Switzerland 2025

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Tuesday August 5, 2025
Grindelwald

Wednesday August 6, 2025
Schreckhornhütte

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Thursday August 7, 2025
Berghaus Bäregg

08:21 Switzerland time 00:21 California time

First lift up to Pfingstegg was at 830am, so I didn't have to get up too early.
The cable car is just a few minutes down the road from my hotel.

08:36 Switzerland time 00:36 California time

08:37 Switzerland time 00:37 California time

08:52 Switzerland time 00:52 California time

This was the only trail marker I saw today, since this was the only intersection I saw today.

09:08 Switzerland time 01:08 California time

09:17 Switzerland time 01:17 California time

09:40 Switzerland time 01:40 California time

The trail is steep.
By the time you get to this spot you are winded, the sign is well placed to entice you to continue forward a few more minutes to Berghaus Bäregg for a beer...

10:01 Switzerland time 02:01 California time

PANO - scroll right

Berghaus Baregg 1775m, 958am....
Sun is starting to poke through the high clouds.
Has been perfect weather for hiking uphill but poor for pictures.

View from the balcony of Berghaus Bäregg
It was still early, I hadn't seen anyone else on the trail.
A couple of people were inside Berghaus Bäregg; I assumed they were all employees or locals.
I got a hot chocolate and asked the waitress if the dust cloud I saw from the bus was from a rockfall.
She confirmed yes there was a rockfall yesterday.
The trail continues to degrade, it used to be straight across (I didn't ask how long ago, I should have).

I nursed the hot chocolate for a few minutes, then continued uphill.

10:22 Switzerland time 02:22 California time

10:35 Switzerland time 02:35 California time

You can see a small shelter in the middle of the picture.

10:41 Switzerland time 02:41 California time

10:53 Switzerland time 02:53 California time

11:32 Switzerland time 03:32 California time

You can see a dark brown streak of dirt from yesterday's rockfall.
There were dark brown boulders on the canyon floor below as well.

11:41 Switzerland time 03:41 California time

Banisegg, a bend where you can finally see up the left side...
I stopped to take even more pictures and a few groups passed me.

from left:
Schreckhorn 4078m
Lauteraarhorn 4042m
Schreckfirn glacier flowing into
Obers ischmeer
Kleines Fiescherhorn 3895m
Ischmeer
Grosses Fiescherhorn 4049m
Mönch 4110m
Challifirn
Eiger 3967m

11:43 Switzerland time 03:43 California time

11:44 Switzerland time 03:44 California time

12:25 Switzerland time 04:25 California time
pano - scroll right

12:33 Switzerland time 04:33 California time
It appeared something ate lots of purple flower, then pooped lots of purple all over the trail...

12:53 Switzerland time 04:53 California time

A teenager passed me in a hurry on the way up, I met him maybe 20 minutes later at the bottom of the chains here.
He was drenched in sweat from basically running uphill, now downhill, on a warm day.
His father was waiting for him back at Berghaus Bäregg (we're at least an hour from it now) while he tried to hike up to see Schreckhornhütte (estimated at 3h each way in the trip reports I've seen)
He said it got much steeper ahead and he realized he needed to turn around.
I took his picture here in front of the chains and he continued downhill...

13:02 Switzerland time 05:02 California time

The chains got serious in a hurry.
Looking down from the top of the first section.
I've had to use chains as a handhold before, but I don't recall having to use chains to batman my way up perhaps a hundred vertical feet of climbing.
More of an upper body workout that I was ready for....

13:04 Switzerland time 05:04 California time

After the first chain section, the first ladder...

13:10 Switzerland time 05:10 California time
This crossing concerned me, a slip and a missed catch of the wire and you'd go over the falls...
I made it uneventfully of course.

13:15 Switzerland time 05:15 California time

After this ladder the chains zigzag their way up the rocks...
Toward the top a 10-15' section of trail was blocked with red tape and marked as a rockfall hazard.
I assume one of the boulders came loose

13:58 Switzerland time 05:58 California time

14:40 Switzerland time 06:40 California time

At last I could see the Swiss flag in front of the hut, but not the hut itself...

14:41 Switzerland time 06:41 California time

14:46 Switzerland time 06:46 California time

15:29 Switzerland time 07:29 California time

15:30 Switzerland time 07:30 California time

15:30 Switzerland time 07:30 California time

Safely in Schreckhornhütte.
Hardest or 2nd hardest alpine "hike" (chains and ladders) I have done....
That trail is HARD
No cell service at the hut, but cell service (barely) at the Swiss flag 100 yards down the trail.

Kent sorry to have once again stolen your awesome idea, this time I beat you to it....

It does not suck up here.

I nearly fell asleep in the sun resting in front of the hut, exhausted.....

Coming down tomorrow...

Kent:
Wow!
Looks fantastic!
I just arrived in Geneve and going to stay here.
I've never been to terminal 2 at cdg Paris and that was not as pleasant as the main terminal.
Long day travel.
My bag was the very last off plane here and I sat alone for a few minutes before it showed up!
I dont think you stole my idea.
I think it may be an ass whipper hike though.
Check to see (slyly) if people are climbing the big ones there.
I suspect they are.

Ray:
Great job, Dusty.
You'll have no problem getting down, since it's not optional, lol.
I'm about to do the Saas Fee old folks' hike: take the Hannig lift and hike back to town.
Should be ok now that I'm all moleskinned up.
It's already been a helluva day.
Conditons on Allalinhorn were much different and yuckier compared to Sunday.
Ice/snow slabs were throwing shit down like rain and the warm weather of the last couple days must have caused slush to run perpendicular to the trail, which I'm sure I would have noticed Sunday.
No wonder people get up early for this shit.
No one else came up behind me, as mentioned.
I probably shouldn't have gone out there when I did.
Good job making it to Geneva, Kent.
Hope you have the good weather we enjoyed.
Found an ibex for you:

Ray's pic

16:57 Switzerland time 08:57 California time

PANO - scroll right

from left:
Schreckhornhütte 2529m
Schreckhorn 4078m
Lauteraarhorn 4042m
Schreckfirn glacier
Finsteraargletscher
Finsteraarhorn 4275m
Agassizhorn 3947m
Kleines Fiescherhorn 3895m
Grosses Fiescherhorn 4049m
Mönch 4110m
Ischmeer
Eiger 3967m
Challifirn

An hour ago a helicopter headed up the valley towards Finsteraarhorn .... it just came back down..... i would assume a droppoff of supplies would be on a long line and would take far less than an hour, but wtf do i know....

I heard a lengthy Q and A session in French as two climbers asked a local guide about conditions and pointed to various spots on their maps.
I asked for a quick repeat in English
Too much snow, best to wait a few days..

It appearred at least one or two parties were headed up tomorrow morning regardless.

17:01 Switzerland time 09:01 California time

There were detailed instructions in the hut to finding Schreckhorn normal route, much better instructions than I've been able to find online.
The Schreckhorn normal route starts at the hut, goes down and follows the glacier to the right of my face, then leaves the glacier above my hat and follow the rocks up toward the left...
Since you are supposed to start hiking around 2am, there's a reflector placed on the rocks where you're supposed to leave the glacier.
You can shine your leadlamp to find the reflector.

17:01 Switzerland time 09:01 California time

17:03 Switzerland time 09:03 California time

19:23 Switzerland time 11:23 California time

19:29 Switzerland time 11:29 California time

19:45 Switzerland time 11:45 California time

19:45 Switzerland time 11:45 California time

earplugs.

19:46 Switzerland time 11:46 California time

20:38 Switzerland time 12:38 California time

20:46 Switzerland time 12:46 California time

20:47 Switzerland time 12:47 California time

Hut was maybe half full, half hikers half climbers.
Woulda been a bit sucky it it was packed full, there were 5 of us in the Lauterarhorn room w 10 beds, nobody next to me.

It was chilly at 2500m, harder to relax and enjoy when wearing all your gear...
Being on surrounded by glaciers also impacts temperatures...

It was awesome vibe up there, chatted w a grandfather w his preteen grandson, what an awesome memory of a lifetime for them.
Met a few folks at my dinner table and some others.

There are apparently ibexes drinking below the hut at dusk more often than not in the summer, folks were a bit disappointed we didn't see any.