Dieppe to Geneva walk 2023: DAY 64 - GRINDELWALD to WENGEN (Monday 19 June)

Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau - classic view from the Kleine Scheidegg walk

Today's route took us up from Grindelwald, over the Kleine Scheidegg, and down into Wengen. It is one of our favourite walks, and we were glad to be able to incorporate it into our walk across Switzerland.

We had a bit of time on the balcony before heading out

One last admiring look at the view from the balcony

And then we were off

It was fairly early when we set out - the sun had just risen above the Wetterhorn

We joined the other tourists as we passed through Grindelwald

We continued downhill to Grindelwald Grund.

The first couple of kilometres was downhill, through Grindelwald to the valley floor. Then it was all uphill for several kilometres.

Climbing out of Grindelwald

We were gaining altitude quite quickly

Grindelwald was soon well behind us

A well-placed bench provided an early rest stop

And then it was back to the climbing

Australian long-distance walker enjoying a jaunt in the Alps

The path continued steeply upwards

Looking back, we could see the Wetterhorn, the Grosse Scheidegg, and the village of Grindelwald in the valley below

Back to the walk - the Eiger on the left was a constant presence

Australian long-distance walker enjoying a jaunt in the Alps

Cows with bells provided an appropriate musical accompaniment to the walk

After a couple of hours, we had climbed several hundred metres to a fork in the road

At Alpiglen, we had the choice of continuing on the regular path to the Kleine Scheidegg, or taking the Eiger Trail, a mountain path along the base of the mountain. We had fond memories of walking on the mountain path on a previous trip, and decided to go that way.

The Eiger Trail involved more climbing

There were quite a few people walking the trail, in both directions

We were walking westwards, with the massive Eiger just to our left

We continued to gain height - at times it seemed we were up in the clouds

We were now up above the level of the Grosse Scheidegg

As scenic paths go, this one is right up there

There were several snow crossings to negotiate

Which, of course, was a lot of fun

Australian long-distance walkers walking across the snow at the base of the Eiger.

We stopped for lunch where the trail emerged, just above the Kleine Scheidegg and below the Eiger glacier. We then descended to join the hordes at the Kleine Scheidegg.

Snow crossing on the Eiger Trail

Approaching the Kleine Scheidegg

Mountain scenery on the trail

The bubble foot spa lounges were a welcome surprise

An unexpected luxury at the end of the Eiger Trail

Lunch spot with the classic backdrop of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau

Australian long-distance walkers among the crowds at the Kleine Scheidegg

We took a few photos at the pass, then started the steady descent towards Wengen. Of course, we had also taken some photos from here on our previous visits.

Look - that's the Jungfraujoch between the Mönch and the Jungfrau (July 2006)

Look - that's the Jungfraujoch between the Mönch and the Jungfrau (June 2023)

Future Australian long-distance walker among the wildflowers, with the Eiger and Mönch in the background (July 2006)

Australian long-distance walker among the wildflowers, with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in the background (June 2023)

Future Australian long-distance walkers descending from the Kleine Scheidegg towards Wengen (July 2003)

Australian long-distance walkers descending from the Kleine Scheidegg towards Wengen (June 2023)

The weather became a bit bleak on the way down. There was a bit of lightning and thunder about, and enough rain to have us reaching for our umbrellas and poncho. It was a dramatic climax to a wonderful day's walk.