Walking in the Bernese Oberland. Kev Reynolds

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      Should you plan to spend several nights in huts during your holiday, it would be worth buying a reciprocal rights card from the British Mountaineering Council (BMC); 177–179 Burton Road, Manchester M20 2BB (www.thebmc.co.uk) to obtain a discount on overnight fees – but not meals. Membership of other Alpine Clubs also enables you to claim discounted overnight fees.

      Holiday Apartments

      Giving a degree of freedom and flexibility, self-catering apartments are an option worth considering by families or groups of friends planning to stay in one centre. The majority of resort villages mentioned in this guide have apartments or chalets to rent, usually for a one week minimum.

      Hotels and Mountain Inns

      A large number and variety of hotels exist throughout the Bernese Oberland, ranging from small family-run establishments to large 4-star buildings that are part of an international hotel chain. In addition, mountain inns and pensions that may not be star-rated, are located in some of the villages as well as more remote outlying districts. A few mountain restaurants also offer good value overnight accommodation in bedrooms or dormitories.

      Package Holidays

      Holiday packages that provide both accommodation and travel, can offer a useful service at a competitive price for walkers looking for a base in a specific resort. Visit your local travel agent and check the brochures of companies such as Crystal, Inghams, Kuoni, Thomson etc.

Weather

      Mountains make their own weather. This is an old adage that is certainly true of the Bernese Oberland. Since the range more or less faces north and is the first of the main mountain areas to collect the weather patterns flooding in across northwest Europe and the low Swiss plains, it attracts a worse record (so far as rain and low cloud are concerned) than most other Alpine regions.

      Summer thunderstorms are to be expected when precipitation will almost certainly be in the form of rain below 2000m, and possibly snow above that level – the Jungfraujoch, for example, records an annual precipitation in excess of 4000mm (158 inches). However, when the Fohn winds blow there will be clear skies for several days at a time (these may occur two or three times a month during the summer), but this is usually succeeded by more rain. Despite its generally poor reputation, however, my own experience of wandering among the Oberland hills over several decades, has been much more positive, for I’ve enjoyed more good weather than bad, and a reasonable amount that could be considered indifferent. Hardly a day has occurred when the weather was so foul it was impossible to go walking, so do not allow the possibility of a few days of rain dissuade you from visiting these wonderful mountains. If you go prepared for the worst and hope for the best, you’ll not be disappointed.

      Walkers relax below the Grosse Chrinne in a quiet corner away from Grindelwald’s crowds

      Average monthly temperatures and precipitation figures (in mm) for Bern, lying north of the Oberland at an altitude of 510m (1673ft) are shown in the box.

      The Swiss meteorological service, MeteoSwiss, publishes a 5-day forecast which provides a general view of weather trends. The broadcast daily weather report is, of course, more helpful, and a local weather bulletin is usually posted in the window of tourist offices and mountain guides’ bureaux. For an internet report in English, visit www.meteoswiss.ch/en – this gives a daily forecast as well as a five-day prediction. Current weather conditions throughout Switzerland can be checked on www.MySwitzerland.com.

Notes for Walkers

      The majority of walks described in this guide have been chosen with a particular viewpoint, lake, alp hamlet, hut or pass as the destination, while the principal objective is to enjoy a day’s exercise among some of the most uplifting scenery in all the Alps. There’s something here to meet the needs of every walker, at every level of experience and ambition. But in order to gain the most from an active walking holiday in the Bernese Oberland, one needs to be in reasonably good physical condition on arrival.

      These mountains are high, and although this is not a climbing guide, walks to a few ‘minor’ summits are included. Yet even without summits, many of the routes described venture to vantage points at elevations of well over 2000m (half as high again as the summit of Britain’s highest mountain), and some of the trails are both steep and exposed. Of course, there are many walks of a more modest nature, but which also enjoy stunning views. Just avoid being over-ambitious for the first few days of the holiday, until you’re acclimatised and better able to appreciate the Alpine scale of the landscape.

      Walks have been graded into three numerical categories, with the highest grade reserved for the more challenging routes. This grading system is purely subjective, but is included as a rough guide of what to expect. Moderate walks (Grade 1) should appeal to active members of the family who want reasonably short walks without too many steep sections. The majority of routes are graded 2 or 3, largely as a result of the challenging nature of the district. A full definition of these grades is given at the end of this Introduction.

      Throughout the region footpaths are signed with typical Swiss efficiency

      Most paths are well maintained, waymarked and signed at junctions with typical Swiss efficiency. Footpath signs generally conform to a national standard, are painted yellow, and bear the names of major landmark destinations such as a pass, lake, hut or village or, indeed, sometimes a name that does not appear on the map, but which refers to a specific trail junction. Estimated times are given in hours (Std:stunden) and minutes (min), while a white plate on some of the signs announces the name and altitude of the immediate locality. Rarely do paths in this book stray onto unpathed territory, but where they do, occasional cairns and/or waymarks act as your guide. In such places it is essential to remain vigilant to avoid becoming lost – especially in poor visibility. If in doubt about the continuing route, return to the last point where you were certain of your whereabouts, and try again. By regular consultation with the map during your walk, it should be possible to keep abreast of your position and anticipate junctions or a change of direction before you reach them.

      Waymarks are either painted yellow (the Wanderweg) for easy, mostly valley walks; white-red-white for the higher, more demanding Bergweg trails; while a third type of waymark which indicates an Alpenweg is coloured blue and white. These are reserved for difficult routes which may involve sections of scrambling, via ferrata (fixed rope, metal rungs or ladders), or glacier crossings. Only the most experienced of mountain walkers should attempt these.

      For safety’s sake do not walk alone on remote trails, on moraine-bank paths or glaciers. If you prefer to walk in a group but have not made prior arrangements to join an organised walking holiday, the staff at several tourist offices in the region arrange day walks in the company of a qualified leader. These take place throughout the summer months and are sometimes free of charge to guests staying in the organising resort. Enquire at the local tourist office for specific details.

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