Page 37 - 2016 AMA Autumn

on your next climbing exped, there’s enough in the area to deliver a RSF course or get the miles in for your RCI.
Hiking
Whilst we did not climb the Eiger – disappointing, I hear you say, but less practical with a 1 year old and two spaniels in tow, we did take advantage of the trails at the base of the North Wall, and around the Eigergletscher. We found local route maps for the area in the tourist information centre in Grindelwald and consequently bought suitable 1:25k maps at a local outdoor shop on the main street in the town. Unfortunately, on our trip, with Brexit still being fresh in people’s minds, the pound was quite low and these maps cost in the order of £30 each! Both can be purchased on Amazon for between £12 - £20.
The route we chose for one of our days in the area was taking in the sights of the North Wall of the Eiger (a must!), the Eiger- gletscher and the base of the Jungfrau which is locally known as being the ‘Top of the Europe’. For the less mountain fit, a train can take you from Kleine Scheidegg up to the observatory at the top of the Jungfrau for a mere CHF 60. A point to note is, if you travel into the mountains do not expect to be able to purchase anything with a debit or credit card as the mountain huts and train stations are not wired for internet connectivity and so cannot process the payments – a mistake we made on our return down the mountain but were rescued by an American man and his daughter who witnessed our despair at the ticket office and very kindly offered us the cash to help out.
Our short time in Grindelwald was not enough to even scratch the surface. What this article clearly avoids is the opportunity for serious mountain days – it was never meant to explore this area. However, if, like me you want to go somewhere different from the standard issue Calp or Newquay for your unit’s Type 2/3 AT package then Grindelwald certainly offers all you could need.
What did it cost?
Camping – Ben’s Camping (Gundlishwand) / pitch / night (incl tax)
Map (can be found cheaper online)
Train to Grindelwald from Gundlishwand (Single)
CHF 20
CHF 32 CHF 6
Item Description
Cost
Motorway Tax
CHF 40
Pizza & Pint
CHF 20
Train to Kleine Sheidegg
CHF 60
At the time, the exchange rate afforded approximately £1: CHF 1, this equated to a costly trip for a family of three, but with suitable pre-exped planning, particularly by taking food from the UK or buying it in Germany or France on the way in to the country, the costs could be reduced to more acceptable levels.
If you’ve been somewhere different recently and think others would want to go, why not let us know about it? Contact the Journal Editor for details.
ARMY MOUNTAINEER 35