Gspaltenhornhütte (from Griesalp)

Season 7 in the Bernese Oberland got immediately kicked into high gear on the very first morning. Dense clouds blanketed the peaks in the cool morning taunting with their unpredictability. I was hiking from Griesalp to Gspaltenhornhütte and it looked like the day was going to be cranky. This was my 7th Summer hiking in Switzerland, and I always visit either at the end of July or the beginning of August. Generally, I have been very lucky with the weather. Once I was caught in a long rain shower but otherwise only clouds have been my worst enemies. Today it felt more like the latter, and I couldn’t help feeling that Switzerland was acting scorned and wasn’t going to simply welcome me back passively. This hike would exemplify the strange nature of the weather at these altitudes.

Gspaltenhornhütte sits around 2455m elevation. It is an SAC hut, meaning that it is managed by the Schweizer Alpen-Club. They have a handy website which I have found somewhat useful in getting a feel for the difficulty levels in relation to vertigo-inducing obstacles. From Griesalp, the difficulty rating is a T3, which for a fit hiker with some vertigo issues is about where you will top out. T4 is possible but you better do good research. I don’t always get vertigo when I am exposed to drops and heights so it is important to me to get clear details. I don’t want to be tricked either way. As for my blog posts, I always try to do my best to point out as clear as possible these difficult spots from my own vertigo perspective in my posts. If you would like to know my vertigo triggers, you can read this old post.

Let’s start by getting our bearings, and a good way to do that is to check out the Swiss topographical map at this website map.geo.admin.ch. I have added the Gspaltenhornhütte to the map with the red pin. There are two main approaches to the hut. One from Griesalp and one from the Mürren/Stechelberg. I previously planned to try this hike from Stechelberg but was told that it was too long for a daytrip. Indeed, from Mürren, the estimated hike time is around 7 hours, requiring an overnight stay at the hut or to continue on to Griesalp and either stay there or take a long series of public transportation options back to Mürren/Stechelberg. Stechelberg would probably add another hour of hiking. Whether coming from Mürren or Stechelberg, you need to pass by the Rotstockhütte (red dot). For this hike, however, I will come from the closest starting point, Griesalp, pass by Gamchi, and up to the Gspaltenhornhütte. Since I prefer to do loop hikes as much as possible, I will return to Griesalp by way of the Sefinafurgga (or Sefinenfurgge) which is the main pass between the Kandersteg and Lauterbrunnen regions and actually the high point of the hike.

What Gear to Take?

No special climbing gear is necessary. Hiking sticks and boots which come up over the ankles would be beneficial under the conditions of my hike due to the snow. My body regulates on the warm side so I only needed a hat and gloves for a short spell while I was at the top on a plateau above the Sefinenfurgge where it was very windy. Otherwise I was in hiking shorts and a light zip-up shell with a quick dry shirt underneath.

The Journey

Elevation Range

1500 – 1800 m

Do you know that feeling you get when you look into the distant peaks and wonder what the day will bring? That was here.

There were some lush forest at the beginning.

Passing by the small Bürgli farm chalet.

The weather in the morning was forboding.

Gamchi is a remote farm which also has an honesty cupboard where I bought a wurst and a bottle of beer for the featured photo. There is also cheese and assorted other drinks for sale as well.

After Gamchi, the trail heads up into the mountains. It’s a good place to look back before you really leave civilization.

This section of the hike is notorious for the constant falling water. If you are lucky, there will be umbrellas at this end of the section. Take one. Trust me, you will be soaked if you don’t.

This part of the trail is wet and narrow, but I never felt too exposed here.

Elevation

1800 – 2160 m

If you take a look back, you get a good perspective of the trail. There is another bin to leave your umbrella (not shown).

Once you get past Gamchi… isolation and intense beauty. It starts to feel like you exist in one of those old black and white movies where part of it has been colorized.

This Summer has been very snowy in this area. Once you leave the grass, the entire atmosphere of the hike changes.

Approach to Gspaltenhornhütte

2160 – 2500 m

It was around this time that the clouds started to roll in.

Then the Gspaltenhornhütte came into view. These photos are not filtered. It was suddenly a monochrome world.

I reached the hut where the red of the shutters and Swiss flag brought a little order back to my vision. Inside the hut, it was quiet as the kitchen was probably preparing for hikers who would come later for their overnight stay. Meanwhile, I took a break and enjoyed an alcoholic cider.

And then this started to happen.

Towards Sefinenfurgge Pt. I

2500 – 2700 m

Not wanting to lose any more time, I decided to head out into the mini snow storm. The bark was much worse than the bite.

Within a few minutes, the skies cleared to reveal the path towards the Sefinenfurgge.

A view towards Griesalp gave a sudden technicolor splash.

However, the hike continued on through the black and white landscape. Looking into the distance, the Alps can easily trick your mind as you wonder how exactly you are going to get up to the top of that ridge in the center of the first picture. As you get closer, the truth reveals itself.

I am not a big fan of ladders but this one was quite ok. Even a short exposed section with a supporting rope at the top was not too frightening.

When I got to this point where a steady climb was needed, the clouds and snow rolled back in for another round.

Towards Sefinenfurgge Pt. II

2500 – 2700 m

Initially you have to follow the tracks of the previous hikers. Remember that this is the main route to and from Mürren. Already, I had passed a couple groups of hikers, so the path should normally be well visible.

Towards the top, thankfully some steps have been added to give better direction (and visibility). The monochrome world here was spectacular.

At the top of the ridge, the weather also hit its peak.

But again, the weather cleared up just as quickly as it arrived revealing the path I still needed to follow. This was another place where the mountains played mindgames as I stood there wondering where I go once the path reaches the wall. I was already forced into no turning back mode. I was just praying that what I would find would not trigger my vertigo. Fortunately, at the end was a pretty easy path using some embedded steps and rope. The problem at this point was not heights, but that above me was an overhanging cliff with huge icicles which were randomly melting and crashing like explosives into the ground around me. For about 10 seconds, I would be exposed to them. I waited a few minutes to get an idea of the approximate rate at which they were falling, then took a breath and ran up those steps. Unscathed.

Safety. Up here though, you are on a plateau and no longer sheltered from the wind.

You arrive to an amazing vista of the Sefinenfurgge which divides the two regions.

Here is the actual pass itself. I was approaching it from above as a group of hikers was coming from Mürren. At this point, you can either come up where I am standing in the photo back towards the Gspaltenhornhütte or down to the left of the image directly towards the comfort of green and Griesalp.

They were heading down towards Griesalp as was I. The descent is aided by steps and rope.

Once you come back to the green grass, the most difficult parts are behind you. Only the constant downhill churn which I dislike so much.

Usually at this time of year from past experience, any area exposed to a lot of sun should be thriving with wildflowers and butterflies. This hike, both were scarce. It looked already past the prime season. Though I did manage to finally capture a Scotch Argus.

Final Words

My first hike in the Swiss Alps in three years was an epic one. Despite the snow, I never felt in any danger. The snow fall was wispy and didn’t cover any of the tracks. You could also tell the episodes would be short. In a way, they had a softening effect, making the view around you small, letting you focus only on the steps ahead of you and not allowing your mind to over-react. I suppose the snow on the ground had the same effect. Perhaps I would have had a more difficult time if all of the rocks underneath were exposed and more menacing. I think the mental aspect of these hikes is always more intense than the physical. But I feel pretty certain that snow or no snow, a fear of heights should not prohibit this hike. It will test you for short segments, but I never felt a spell of vertigo coming on at any time. When I got to the Sefinenfurgge, the adrenaline pump from dodging the icicles and standing up on the windy plateau meant that as I descended the steps, I almost could have danced down them. Meanwhile, a young couple was in front of me, one was using the tri-pedal approach crouched over always keeping one hand on the steps and the other taking the steps by the seat of her pants the entire way down. I have been in her position in my life, and it was a funny yet poignant reminder of just how psychological these hikes can be. I am sure just as for that couple, when I got to the bottom, the grass was never greener or the vistas more beautiful or the smell of the pastures fresher or the cow bells clinking in the distance more soothing than after an experience like that. It is what keeps me coming back. That and the butterflies of course.