High Altitude Cappuccino

🗺️ Overview Starting point:  Brienz (600m) Arrival:  Brienzer Rothhorn (2,348m) Altitude gain:  1,748m Duration:  ~5 hours ascent, 40 min descent (by train) Difficulty:  Hard Technical difficulty:  Moderate (due to snowfields) Download GPS file The Brienzer Rothhorn had been on my hiking list for a while. As the  highest point in Canton Luzern,  it’s a long and demanding route, and I never found the right moment to tackle it. But in 2024, while training for Capanna Margherita, I needed longer hikes to prepare. When the weekend forecast showed perfect weather, I knew it was time. Like always, I decided the night before—one of the perks of living close to the Alps! I left home at 6:30 AM and, by 8:00 AM, I was parked in  Brienz (600m) , a charming village on the shores of Lake Brienz, opposite Interlaken , in canton Bern . The hike starts  near the steam train station —yes, there’s an actual steam train that goes to the summit, but more o...

🗺️ 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 Download GPS file 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 kilom...

🗺️ Overview Location:  Niederhorn, above Lake Thun, near Interlaken Start Point:  Beatenberg (1,150 m) End Point:  Niederhorn summit (1,963 m), optional extension to Burgfeldstand (2,063 m) Ascent:  970m meters (if hiking from Beatenberg to Burgfeldstand Duration: Beatenberg to Niederhorn: ~2 hours Niederhorn to Burgfeldstand: ~30 minutes (one way) Return options: Take the lift down (Magic Pass accepted) Hike back (~2 hours) Download GPS file This time, I bring you to the  Niederhorn , a mountain towering above Lake Thun, not far from Interlaken. The hike starts in  Beatenberg (1,150 m) , right at the base of the lift that takes you up to the Niederhorn. You can get there by car—there’s parking available—but a more scenic option is to start at the lake shore and take the  funicular  up to Beatenberg. If you choose this route, make sure to stop by the  St. Beatus Hölen , located near the funicular parking lot. These caves, with a river flowin...

Here another forgotten hikes post. This time in Bern! Eigertrail, Grindelwald Start point : Alpiglen station, Grindelwald, 1615m Destination : Eigergletcher station, 2362m Distance : ~6 km loop Elevation gain : ~790 m Time : ~2h (one way) Difficulty : Moderate Download GPS file The Eigertrail is a very famous trail and the Eiger is probably the most famous mountain in the Alps after Mont Blanc. The book "The White Spider" by Heirich Harrer, the same author of "Seven years in Tibet", tells the story of the first ascent of the north face of this iconic mountain in 1938. The Eigertrail runs just below that north face from the train station Alpiglen (1615m) to the station Eigergletcher 2362m. You can walk it also from Grindelwald that about doubles the trail lenght or take the train (that is a very Swiss thing) to Alpiglen and start from there as we did. The trail goes mostly on rocky and gravel terrain and takes 6km and 790m of elevation. Doable in about 2h. From there...