An agent from all Canadian retail offices recently accompanied Trek Holidays President Allan Ronneseth on the Explore Worldwide “Hiking in the Bernese Oberland” trip. It turned out to be a great trip with a brilliant mix of activities for all fitness levels, beautiful scenery, good shopping, and plenty of optional excursions and time to relax.

We joined the group in the picturesque village of Kandersteg. Nestled beneath the lower peaks of the Bernese Oberland, this is practically a one-street town full of chalets, hotels and restaurants and little traffic. We use Kandersteg as a base to walk to Oeschinensee, a pretty alpine lake at an altitude of 1580 meters, about 500 meters uphill from the village. This was a warm-up day to give us an idea of ​​the degree of walking.

As it turned out, no one had any real problem with this and some of us decided to extend the hike with a loop on the top of the cliffs overlooking the lake, while some were relaxing in the sun enjoying a well-deserved beer. The third day of the trip saw us walking from Kandersteg to Kiental, another picturesque village (in fact, all the villages in the Bernese Oberland seem to be extremely picturesque!) In the next valley. The hike took us through forests and alpine meadows which, in summer, are covered in flower carpets. Towards mid-afternoon we reached the top of a ridge that separates the Kandersteg and Kiental valleys and enjoyed some wonderful views. We follow a path to the cable car station and descend about 1000 meters to Kiental. Cable cars, funiculars, and rack-and-pinion railways abound in the area, allowing you to hike at altitude and enjoy real mountainous scenery without trying too hard. At the same time, if you don’t want to take the trains or the cable cars, you can follow one of the many hiking trails up the mountain and make your day as exhausting as you like.

We stayed in Kiental for one night in a local hotel, quite typical for the type of hotels that Explore uses in Switzerland. Some rooms had a private bathroom, while others shared, but always the rooms and bathroom were clean and comfortable and the service was very friendly.

Our tour guide knew the area well and in the following days he modified the itinerary so that we could see the best of the area. The first major change saw us take trains and a cable car from Kiental to First, a station 2,168 meters above sea level. The views of the valley as you ascend are fantastic, but on this day they were obscured by clouds for the last part of the trip. The weather did not stop us from walking to a mountain hut at the top of Faulhorn, another 500 meters higher. Shrouded in mist and near zero temperatures, we enjoyed the warm atmosphere and hot food here.

The afternoon was optional and some of us walked into the valley to shop, while some of us continued our trek along the mountain range that separates the Grindelwald and Brienz valleys. In good weather, the views of the lakes around Interlaken would have been impressive, but even in the fog, the atmosphere was exhilarating, with rocky outcrops and sheer drops peeking out of the ever-changing clouds.

Another day we took a rack and pinion train up to the ridge above Lauterbrunnen and hiked the beautiful high route towards Muerren. Walking along the west side of the valley we enjoy spectacular views of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, some of the highest mountains in central Switzerland. Our picnic lunch, which Explore provided and, as on other days, had a great variety and quantity of food, was held on a spur in front of these beautiful peaks and overlooking the deep valley below.

An optional excursion that should not be missed is the train ride to Jungfraujoch, 3573 meters from the highest station in Europe. Situated on the snowy ridge between Monch and Jungfrau, the station offers spectacular views up to France and Germany to the north and over the Aletsch glacier to the south. You can take part in some winter activities that make any self-respecting Canadian laugh, but a good walk would take you to the glacier or a nearby lookout point.

Some of us couldn’t get enough of the hikes and decided to launch one last great hike, along the foot of the famous Eiger North Face. Considered impossible to climb for many years, the Eiger and its adjacent peaks loom over you and this hike really allows you to appreciate the sheer scale of these mountains.

The Bernese Oberland is truly an area with a lot to do and see for people of all physical abilities. Take the Bernese Oberland Hiking trip for a mix of scheduled and optional hikes, or Explore’s Alpine Trails if you want to visit this and other great alpine regions (such as Mont Blanc and Matterhorn) on a strenuous hike.