Bernese Oberland

START SCHYNIGE
PLATTE
END FIRST
DISTANCE 15KM
DURATION 4½ TO 5½
HOURS
Walking Tour
Faulhornweg
This high-level route is one of Switzerland’s fi nest, with long views to Thunersee,
Brienzersee and the Wetterhorn, Eiger,
Mönch and Jungfrau. A recommended
map is the SAW 1:50,000 Interlaken
(Sfr22.50).
From 1 Schynige Platte (1967m) you
get the fi rst views of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
Walk northeast over rolling pastures past the
Alpine hut of 2 Oberberg, heading gently
upward to reach 3 Louchera at 2020m.
Head around scree slopes on the western
fl ank of canyon-like 4 Loucherhorn
(2230m) to cross a low grassy crest. The way
dips and rises before coming to 5 Egg, a
boulder-strewn pass at 2067m, 1¼ to 1½ hours
from Schynige Platte.
Egg opens out northeastward into the
Sägistal, a moorlike valley completely
enclosed by ridges. Filling the lowest point, the
aquamarine Sägistalsee (1937m) seeps away
subterraneously. Skirt the Sägistal’s southern
side below Indri Sägissa before swinging around
the talus-choked gully of Bonera (or Hühnertal).
The route picks through rough karst slabs to the
wood-shingled mountain hut of 6 Berghaus
Männdlenen on the saddle of Männdlenen
(2344m), one to 1½ hours on.
Make a steeply rising traverse along a broad
ledge between stratifi ed cliff s to the ridge of
Winteregg. Shortly after a minor turn-off at
2546m, head left to the summit of 2681m
7 Faulhorn, one to 1¼ hours from
Männdlenen. These lofty heights aff ord a
spellbinding 360-degree panorama stretching
from Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau to
shimmering Brienzersee and Thunersee and,
on clear days, the Black Forest in Germany
and Vosges in France. Just below the summit
sits 19th-century 8 Berghotel Faulhorn, the
oldest and highest mountain hotel in the Alps.
Look out for marmots as you descend to
9 Gassenboden (2553m), then drop
eastward into the grassy basin of the
a Bachsee (2265m). The petrol-blue lake
contrasts starkly with the ice-shrouded peaks
of Wetterhorn (3701m), Schreckhorn (4078m)
and Finsteraarhorn (4274m). A well-trodden
path descends through cow-grazed pastures to
the gondola-lift station at b First, (2167m),
1½ to two hours from Berghotel Faulhorn.
121
AROUND BERNESE INTERLAKEN OBERLAND 8SCHYNIGE
8
PLATTEAROUND
BERNESE INTERLAKEN OBERLAND 8SCHYNIGE
8
PLATTE