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Season
Recommended
01 May to 31 October, and for winter walking when our guide is in resort.
Early and late in the season the weather can be very variable. Clients who
want to do this tour self guided before the recommended date of the 1st
May, can only do so if they are going to be there during the escorted
periods when our guide will be there to assist on what walks are possible.
(It doesn’t mean you have to join the escorted walks). You can of course
do this without our guide being there, however we must stress the danger
of walking in the winter in the mountains and all precautions must be
taken. Most importantly checking the weather before setting off and taking
and heeding local advice. In previous years clients have tried to do walks
that have put them in danger, because they did not take local advice. The
Winter Walks programme is by necessity slightly different from that of the
summer.
Level of Difficulty
Fitness:
We grade the tour as 'Moderate', but in practice any day can be as easy or
(up to a point) as hard as you care to make it.
Day
Stages: Anything from 2 to 8 hours or
more - depending on your preference.
Waymarks:
Footpaths in Switzerland are classified into 2 categories: Wanderwege
(footpaths) and Bergwege (mountain
paths). Bergwege may include
rough, rocky and narrow sections where more care and effort may be needed. Each category is distinctively waymarked.
Signposts at path junctions show the estimated time to specific
destinations which are usually also named on the maps. Time estimates may
be shorter on a Bergweg than on a similar length of Wanderweg as you are
expected to be in better shape! In winter of course this format can be
affected by several feet of the white fluffy stuff, so our trails do
change during this time of year to take into account weather
changes, potential conditions for avalanche and to exploit the many snow
tracks that get opened up at this time.
Meals & Accommodation
This
is a centre-based holiday with the whole week spent in the same hotel. The
3-star Hotel Meiringen is a modern hotel with excellent facilities. All rooms are en-suite, many with baths as well
as showers. Alternatively, your accommodation may be in the 3-star Hotel
Baer, located next to Hotel Meiringen.
Your
booking is half-board (3 course evening meal, bed and breakfast). Lunches are
not included in the tour cost. There are supermarket and other food shops
in Meiringen where picnic materials can be bought (closed Sundays). In
winter you can usually stop for lunch at a friendly mountain restaurant.
Typical Walking Programme
This
is just a sample; your exact programme will vary according to weather and
snow conditions, and your own preference. If you are doing our
"Escorted" tour (see end of dossier for dates), there will be 3
or 4 possible days of escorted walking.
Whether
you are self guided or escorted, you will receive a guidebook, more than
25 walks in the area. The following represent a possible one-week winter
walking programme in the Meiringen area. Summaries of some popular routes
are given below. We also provide walkers' maps and local transport
timetables. The excellent local transport system enables you to shorten or
lengthen your walks if you wish.
Travel options from the UK
By
air to Zürich or Basel: Direct scheduled services with BA or Swiss
from Heathrow, London City, Birmingham, Manchester and Dublin.
Flights are also available via Geneva at no extra cost, but this involves
a longer train journey.
Transfers
from Airport: From Zürich or Basel. Trains are fast and efficient and
run every hour. Zürich airport has a direct rail link. Basel airport is
linked to the station by a shuttle bus. The rail journey up into the Alps
is a spectacular part of your holiday. Swiss railways are a joy to travel
on; reliable, clean and punctual. We will provide you with detailed rail
itineraries, which include directions, timetables and platform numbers.
Self
Drive: If you wish to travel down in your own car, simply consult the
“Land Only” price column on our brochure / price list. All our hotels
have excellent parking facilities.
Swiss Card
Included
in your holiday package is a “Swiss Card” travel pass, which is your
transfer ticket at the beginning and end of your holiday and entitles you
to HALF-FARE travel on almost all transport whilst you are in Switzerland.
Swiss Family Card
Free
of Charge. All children up to the age of 16 travel FREE with an
accompanying adult who has a Swiss Card. This family card is FREE and
represents amazing savings for families.
Escorted Departures
Winter
2008
February
6 - 13
February 13 - 20
Summer 2008
June 14 - 21
June 21 - 28
August 23 - August 30
Christmas
2008/New Year 2009
December
21 - 28
December 28 - 5 January
Come
and go when you wish and stay as long as you like!
The
first date of each period is the first day of guided walking.
You
can start your week whenever you like during these periods. You can meet
your guide for a drink and a chat about the week’s programme in your
hotel bar, on the first night on the escorted tours, they will be able to
inform you of local conditions etc.
During
the winter period, we advise everyone to do as many of the guided options
as possible; this is because the local guide is more capable of assessing
avalanche risk than the average tourist!
During
each week of our guided programme there will be 4 guided walks. They will
be 8 - 11 miles long and we will take as long as we need for them. We
normally start between 9 and 10am and finish between 4 and 5pm. with
plenty of stops en-route to enjoy the magnificent scenery. We will use
cable cars and post buses to avoid long uphill sections. On most walks
there are plenty of “get out” points for those who wish to do shorter
versions. We often find that a lively group spirit develops on the guided
weeks at Meiringen.
There are no rigid start and finish dates for the guided weeks. On
arrival, you will receive our guided walking itinerary covering the whole
of your holiday period so that if you are staying longer than a week, you
can perhaps join 6 or 7 walks if you so wish.
On
escorted holidays, free transport is included for the 4 walking days.
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Winter
Walking Itinerary – Sample
Please
note that other walks are possible and you can come and go on any day you
wish.
q
Day: 1 Flight to Zürich or Basel or Geneva. Train
from Zurich airport or Basel to Meiringen (change trains at Luzern).
Or train from Geneva airport to Meiringen (change trains at Bern
and Interlaken Ost). We
provide you with a personalized railway schedule to connect with your
arrival flight, it even gives platform numbers. The Hotel Baer is just
outside the station. Evening meal from 18:30 at your hotel.
q
Day 2: Hasliberg
(Panorama Way). 12km. A good introduction to the area at any
time of year and in almost any weather. You start with a 10-minute train
ride from Meiringen (600m) up to Brünig Pass (1100m). The walk starts in
forest; then you traverse the open terrace of alpine meadows above
Meiringen with stunning views across the Bernese Oberland peaks and
glaciers. No need to carry a picnic:
for lunch we recommend the “Rosti House” at Wasserwendi. Many
local Rosti specialities to choose from!
Allow about 15SFRs for lunch. After lunch, you walk on along the
Panorama way to Reuti (1045m). From Reuti you can either take the cable car down or walk
down to Meiringen through the forest.
q
Day 3: Reichenbech Valley Circular walk. Travel up
from Meiringen by bus to the little hamlet of Gschwantenmad. From here it
is a 5 km walk along the Reichenbech River to Schwarzwaldalp where you can
have lunch in the cosy mountain restaurant. Usually the owners will make a
cauldron of delicious goulash soup served with fresh crusty bread.
(Naturally there are alternatives for vegetarians.)
Thus
fortified, walk the circular winter route via Rosenlaui before finishing
at Kaltenbrunnen from where you are transported back to Meiringen. (There
may be time for another Glüwien if we get there early! This is a fabulous
walk right in the heart of the mountains. The Wetterhorn north face
dominates the skyline and the beautiful blue Rosenlaui glacier towers
above you.
q
Day 4. At Leisure. You will have our
comprehensive local walks and information pack and so there is plenty to
choose from. Why not visit the city of Luzern or Bern? You may like to go
to the top of Europe... The Jungfraujoch, or to the Piz Gloria (of James
Bond fame), or you may like to try one of the local walks in our booklet.
q
Day 5.
“Hasliberg Heights” Take the cable car to Käserstatt (5000 feet
above Meiringen).In winter this is where we learn how the other half
lives! Skiers jostle and push and queue and queue. Why anyone would want
to spend their holiday standing in a queue we have yet to fathom out. Move
quickly away from the hurly burly and set out on the magnificent high
level walk across the Hasliberg. Pause for lunch at Bidmi before
completing the walk across the snow carpeted alpine meadows. The final lap
of the walk takes you through the snow clad forest back down to Meiringen.
q
Day 6. Across the Brünig Pass. Take the train over
the Brünig Pass to the next valley to the village of Lungern with its
beautiful green lake. A good route for snowy days because you are walking
due south and as the snow usually comes out of the north, it will be
behind and not driving into your face. Walk up the gradual incline to the
pass where you can have lunch in the friendly and comfortable pass
restaurant. After lunch, wind your way up through section of forest before
turning downward and back to Meiringen via dingly dell!
q
Day 7. At Leisure. Other points of interest near
Meiringen include (i) The Ballenberg open-air museum at Brienzwiler
(15 minutes by train from Meiringen), where a variety of traditional farm
buildings from all over Switzerland have been reconstructed. (ii) The
lakeshore town of Brienz, where you can relax at a waterside cafe and
admire the view across the lake to the mountains of the Bernese Oberland.
q
Day 8. Departure by train from Meiringen to Zürich
or Basel via Luzern and flights back to the UK. Again we provide a
personalized railway timetable for the trains for your flight departure
time. You can stop en route, there are left luggage lockers in all
stations, so that you can spend some time in Luzern, or Zürich en-route.
This
is a sample itinerary of a typical winter week in Meiringen, available
between December and Easter. Obviously there are many other walks to
choose from and your guide will vary the programme according to weather
and conditions.
Summer / Autumn Itinerary – Sample
If
you are self guided you have the choice of over 25 walks, these are just
some that we often use for our guided walking.
q
Day 1: Fly to Zürich or Basel with forward rail
connection to Meiringen via Luzern. We provide you with a personalized
railway schedule to connect with your arrival flight, it even gives
platform numbers. Evening meal from 6.30 at your hotel.
q
Day 2: “Hasliberg Perambulation” During this
first day, you can explore the Hasliberg mountains immediately above
Meiringen using the extensive cable car system to take us up to about 7000
feet. It is a most beautiful walking area and enables guests to get the
feel of the place and see the layout and geography of the region. You can
walk for about 5 hours to loosen up and acclimatise.
q
Day 3: “The Romantic Way” Take the post bus from
Meiringen climbing on spectacular twisting roads to 2000m eventually
arriving at the Grosse Scheidegg right into the heart of the mountains
with the 12,000' peak of the Wetterhorn dominating and the Eiger
north-face in front. There are also spectacular views of the Rosenlaui
Glacier for most of the day with its beautiful deep blue colour. This is a
lovely gentle contour walk, not in the least bit strenuous and a visit to
the Reichenbach Falls can be incorporated into the itinerary during the
afternoon.
q
Day 4. At Leisure. You will have our comprehensive
local walks and information pack and so there is plenty to choose from.
Why not visit the city of Luzern or Bern? You may like to go to the top of
Europe.... The Jungfraujoch, or to the Piz Gloria (of James Bond fame), or
you may like to try one of the 25 local walks in our booklet.
q
Day 5: “Paradise Way” You can take the post bus
from Meiringen, this time heading north east to the idyllic mountain lake
of Engstlenalp beneath the Joch Pass. From here follow the contour all day
through meadows of wonderful flowers and beneath rugged limestone crags,
noted for eagle’s eyries. Ahead of us is the grand panorama of the
Bernese Oberland Massif with literally hundreds of peaks and glaciers in
view. Finish at the cable car station above Meiringen for a “non knee
trembling” descent!
q
Day 6. “Faulhorn” Travel by train along beautiful
Lake Brienz then by mountain railway to Schynigge Platte. From there walk
to Faulhorn it is a long but steady climb and thereafter a descent via
Bachalpsee to the First Gondolas above Grindelwald. We take a lunch break
at the Weber Hut. The views this day are quite breathtaking with the best
from off the plateau between Waber hut and Faulhom. For those up to it we
take a slight detour to the Faulhorn summit, it is best to stay with the
main path and go up to the top from the eastern side. Once you have worn
off the sense of achievement and probably before you have tired of the
view, return via the gondola at First and catch the train back home to
Meiringen. Or if we are well up on time, we will walk on from First to
Grosse Scheidegg and take the bus down to Meiringen via Schwarzwaldalp.
q
Day 7: At
Leisure. Other points of interest near Meiringen include (i)
The Ballenberg open-air museum at Brienzwiler (15 minutes by train from
Meiringen), where a variety of traditional farm buildings from all over
Switzerland have been reconstructed. (ii) The lakeshore town of Brienz,
where you can relax at a waterside cafe and admire the view across the
lake to the mountains of the Bernese Oberland. (iii) The Aare Gorge, a
popular tourist attraction with a walkway through the gorge, which is only
open in summer.
q
Day 8. Departure by train from Meiringen to Zürich
or Basel via Luzern and flights back to UK. Again we provide a
personalized railway timetable for the trains for your flight departure
time. You can also avail yourself of the fly/rail baggage system so that
you can spend some time in Luzern or Zürich en-route without the hassle
of luggage.
This
is an example of a typical “Summer” week, obviously there are many
other walks to choose from.
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This
is a 'stay put' self guided walking holiday. Getting around in
Switzerland is so easy that based in a good centre like Meiringen you
can fill a week with excellent day walks at any time of the year. This
Alpine town is a natural route centre situated at the convergence of
three of Switzerland's major passes. Meiringen is on the main railway
line from Luzern to Interlaken and trains run to and from those towns on
an hourly timetable. Interlaken is a 30-minute journey and Luzern is 1
hour 10 mins. Transfers from Zürich airport are a pleasure with the
last leg of the journey into the mountains on the spectacular narrow
gauge Brünig line. Meiringen is also the centre for Post Bus routes in
the Eastern Oberland.