The Cross-Swiss Walk - Murren to Kandersteg

Ken Baldry crosses Switzerland on Foot -

Mürren to Kandersteg 1974

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The grandest of stages,
& two tough days.
Route: Mürren-Sefinenfurka-Griesalp-Hohtürli Pass-Kandersteg

Day One:
Sefinenfurka from Mürren to Kiental

Maps LK 254 and LK 264 but better to use Zusammensetzung 5004 which will take you all the way to Kandersteg.

This map is copied from the Official Map of the Automobil-Club der Schweiz, (with their permission) which is on this link but not to scale

At Wengen, Jane & I caught the train down to Lauterbrunnen and up the funicular to Murren 1645m. The Alte Post Hotel is recommendable as we got a second helping of stew. All the hotels on this trip were except the Griesalp Bunkhouse. We walked some way up the Schilthorn the next day but were driven off by rain. When we asked what the weather would be the next day, the Verkehrsburo girl said, Schlechte.

The Sefinenfurka (arrow) seen from the
Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen path with Mürren (M).

Fortunately, she was wrong and we set off over the Sefinenfurka 2612m to Griesalp. It is about 6 miles to the pass.This is a long but straightforward walk from the South of Mürren village towards Bogangen farmhouse. There is a splendid view of the Gspaltenhorn on the way up and the pass is sharp like an arete only four feet wide.

The sign on the Sefinenfurka lay on the ground and this shows Jane holding it up.

This link for pictures of Mürren
in the winter (ski season).

Bogangen & Gletscherhorn

On the way down to Griesalp at 1407m in the Kiental, the Blumlisalp range come into view. This way down is highly unstable. It was a path when I did it, Later, there were wooden steps & then (photo) wooden duck-boards. The last I heard, there were fixed ropes. Whatever, the Swiss will make sure you can get down this important trunk route! We passed an Englishman, Dale, who was brewing tea on a META stove and intended to do our day's walk and our next days too but joined us in the bunkhouse in the end. Even by hut standards, this place was crude but we did get the warden to cook us a meal.

The steps on the West side of the Sefinenfurka (photo Dwight Peck)

Kiental from the Sefinenfurka path down

Day Two: Hohtürli from Kiental to Kandersteg

From the Kiental 1407m to Kandersteg 1172m, the path is over the Hohtürli, 'high-little-door' at 2810m. Yeah! There had been new, wet snow on the Sefinenfurka, making the drop from the top difficult as it is steep and loose and so is the way up to the Hohtürli but this is longer and steeper. There is 1400 metres of up and quite a few people were trying it. There are loosly fixed wires in places, not much fun when mob-handed and the scree in the gully below tries to slip away under your feet. This is no place to try to take photos. Although it is largely limestone, Arnikas (which don't like alkali) were perched on every bit of exposed sandstone. Tryers.

The Blumlisalp Hut

The Blumlisalp Hut is just above the Hohtürli at 2837m and the Warden was a surly sod but we are tolerant, as there is a fantastic view to the North (above) and up the Weisse Frau (photo left) to the South. I think being up in the mountains all Summer must require a certain distancing from the Human Race but he overdid it. It is a long way down to Kandersteg but it was a lovely day. We took the alternative path from Ober Bergli which drops through the crags to the East side of the beautiful Oeschinensee and then round the shore to its outlet. The Blumlisalphorn towers above the lake.

The Höhtürli Pass

From the Blumlisalp Hut to Kandersteg (K)

We stayed in the Hotel National, where we had stayed the year before and which has the Youth Hostel at the back. A load of Scouts from Luton turned up so Jane and I spoke to each other in pidgin German! The landlord, Herr Struchen, advertises himself as 'kuchenchef' with good reason but it is cheap. During the night, we heard cow bells and looked out. The cows were dressed formally, with their biggest bells and the herd Queens with twig crowns. The peasants were in National Dress and it was the occasion of bringing the herds down from the Summer pastures for the Winter.

We went on from Kandersteg (walks from Kandersteg are on the link) to the Lammernhütte, traversed the Wildstrübel to Montana, took the hohenweg to Leukerbad and crossed the Resti Pass to Kippel in the Lötschental.