at the bottom. There was a bus B281 from Lenk to Bühlberg parking lot to avoid a lot of the roads.
Daily Blog:
Day 1 - Rochers de Naye to Château d’Œx
After a week long break due to rainy weather, I resumed my Via Alpina trek, but this time starting from the other side at Montreux as the late summer storms had deposited fresh snow on the highest points of the middle section. The week long break allowed me to recover from the exhausting yet exciting eastern section of the Via Alpina. Eager to set off again, I took the long train from Zurich to the French speaking section of Switzerland, where I started my hike from the top of Rochers de Naye. I had previously hiked from Montreux to Rochers de Naye on a different hiking journey, so this time I elected to take the train up to the top. The train ride up provided lovely views of the lake and the mountains surrounding it. As the train approached the top, the rocky, wild formations of Rochers de Naye were revealed. The clouds added an eerily beautiful and dynamic touch to the landscape.
Approaching Rochers de Naye
Since the journey from Zurich was so long, I first indulged in a little rösti and wine at the restaurant at the top. A sizzling cheesy rösti and delicate glass of wine was the perfect way to start off the journey as the warm meal was one of my last of the trip as I elected for easy to eat cans of tuna, dried fruits, and nuts as my main hiking meals.
Sizzling hot rösti and chilled glass of wine before the start of the trek.
The clouds engulfed the top of the mountain as I started down setting a mysterious scene; I could not see much more than a few feet in front of me so every twist and turn of the trail was a hidden surprise. The beauty of each moment was breathtaking, but I was extra cautious of my footing and surroundings since my visibility was so limited.
Start of descent from Rochers de Names
Especially, once the descent started, the ground was damp and slippery, so careful and steady footing was required.
Lack of visibility yet beautifully mysterious
Finally, around of the final turn of the initial descent, the clouds lifted just enough to catch a glimpse of the surrounding mountains and provide a hint of the journey to come.
Glimpse of surrounding mountains under the cloud cover
After the grassy, muddy, and slippery descent on the hillside, there was a short section of road that provided some relief from the more technically challenging damp grass.
Road pictured to the left
The road allowed me to enjoy a little run down hill.
The next part had a few different cow pastures with a little bit of up and down hill, but was fairly easy-going until the last bigger ascent, which was a bit more physically demanding.
Cow pastures
There were also views towards the Lac de l'Hongrin, which looked beautiful!
Lac de l'Hongrin
The adventure really started after the last major ascent… I met a farmer who spoke native French, but tried speaking to me in German as I was better in answering in German; however, it was very difficult to understand with his dialect. I did understand there was some landslide that had occurred in the storm the previous week and is somehow related to the dead cow next to him as well as the path ahead. I understood there was some deviation due to the landslides and that they were major, but I missed all the details of what happened and how to avoid this. I debated for a long time during the first part of the descent, but decided to try the deviation on the normal route since the only other way was a road with an infrequent bus that I may miss.
Top of Les Traverses
The part that had the deviation was called “Les Traverses” and this section was much more difficult than I had expected, especially considering the wet, loose ground from the recent storm. Below is an image of one of the many landslide crossings I had to pass over on this part. It is hard to fully understand the steepness and exposure from the photo. This was one of the scariest hiking experiences for me and I even debated sliding my backpack down the mountain so that I wouldn't have to carry it but I ended up managing. I had to stay extremely focused on my footing the whole time. I was so thankful when I reached the bottom safely.
Middle of Les Traverses
I had to run catch the train from Rossinère to my camping location after finishing, so there was little time for celebration, but I was so relieved when I arrived in Château d’Œx that I think this town will always hold a special place in my heart.
Map and altitude description
Day 2 - Château d’Œx to Gstaad
Château d’Œx
I enjoyed my camping spot, Camping Le Berceau, in Château d’Œx. They had washers and dryers and a pool. After the craziness of “Les Traverses”, I needed to wash my clothes because they were soaked in mud. I took an easy morning in the pool to relax before I started the day. The town of Château d’Œx was also very sweet and I walked through to go to the Coop there - which shockingly had Sunday hours! I really love this town!
The first ascent started in a protected forest. The incline began get more gradual, but there were technical patches where their were rock fall crossings like the one pictured below.
Some of the little rock slides to climb over
The forest was super majestic and peaceful. Eventually the forest opened up into an alpine meadow with gorgeous views (also the image at the top of the article). You could see all the way to Glacier 3000.
View after the forest
Across the meadow and farm pastures was the crossing from the French to German speaking part. Right at the sign was the sweetest little latter crossing.
Crossing into the German speaking region of Berne!
Leaving French speaking Vaud for German speaking Berne.
There were beautiful rock formations lining the path on both sides.
Rock formations ahead
The path from there gently winded through the hillside and some farm land.
View towards the valley where Gstaad lays
After the gentle farmland, there was a section of chaotic and beautiful rock formations that the hike went through.
Start of the rock formation pass through
All of the land was still protected, so there was no ability to wild camp here.
Cool rock formations!
Then I got to hike in the rocks! This was one of the coolest moments!!
Peep at the tiny point the trail crosses through the rocks
Inside the rocks!!
Even though the rocks look so crazy, the trail was still technically very manageable. I felt safe and secure the whole time. I enjoyed this section so much!
Peep at the next arrow in the rocks!
Last bit of rocks
Once the rock formations ended then there was gentle farmland again followed by a forested hill, which led to more farmland and ski slopes.
View after the rock formations
Along the way towards the ski slopes, I met a little cow buddy who was very curious about me and came to say hi.
My little cow friend
And then of course, I cannot forget that Saanen goats come from this region!
Saanen goats are white and are excellent dairy goats!
The rest of the hike down was very gentle and easy. I ended up camping in Gstaad and meeting quite a few other Via Alpiners. We had lovely chats about where we were from and advice we had for each other. It was here that I learned about the lady in Lenk who offered her garden shed to Via Alpine trekkers. The rain ended up cutting our conversation short but it resumed in the morning. It was a wonderful feeling meeting like-minded individuals all on the same adventure.
Map and altitude description
Day 3 - Gstaad to Lenk
In the morning to avoid taking streets, I took the bus to Turbach where the mountain trail started. Shockingly for Switzerland, our bus was delayed but for a very Swiss reason…. a parade of cows! Since I was hiking on September 1st this is not unusual as there are many cow parade starting in September as the farmers bring their cows down from the mountains for the autumn and winter months.
The trail started along a mountain road next to the river and the flora was quite lush. These little purple flowers pictured below were losing little white tuffs that looked like feathers floating in the wind.
Towards the beginning of the path
I ran into a group of tourists coming down the mountain, but never saw anyone else the rest of the hike. This made the hike very peaceful and serene.
View of the valley towards the ascent
On the way to the top, there were wild blueberry bushes everywhere. I enjoyed quite a few as a snack, but was careful to collect them from higher on the bush (so that foxes can’t pee on them as my husband says).
Wild blueberries
Once at the top, the views were absolutely breathtaking. I was also on the look out for lynx at that point since they were noted to be in the area; however, I didn’t see any.
The start down was so open so the views continued to be impressive, but the wind was strong due to the openness.
View coming down
There were some crazy rock formations in the distance (pictured below) as well as some right along the path that I had noticed on the map (shown on the map image below).
Strange rock formations in the dark green area
The strange rock formations as seen on Swiss Topo
….and then sheep!
Sheep!
Then I past a rockfall and then met up with a gorgeous river!
Rockfall
River that followed the rest of the path
The rest of the path followed the river down into Lenk. Shortly after, the lynx trail began with cute information about lynx!
Start of Lynx Trail!
We all have May birthdays!
After the lynx trail and before the last descent I stopped at a sweet little restaurant, “Wallegg-Stube”, which had a wonderful view and get place to take a pause.
Wallegg-Stube
The remainder of the descent was very serene and calm next to the river, which had now become more of a gentle, bubbly stream.
Bubbling steam on the way down
At the previous campsite, fellow Via Alpiners coming from the opposite direction told me about a lady who lived in Lenk that would allow Via Alpiners to stay in her garden and use a toilet and shower in her house. Once I arrived in Lenk, I found her house with a little stone “Via Alpina” sign. She was very kind and welcomed me there. I had a lovely conversation with her about her travels such as her cycling tour across the United States and how she was inspired to give back because of the kindness she received on her journeys.
The garden shed had a little bed (could fit two people) and electricity to recharge phones and other small electronics. There was also a hose outside that I used to rinse off my shoes. It was such a touching experience and I’m so thankful for kind people like this that I met on my journey.
Garden shed where I stayed
Map and altitude description
Day 4 - Lenk to Adelboden
This day was the easiest day of the Via Alpina. I had wanted to continue on in Adelboden; however, the trail had been severely damaged by the storm the week before, so I had to stop there and the middle part of the Via Alpina was already covered in at least a couple feet of snow (starting to reach one meter). Despite the easy agenda, I still didn’t want to walk along the streets so I took the bus to the start of the trail head at Bühlberg parking lot.
It was a quick hike up a gravel road with lovely views.
View from the top of the pass
At the top there were a lot of tourist tents and little lookouts, which were very cute.
One of the little tourist lookouts
The way down was easy to hike fast or even jog as the road was paved.
Cute little cow friend along the way
At the end there was the bottom of the lift where there were bathrooms and a bus stop. This is where my journey ended for that year and then I resumed the middle part of the Via Alpina the next year.
Map and altitude description