I'm planning to do a full day hike starting from gimmelwald up to the top of schilthorn and also hike back down. Any advice on if there will be many stops/huts along the way to buy extra water/food or general advice for this hike, estimated time each way, and how much temperature change to expect at the top (mid september)?
I am in excellent physical shape and have hiked at higher altitudes in South America (4,600 meters) so this is not an issue
baf,
I've never done that hike but having seen the area from a Cable Car, I don't remember any Huts in that area. There are a couple of small Hotel / Pubs in the valley below the location where the Allmend-Hubel Funicular stops, and you could get a meal there (although they're not really that far from Mürren). You can also get a fine meal in the revolving restaurant in the Schilthorn of course.
I've heard that the last stretch up to the Schilthorn can be treacherous, so you'll have to be cautious. If you're really adventurous, you could hike up to the Schilthorn and then take a tandem Paraglider flight back to Stechelberg.
Hopefully Lola or one of the others will be able to provide more specific information.
I haven't hiked up, but I've skied down. At least in the winter, it looked pretty steep to me. I'm not positive, but it might be a "technical climb" as opposed to just an uphill hike.
I have hiked the Schilthorn from Gimmelwald and described my experience in a post in Trip Reports back in May under the heading "This is Gimmelwald!". The best thing for you is that you are doing the hike in September (I did this hike in the beginning of October) when there is the least amount of snow on the trail. Then, we did not hit the snow line until we crossed the rocky plateau just below the summit. Based on your experience, you are probably looking at 6-7 hours of actual hiking up and back. But, like everyone else, plan on stops along the way and at the peak itself for the spectacular views! One of the best things I ever did in my life-enjoy!
Although we have hiked in the area we have never hiked up the Schilthorn as the weather has never cooperated. I would wanperiod clear weather for this hike. So I do not speak from personal experience. I can tell you this from photos I have seen, blogs I have read, and this map:
http://www.mappery.com/map-of/Schilthorn-Summer-Trail-Map
It is a hike, not a technical climb. The last past is steep, exposed, and rocky, but there are chains for security. If you start from Gimmelwald, you ascend 1607 meters (5272 feet) over roughly 5 miles. That makes it a "very strenuous" hike. There is one hut, the Schilthornhütte, at 2432 meters, or about 500 meters below the summit which is at 2970m. As with any hike in the mountains, you should carry enough food and water to sustain you all day, and clothing to accommodate any unexpected turns Innthe weather. Most websites estimate 5 hours for the ascent and another 5 for the descent ( although of course some people could do it faster, especially on the downhill).
thanks for all the advice, exactly the info I was looking for.
We did this hike a few years ago and it was amazing! We followed the route that the other posters have already stated that goes past Birg and the Schilthornehutte. We did not stop at either. While there is a little bit of a scramble near the top with a cord to hold onto for about 10 meters, it is not that big of a deal. I have a moderate fear of heights and I got by slowly but with no problem. My wife zipped right past these sections. We started about 10 am in Murren and got back at about 5 or 6 pm. We carried small backpacks with rain jacket and fleece, one water bottle each and a quart of gatorade. We had a soup at the revolving restaurant and replenished our water supply. It was about 5-8 degrees F colder at the summit. We took an alternate route down that went through pastures and past a farm. It was advised that we take this down as it is not quite as steep as the other route. 3/4 height hiking boots and hiking poles made the hiking up and especially down easier. The way up was more rock and scree and the return trip was green pasture land that we shared with cows. Our hike was in mid July, and the weather was near perfect with just a little sunshowers on the way down.
If you are interested, we did another great hike the following day which was challenging but a little bit easier than this one. If you interested, let me know and I can look up the details.
Happy Trails!
