Loop Around Gantrisch – A Scenic Family-Friendly Hike
🗺️ Overview
- Starting point: Türliboden parking (1,600m)
- Arrival: Loop back to Türliboden via Gantrischhütte
- Highest point: Schibenspitz (2,060m)
- Altitude gain: ~600m
- Duration: ~4.5–5 hours round trip (including breaks)
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Best season: Late spring to early autumn
- Family-friendly: Yes, but some steeper sections
This time, we head to Canton Bern, into the Gantrisch Natural Park. This hike is a loop around Gantrisch (2,175m), the mountain that gives the park its name. It strikes a perfect balance between an easy stroll and a challenging hike—long enough to be rewarding but still very doable, even with a kid in a backpack (as we did).
Starting Point – Türliboden Parking (1,600m)
The hike starts at Türliboden, next to the winter ski lifts along the Gurnigel road. Another possible starting point is Gantrischhütte, about a kilometer downhill, but I prefer to pass the hut towards the end of the hike—a well-timed reward!
From the parking lot, the trail begins on a wide gravel road, winding through alpine pastures. After rounding a hill, the path starts climbing gradually towards Leiterepass (1,905m).
📍 Distance to Leiterepass: 2.7 km (~1 hour)
🚶 Trail conditions: Mostly gentle incline until the last 20 minutes, where it becomes steeper, narrower, and rockier.
💡 Just before the steeper section, a smaller path branches off to the right—this is the start of the Gantrisch via ferrata, which leads directly to the summit. Tempting, but not an option with a kid on our backs!
Crossing Leiterepass – A Dramatic Change of Scenery
The Leiterepass crossing is spectacular—you pass through a narrow gap in the rocks, and suddenly, the landscape completely changes. The other side is noticeably greener, with views extending towards the Stockhorn ridge in the distance.
Here, the trail descends 150m, before climbing again 230m towards Schibenspitz (2,060m)—the highest point of the hike.
⏳ Time from Leiterepass to Schibenspitz: ~1 hour 30 min
There is actually an alternative path that stays more level, bypassing some of the ascent and descent. However, it runs narrowly along the flank of Gantrisch, so we opted for the more family-friendly lower route.
Schibenspitz Ridge & Morgetepass (1,959m)
After a quick sandwich break at Schibenspitz, we began our descent along the ridge towards Morgetepass (1,959m).
⏳ Time from Schibenspitz to Morgetepass: ~30 min
At Morgetepass, there’s a small kiosk selling drinks—a perfect place for a short rest before continuing downhill.
A Hidden Gem – Gantrischseeli
The final stretch of the hike is mostly downhill. The trail initially follows a mountain path, before joining a road leading towards the alpages of the valley.
📍 Midway through the descent, we made a small detour to Gantrischseeli—a tranquil alpine lake, perfect for a picnic stop. This adds about 20 minutes to the loop but is well worth it.
The Final Stretch – Gantrischhütte & Back to the Car
After visiting the lake, we continued downhill through the forest until reaching Gantrischhütte, where we celebrated with a well-deserved ice cream! 🍦
From here, the return to the car is straightforward.
🚶 Two options:
1️⃣ Follow the gravel road back to Türliboden parking.
2️⃣ Take the parallel hiking path next to it for a more scenic return.
⏳ Time from Gantrischhütte to the parking lot: ~20–25 minutes
Final Thoughts – A Perfect Mid-Level Alpine Loop
This Gantrisch loop is a perfect balance between a relaxed and moderate challenge. It offers:
✔️ A mix of landscapes – rocky passes, green valleys, and alpine ridges.
✔️ A sense of adventure – but remains family-friendly.
✔️ Gantrischseeli – A beautiful hidden lake for a quiet stop.
If you are looking for a shorter version you can also park at Gantrischhutte and just go to the lake and back.
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