Swiss Alpine Pass Route – Sargans to Montreux

July 27 2005 Engelberg to Meiringen

I left my hotel in Engelberg (ca. 3300 feet) at 8:40 the next morning and walked to the gondola which took me up, out of the valley to Tubsee (9:00; ca. 5890 feet).. From the top of the lift it was a nice walk around the Tubsee to the base of another lift that went up to the Jochpass. I opted to hike up under the lift for about an hour and reached the Jochpass (10:10; ca. 7240 feet.). Even though most of this section of trail was either on, or under ski lifts, the view from the pass of Titlis and the mountains to the west was great. The overall hike was much better after leaving the pass and descending to the west toward the Engstlensee (ca. 6700 feet).

The Engstlensee lies within a meadowed valley. Its south bank rises steeply to peaks and hanging glaciers of the Wendenstocke which extends on a ridge running from Titlis. The lake itself is crowded with tourists and is accessible by road. I walked down from the pass and along the lake, arriving at Engstlenalp at 11:30. From there it was a short bus ride down to Meiringen (ca. 1959) and the end of Stage Six.

: Trubsee

: View of Titlis from Jochpass

: View from Jochpass down to Engstlensee

: View from Engstlenalp toward the Wetterhorn in the background.

: Statue of Sherlock Holmes in park at Meiringen

: Reichenbach falls, of Sherlock Holmes fame.

I left Meiringen at 7:55 the next morning and took a short bus ride out of the valley to the top of Reichenbach falls and the start of the Reichenbach river valley. At 8:25 I reached the Berggasthaus Kaltenbrunnen (ca. 3970 feet). The trail was gradual and followed the Reichenbach River through alternating forests and meadows west toward Grosse Scheidegg. Along the way I passed Gschwantenmad. A small farming community and enjoyed a good view of the Rosenlaui Glacier and the Wetterhorn dominating the head of the valley.

The Wetterhorn (ca. 12159 feet), the fabled ‘peak of Tempests’ is one of the most famous and easily recognized mountains in the Alps. There are three main summits: the Rosenhorn (12100feet), the Mittelhorn (ca. 12150 feet) and the Hasli Jungfrau (ca. 12140 feet).

At 9:10 I reached the Hotel Rosenlaui (ca. 4480). The trail then climbed steeply up on the left hand side of the stream for another two and a half hours before reaching Grosse Scheidegg (11:50; ca. 6435 feet), or ‘great divide’. The weather was clear and warm, in the eighties, and the views of the Eiger and the Monch were classic. I had lunch at Grosse Scheidegg and took the high trail around the north side of the Grindelwald Valley to the Berggasthaus First (ca. 7107 feet). From First I took the tram down to Grindelwald (ca. 3390) and checked into the Gletschergarden Hotel and spent, what was left the afternoon sitting on the veranda of the hotel, drinking beer and having a fine cigar while enjoying the view of the north face of the Eiger across the valley.