Travelling by gravel bike: Under the spell of the legendary north face of the Eiger
Christian Penning
· 20.06.2023
What does the first ascent of the north face of the Eiger have in common with modern gravel bikers? Back in 1938, climbing pioneer Anderl Heckmair also regularly hopped on his bike on his way to the great peaks of the Alps and the world. Like all mountain adventurers back then, he was short of money. Riding over the gravelled passes was the cheapest way to reach his destination. Today, most of these mountain routes are tarmac. Perfect for racing bikes - actually. If it weren't for the convoys of lorries rolling over the most beautiful Alpine passes at the height of summer.
Travelling by gravel bike - gravel biking in the high mountains?
But they still exist, the alpine hideaways among the passes that are virtually free of motorised traffic. One of these routes leads directly along the foot of the legendary north face of the Eiger. Switchback after switchback, the little road winds its way up above Grindelwald railway station towards Kleine Scheidegg. This is the first gravel bike tour ever for my companions Andrea and Patrizia. The two of them already have countless Alpine crossings on their mountain bikes under their belts, plus plenty of mountain passes on their road bikes. Gravel biking in the high mountains - is that even possible?
Powerful. Dark. Menacing. This is how the north face of the Eiger looms as a backdrop over the alpine meadows around Grindelwald. If you lift your head, you are immediately immersed in the dramas and heroic stories. More than 70 people have lost their lives on the climb over the past 100 years. This is why it is sometimes called the "Wall of Murder". Yet the scenery is rather charming. Pretty wooden chalets alternate with rustic mountain farms. The tinkling of cowbells underscores the meditative cure on the car-free route. Kitschy and beautiful.
In the sedan chair to the pass - it would be nice!
After around two thirds of the 1125 metres of altitude difference up to Kleine Scheidegg, it's time to get down to business. The tarmac ends above the tree line. The gravelly surface and steep ramps - well above the average gradient of 12.7 per cent on the 8.8-kilometre stage - demand strength and concentration. The pulse is pounding. Your breath is panting. Stay in the saddle and pedal steadily to prevent the rear wheel from spinning. Patrizia pulls away in Pantani style.
Competition approaches from behind at Alp Bustiglen. Two e-bikers pass by with humming motors. I envy them. Only the well-heeled ladies and gentlemen who were carried in sedan chairs to the Grandhotel Bellevue at the top of the pass around 1900 had it even more comfortable. In my thoughts, I wave my fan to get some fresh air. It is hot. My thirst is growing. "Bottle empty," Andrea announces as we reach Kleine Scheidegg at 2061 metres above sea level. Time to top up my fluid and carbohydrate reserves in one of the mountain restaurants.
The eternal ice
At peak times, Kleine Scheidegg between the Grand Hotel and the Jungfrau Railway station is as busy as the underground station at Munich's Stachus. Even 90 years ago, onlookers armed with telescopes zoomed into the north face of the Eiger from the hotel terraces to watch the first ascent attempts with an eerie thrill. Andrea and Patricia also want to get even closer to the supposedly eternal ice, which is melting like gelato in the street cafés of Grindelwald this summer. A short detour leads 100 metres further uphill to the reservoir at Fallboden. The thundering of collapsing ice towers can be heard again and again from the glacier quarries of the Eiger Glacier.
The descent to Wengen is also an adventure. "Left or right?" At a fork in the gravel track at Wengernalp, two routes lead to the mountain village of Wengen. "Right!" Andrea decides. After a few hairpin bends, the path becomes steeper and narrower, a rough, bumpy cart track. Her fingers clench on the brake levers as she tries to control the locking, skidding bike so as not to shoot downhill without braking.
Travelling by gravel bike - a little adventure is a must
No wonder: in winter, the Lauberhorn downhill ski race descends these mountain slopes. The skiers are travelling at speeds of up to 160 km/h. In comparison, I'm travelling at a snail's pace. Nevertheless, I breathe a sigh of relief when the road finally flattens out. The brakes are smoking. High time to give them a break. A glance at the map shows: The official, definitely less steep route would have branched off to the left at the top. Well, all went well. "A little adventure is a must," says Andrea with a grin.
After the downhill, endurance qualities are required. It's a good 800 metres uphill from Lauterbrunnen to Mürren. Good that there is an alternative. With the gondola lift from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp, the tough ascent can be reduced to around 400 tame metres in altitude.
Pushing is the order of the day
As the sun rises over the rocky ridges of the Eiger and Silberhorn the next morning, we are already back in the saddle. Wild chases in the James Bond thriller "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" made Mürren world-famous at the end of the 1960s. The final section of our descent into the Lauterbrunnen valley also gets the adrenalin pumping. After a flowing, undulating trail section through the mountain forest, a steep section pushes brakes and cyclists to the limit.
A larger brake disc and four-piston brakes à la mountain bike would not be amiss. Pushing is the order of the day for a short stretch - better safe than sorry. Compared to the activities of other athletes, our low-level cycling is still harmless. The rock faces of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, several hundred metres high, are a mecca for base jumpers.
The second part of the stage along the north side of Lake Brienz is much more tame. What a contrast! The moderate ups and downs alternate between forest passages and alpine meadows with views of the turquoise-coloured waters. Horses graze in paddocks. The sun burns down from the sky. The longed-for refreshment awaits at Lake Brienz. So get off your bike and relax with an ice cream on the shore.
Cheese wheels instead of energy bars
Enough dreaming. The final mountain stage leads from Meiringen back into the high mountains the next morning. The ascent to Grosse Scheidegg involves a whopping 1400 metres in altitude in one go. A long, double "Tüü tata, ... tüü tata!" can be heard from behind near the Breitboden-Alp. The signal to make way on the narrow road. Just a few metres away, Andrea discovers a couple of alpine huts. "Let's stock up on cheese for our snack," Patrizia calls out. Alpine dairyman Franz Winterberger is walking towards a sun-tanned wooden hut built on stilts.
They protect the valuable inventory from mice. "Come on, I'll show you something," he says. Dozens of huge wheels of cheese are stored in the conspicuously cool interior of the hut. Franz lovingly explains how he turns and rubs them several times a week during the maturing process to protect them from mould. With plenty of mountain cheese in the panniers, we tackle the last 500 metres of the up to 15 percent steep pass. The queen's stage of the Tour de Suisse has already led to the Große Scheidegg several times.
Unlike the pros, we make a stop at the top of the pass. It would be far too much of a shame to plough straight into the serpentine descent to Grindelwald. Alongside Kleine Scheidegg, the pass is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful panoramic spots on the tour. Patrizia and Andrea have made themselves comfortable next to their bikes on the mountain meadow. She covers the Weggli that Patrizia bought from the bakery in the morning with thick slices of cheese. "Better than any energy bar," says Andrea.
"It's a shame our tour is already coming to an end." She looks over to the rock faces of the Wetterhorn and Eiger. "It's going to be hard to top my first gravel tour," she adds with a chuckle. "What impresses me most is the versatility of the route: the magnificent glacier scenery, the narrow gorges, the deep forests, the detour to the lake, ... " - " ... and being on the road for three days with almost no car traffic," adds Patrizia. In short: a killer tour under the spell of the Mordwand.
Travelling by gravel bike - General information about the tour
Journey
The public transport network in Switzerland is well developed. From Zurich by train to Grindelwald approx. 2.5 hours, www.sbb.ch
Car
>> about Munich
A96 Lindau - A14/A13 Rhine Valley - Sargans - Walensee - Baar - A14 Lucerne - A8 Interlaken - Grindelwald
>> about Stuttgart
A81 Singen - Schaffhausen - A1 Zurich - A4 Baar - continue as Munich route
Accommodation
Numerous hotels and guesthouses in all towns along the route.
>> Further information Jungfrau Region Tourismus AG, telephone 0041/33 521 4343, jungfrauregion.swiss Grindelwald Tourismus AG, telephone 0041/33 854 1212, grindelwald.swiss
Bike service
Bikebox Grindelwald and Interlaken, hire and repair, phone 0041/33 343 3818, bikebox.ch; Riem Bike in Matten bei Interlaken, phone 0041/33 823 6960, riem-bike.ch
Food & Drink
Restaurant tip
Velo Cafe Interlaken, telephone 0041/33 820 3031, velo-cafe.ch
At the Velo Cafe, you can not only sip fine Italian espresso and cappuccino. The stylish location is also a great place to top up your energy levels with vegan and vegetarian treats. A must stop.
Travelling by gravel bike - routes
Tour character
The circular tour leads from the foot of the legendary glacier massifs of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, mostly along car-free gravel paths and mountain roads to Lake Brienz and back. A few tricky, steep downhill sections await on the first two stages. As an alternative to the physically demanding first stage with 2100 metres in altitude, a less demanding variant with 1200 metres in altitude is possible - but without the highlight of Kleine Scheidegg.
Stage 1
35 kilometres, 2100 metres uphill, 1500 metres downhill
Without a long warm-up, we set off straight away: 1100 metres in altitude in one go to Kleine Scheidegg. First on a small tarmac road, then on gravel. Kleine Scheidegg is the panoramic spot with dream views of the Eiger and Jungfrau. Continue on bike route no. 1 via Wengen into the Lauterbrunnen valley. Partly steep descents, solid riding technique and good brakes are essential. From Lauterbrunnen on bike route 450 to Mittelberg and from there on tarmac to Mürren. Alternative (approx. 400 metres less altitude): from Lauterbrunnen with the cable car to Grütschalp and on gravel paths to Mürren.
Alternative route without Kleine Scheidegg
28 kilometres, 1200 metres in altitude
Rest tip
Chaletbar, Kleine Scheidegg (chaletbarkleinescheidegg.ch)
Pizza at the Eiger Guesthouse in Mürren (eigerguesthouse.com)
Stage 2
60 kilometres, 800 metres uphill, 1800 metres downhill
From Mürren on bike route 450 on small and sometimes steep tarmac and alpine paths via Gimmelwald to Stechelberg (short downhill pushing section). Now head out of the Lauterbrunnen valley and via Zweilütschinen to Interlaken. Most of this section is on gravel and easy trails. Along the northern shore of Lake Brienz with constant ups and downs to Brienz. From there, the route is flat along the River Aare on cycle path no. 8 to Meiringen.
Rest tip
Velo Cafe Interlaken (velo-cafe.ch)
Stage 3
30 kilometres, 1,000 metres uphill, 1050 metres downhill
From Meiringen along the Reichenbach Falls to the Rosenlaui mountain hotel. From Rosenlaui, the narrow road is closed to motorised traffic. Via Alp Breitboden and Schwarzwaldalp to the highest point of the day, Große Scheidegg (1962 metres altitude).
>> TipFrom here, an optional detour to the First viewing mountain is possible (gravel and trails, 200 additional metres in altitude) before the serpentine descent to Grindelwald.
Rest tip
Chalet Schwarzwaldalp at the ascent to the Große Scheidegg (schwarzwaldalp.ch), C and M Café Grindelwald (cundm-grindelwald.ch)
Best time to travel
At altitudes above 2000 metres, there is still snow until June in some places. The ideal months are July to September. Pack warm clothing and rain protection for the high passes, even in midsummer.
Literature & Maps
Book: Eiger North Face, Thomas Ulrich, Daniel Anker, asverlag.lesestoff.ch
Maps: Swisstopo National Map of Switzerland 5004 Bernese Oberland, 1:50000, shop.swisstopo.admin; swisstopo App
InfoJungfrau Region Tourismus AG, tel. 0041/33 521 4343, jungfrauregion.swiss Grindelwald Tourismus AG, tel. 0041/33 854 1212, grindelwald.swiss
