Christhubel (Griesalp)

After a very intense hike on Day 1, I had to decide what hike to do on Day 2 of Bernese Oberland Season 7. I was only staying long enough in Griesalp to do two hikes and I had originally planned a hike to Blüemlisalphütte, which along with Gspaltenhornhütte are the two prime hikes from Griesalp. However, Blüemlisalphütte calculated to be even more intense. Bluemlisalphütte can also be reached from Kandersteg, so I opted for something more toned down; a hike which I could only do from Griesalp. That turned out to be Christhubel.

Christhubel sits at 2216m and is a minor peak, essentially a knob on a high ridge. This ridge separates two distinct terrains. One a sleepy high alpine valley and the other a rugged chasm forged by alpine streams. Together they combined to give this hike unexpected variety and charm. This hike also witnessed some of the best nature of the entire week to come.

No special equipment is needed. A comfortable pair of hiking shoes (low or high) and a set of hiking sticks (optional). There was one minor challenging part to the hike and one spot where you might get wet. I never caught a whiff of vertigo on this one.

Starting/Ending Point	Griesalp
Distance	11.4 km
My Moving Time	3h 22m
Elevation Change	840m

The hike starts off with some ordinary paths during the initial ascent before coming to the first real vista of the hike. What is interesting about this viewpoint is that directly in the center of this view is the latter part of the Gspaltenhornhütte hike down from the Sefinenfurgge. This was a good time for a short mental pat on the back.

At this point, the path becomes an easy going road. Enjoy these segments when you have them!

A viewpoint along the way shows one of the gates to the Bernese Alps in the distance. Beyond are mere foothills which in many countries would be major mountains.

One of my favorite spots was this waterfall. Above this the view opens into a large valley, but from here that view is still tantalizing.

The road winds up to the top of the waterfall and we start to see the valley.

In the distance is a very remote farm called Obere Dünde. Here it is possible to stop for refreshments or simply pass by and say hello to the cows. This is the kind of place I would love to have one summer, 20 books, and a chance to experience.

Heading past the farm, we start to see the ridge connecting to Christhubel.

To get up to the ridge, it is necessary to climb up the grass. There is actually a path here. It is more or less visible, but just in case, keep your eye out for the red/white paint. Worst case, it is just grass so you can brute force it.

The top of the ridge is fantastically dramatic.

The way to Christhubel is less dramatic.

Christhubel.

From here you get a birds-eye view of Obere Dünde. Yep, I could spend a summer here.

Crossing over the ridge, the terrain will be much more rugged.

The most difficult part of the hike is the initial descent which is quite steep. Not dangerous but loose stones and a not-so-well marked path make it tricky.

After tip-toeing around sheep and sheep dung, you come to a great view of the descent thru this chasm comprised of a ridge in between two mountain streams and a dramatic wall on the left side. The first image was a great place to sit and bask in the view. For the first time during the day, the sun also finally appeared.

The sun beckoned a fleet of butterflies, especially the Large Ringlet.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the wildflowers seemed to already be past their peak, contrary to previous years. This Greater Masterwort was a rare case of one that was still in a vibrant state.

At this point in the hike, it was necessary to get across this section of water. A short but fast moving waterfall. It was on a steep decline and did not have an obvious way across except directly across. This, however, is sure to get your shoes and legs wet. Not dangerous, but it ended the use of the particular pair of shoes I was wearing for the rest of the trip.

Once you reach the bottom of the ridge, you discover that there is still another section going down. A path running right thru a herd of cows.

The final section of the descent was a continuous chase to capture a High Brown Fritillary and a Large Wall Brown.

Back below the tree line, it was an easy-going finale back to Griesalp.

Final Words

Despite sloshing the last few kilometers with wet shoes, this was one of the most gentle hikes I have done in Switzerland. Getting back a little earlier than usual, I sat outside my Griesalp hotel sipping beer, having an early dinner, and perusing the unexpected plethora of butterfly pictures, most of them failed attempts with various levels of blur. But I managed to capture three species in one day. For me, a goldmine. Every hike in Switzerland brings its own story. The day before was the snow and the challenging terrain. Today it was the cloudy solitude of the first half of the hike followed by the sunny constant presence of those beautiful, fluttery hiking companions in the second half. They would appear almost like magic from the earth or rocks on the trail in front of me, suddenly launching like fireworks into the air and then loop around in random trajectories as I futilely grabbed my camera. I could almost hear them giggling as they would just as quickly disappear or land too briefly for me to get them in focus. Hiking is about patience, meditation, and mental focus. It is also about what nature allows you to witness. For me, Switzerland has become as much about the small things as the grand.