Advice as we plan hiking trip in Bernese Oberland for summer '26

Just know that summers in Switzerland are now often HOT (global warming), and July/August are CROWDED with tourists.

I have been travelling to Switzerland and Germany for 40 years now, and the changes are disheartening.

If there is any chance of moving the trip to September/October, that may be better.
Also know most places do NOT have AC ( though big American chains usually do).

Some of your locations are misspelled, but no matter, it looks like you are talking about hiking a few sections of the Via Alpina.

I personally don’t think anyone can tell you if this is doable for you and your friends or not, that is something you need to evaluate. You are looking at ascent/descents of 1,500 - 2,000 m (4,921–6,562 feet). Can everyone in your group manage this?

Take a look online at some differences between the hikes you have done and this one. You can read things such as:

While the Camino requires endurance and persistence, the Swiss Alps
demand technical skill, weather awareness, altitude adaptation, and
physical conditioning for elevation changes.

Here are some good resources to explore:

Switzerland Mobility hiking app/website. I like this one because it is Swiss based and is kept up to date with any trail closures and gives very accurate infromation, perhaps you know of others that are also always current and reliable.

https://schweizmobil.ch/en/summer

Take a look at stages 11 and 12 to see an accurate account of start and end locations (you list Wengen and Rotstockhütte for this).

https://schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-1/stage-11

https://schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-1/stage-12

You can adjust the setting to show you transportation options, if you want to plan any part of the route using bus, gondola, etc. you can easily see how that might work. Click on the bus icon at any location for links to the SBB website for that exact stop. Note that post busses often have a break at midday and have longer gaps at other times as well.

Look into becoming a member of Rega. This is the rescue helicopter service - that is not to say I think you will have an accident, it is just that membership is inexpensive, but using them without it is not! Put their app on your phone.

https://www.rega.ch/en/

Here is a self-test you can do regarding hiking on the Swiss mountain hiking trails. In German - just translate each page as you go along.

https://www.sicher-bergwandern.ch/de

I am in my early 60's, live in the Bernese Oberland, hike all year round whenever I have the chance, but this kind of hike is beyond me. Here is link to Switzerland tourism's YouTube video of an elderly man who volunteers as a trail marker on this route that might inspire you though!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPFY-nYzz-0

Your suggested plan works but you are right that it has some big legs. Personally I’d concentrate on a hut to hut from Grindelwald to Mürren area and then maybe spend a couple days in Mürren at the end relaxing.

Perhaps something like Glecksteinhütte > Faulhornhutte > Berghaus Mannlichen > Obersteinberg > Rotstockhutte > Schilthornhutte > Mürren Palace (spa relaxation to end your trip!)

The good thing about the combo above is that if any section feels like too much, you can use a bit of public transportation in between to help with distance/elevation. For example, you could hike from Glecksteinhutte to Grindelwald, take the cable car up to First and then hike from there to Faulhornhutte. Then you could hike down to Grindelwald and take the cable car up to Mannlichen. Hike down to

Wengen (or cable car), take the train & bus to Stechelberg in the Lauterbrunnen Valley to get to a hiking point for Obersteinberg, hike to Gimmelwald, take the cable car up to Mürren to hike to Rotstockhutte, then to Schilthornhutte and take the cable car down from Schilthorn or Birg to Mürren. Or you can hike every single leg in full. It’s nice to have bail out options if anyone is tired.

Crowds will be slightly less in September, but weather is slightly better chance of being epic in August. Though impossible to predict. Anyway you don’t deal with crowds much on these hut to hut hikes, it’s more so on public transportation and at tourist sites. Either is fine.

You have probably seen videos like these, but here are two that give glimpses of the section between Murren/Gimmelwald and Griesalp:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT9geJ5lxKo&ab_channel=Walk%26Talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZskXZSc4r4I&list=PLVFiQ44-9cx5aGacWL_D8oWJXYp2bq91T&index=6&ab_channel=Nat%26DonGoingSomewhere

Creating your own route is absolutely possible, as Wanderweg suggests, but it does require significant planning. It’s definitely not as easy as just following the signs for route #1 Via Alpina.

I often plan my own routes in advance, plotting them out in my app ahead of time. Even so, I still have to check regularly while hiking to ensure I’m on track.

Getting from point A to B isn’t always straightforward. Try plotting a route from Berghotel Faulhorn to Berghaus Männlichen using the marked trails on the Switzerland Mobility map, and you’ll see what I mean. For something like this you will not have the added benefit of photos/videos online that help you get an idea of what you are in for.

When I hike a new trail at a higher difficulty than I have done before I gather as much information as I can about the trail so that I can be well prepared for the hike. Looking at photos and watching videos, like Edmond posted above, is extremely helpful in being prepared for the hike.

Thank you all for the most helpful advice! This will help tremendously during the first stage of our planning/deciding. I'll be back with more questions, I'm sure. In the meantime, welcome any other thoughts!