Switzerland: Unter Grindelwaldgletcher

7 July 2009

Another day that started with low cloud, so we decided to do a moderately low level walk, and visit the lower Grindelwald glacier.


Not a very good photo as it is from the Berner Oberland Bahn train, but it gives a bit more of a feel for the steep valley and the fast-flowing river.


Zweilütschinen is where the railway splits, with one branch following one Lütschine river up to Lauterbrunnen where we went yesterday, and the other climbing up the other branch of the valley to Grindelwald. The train is split or joined here.


From Grindelwald, a look up at the glacier. Much of it, and the mountains behind it, are hidden in cloud


Having walked through Grindelwald from the BOB station, the next stage of our journey is the Pfingsteggbahn cable car, which lifts us from around 1000 metres to 1391 metres.


Grindelwald from the top of the cable car


Me at the Pfingsteggbahn restaurant


A mountain top (the Wetterhorn, I think) with no cloud - the only time we saw that today


Looking down the valley again as the cloud starts to build


Looking up the valley of the glacier, lying between the Schreckhorn ridge (which we'll be walking along the side of) and the north-east side of the Eiger.


The remains of a large rockfall on the north-eastern side of the Eiger.


Looking back along our path


The wet tables after rain at the guesthouse at Bäregg at 1772 metres, the limit of our walk as from here on the mountain walk becomes an Alpine walk.


At the signpost, I look out at the mist, trying to imagine the view of the glacier and mountains


A last look at the guesthouse at Bäregg


Descending through intermittent cloud.


The path has been hacked through the rock in places


Returning to the cable car. It was a shame that the cloud descended and we got relatively little view. It started to rain after this picture so we descended and returned to Interlaken.

 

 

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Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright (c) Stephen and Lucy Dawson