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Hiking Recommendations Near Grindelwald

Posted by (Alabama) on

Hello, my wife, 2 year old, and I will be in Murren June 13-18. I want to do most hiking directly out of Murren to minimize time in transport, so I am hoping to do as much of the Wengen/Grindelwald side of the valley in one day as possible and I am wondering if the below hike is reasonable. The toddler will be in a backpack carrier.

The general plan would be to get from Murren to the Wengen-Mannlichen lift as early as possible, do the Royal Walk/Lookout, play on the Mannlichen playground, then leisurely hike to Kleine Scheidegg, Fallbodensee, pack lunch or lunch at the Eigergletscher station, hike the Eiger Trail to Grindelwald, spend some time there, dinner depending on the time, then train/bus back to Stechelburg and up to Murren. Are there any other spots or paths along/near that path that we should add to the plan or swap? I see on the hiking path status map that the Eiger Trail and the Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg trails are "closed." Are those likely to be open by mid-June?

My main concern, of course, is making sure we're back in time to get the cable car up to Murren. From what I can tell, the Stechelberg-Gimmelwald-Murren cable car runs until late at night. We will have the OB Pass.

I appreciate any advice or tips from the area experts here.

https://www.komoot.com/tour/2994177296?share_token=a665XumCxrWLfJ3UqExijKjAGRU7U96GVnw3eh3zcMDKKZSiVL&ref=wtd&t_s=referral&t_cid=route_share&t_ref_username=5553167376087

Posted by
441 posts

Your intended hike is reasonable for adults in good physical condition who are regular hikers, but in my opinion it's far too ambitious to attempt with a toddler in a backpack.

Spending time on Männlichen, hiking up the Royal Walk, returning to the playground, and then walking to Kleine Scheidegg are all excellent family-friendly activities and would make for a very enjoyable day on their own.

In the mountains, mornings are generally the best time for hiking. Later in the day you're more likely to encounter thunderstorms, larger crowds, stronger UV exposure on sunny days, and rapidly changing weather conditions.

In Switzerland, hiking trails are broadly classified as Wanderweg (yellow-marked hiking trails) and Bergwanderweg (white-red-white mountain hiking trails). The Eiger Trail is a Bergwanderweg. If it were just you and your wife, and you are regular hikers with a good level of fitness, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. However, I would not bring a toddler on this hike in a backpack carrier, especially not after what is already a very full morning.

The Eiger Trail includes steep and uneven terrain, loose scree, rocky sections, and gravel. Even relatively minor slips can happen when descending on loose surfaces, which is the direction you'll be hiking.

For me, the question isn't whether you can do it with a toddler on your back—you probably can. The question is why take the risk. There are so many wonderful trails in the area that are better suited to families with young children.

A slip on this trail might simply leave a solo hiker with a bruised backside. With a child on your back, the consequences could be much more serious. In my opinion, it's simply not worth the risk.

Regarding the train - you can leave Grindelwald as late as 23:39, arriving in Mürren after midnight, so that is definitely not a worry.

Here is the Eiger Trail, route #353. You will see that it is marked on the map as a red line (mountain hiking trail) while the route Männlichen - Kleine Scheidegg is yellow (regular hiking trail).

https://schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-353

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