Schreckhornhutte Hike (Grinderwald): THE BEST HIKE IN SWITZERLAND: Top Highlights & 6 Essential Tips
DETAILS*
We hiked to Schreckhornhutte on the first day, stayed overnight, and hiked back down the same way the next day.
Hike up (hike down time in brackets):
Duration: 6h 23min including all breaks (5h 50min including all breaks)
Difficulty:
Distance: 14.3 km point-to-point
Total Ascent: 1823 m
Total Descent: 243 m
The highest point: 2527 m above sea level
OUR EXPERIENCE:
Start and End point:
We took a train from Interlaken Ost station to Grinderwald, Terminal (29 min, the connection runs twice per hour). For the retour, we took the same route.
Itinerary:
We hiked up to the level of Pfingstegg (1400 m a.s.l.) starting directly from from Grinderwald Terminal:
TIP #1: There is a cable car to Pfingstegg that you can take if you wish to skip the initial ascent through the village.
However, if you have a good fitness level, I would recommend starting the hike from the Terminal. The trail first follows the Schwarze Lütschine and later the Weisse Lütschine rivers, a pleasant, mostly flat walk through forest-like surroundings. You can see the Eiger along the way and, in good weather, many paragliders overhead.
When you reach Gesthaus Gletscherschlucht the ascent begins. It continues through the forest, providing shade and fresh air. In one section of the forest, we came across a small open-air museum after Land Art Festival Grinderwald, which was very interesting: showcasing natural art and information about international artist collaborations. Following this path, you will cross the Gletscherschlucht Gorge, which is scenic and worth a stop, although later views make it easy to forget how beautiful the gorge was!
Once you reach the Pfingstegg cable car station, the trail flattens out slightly until you arrive at Bäregg (1773 m a.s.l.).
TIP #2: From the start of the hike, Bäregg is the first place where you can refill your water bottle in a small fountain behind the restaurant. When we were there, the water flow was very slow, so it took a while to fill up. However, it’s not essential to refill there, because from this point onward, the trail crosses many streams and creeks, offering plenty of fresh water on the way.
After Bäregg, the hike becomes an alpine trail (white–blue markings). At first, you won’t see or feel why it’s marked as such, because it starts gently. But since this trail ends at the Schreckhornhutte hut (the trail is no pass-through), it is marked early to warn hikers who are not comfortable with alpine (T4) routes that they can still turn back.
TIP #3: If you prefer not to continue onto the blue–white section, that is totally fine, but I would recommend to follow the path until Bänisegg, where you’ll find a fantastic viewpoint overlooking two glaciers. You can already see them from Bäregg, but at Bänisegg the view feels more natural and immersive.
Along the way, you’ll encounter three glaciers:
- Unterer Grinderwaldgletscher
- Oberer Grinderwaldgletscher
- Obers Ischmeer, where Schreckhornhütte is located.
Thanks to these views, I must admit that this was the most scenic hike we have ever done in Switzerland (and we have been living here for almost five years, hiking quite a lot!).
The difficulties on the blue–white section include a few areas with chains, some ladders to climb, and creek crossings on high traverses. Overall, it is a standard T4 alpine trail, but the stream crossings can be a bit intimidating if you are not used to exposure. Even with our experience from this hiking season, some sections felt slightly out of my comfort zone, but still absolutely doable and worth it!!
At the Schreckhornhutte, the atmosphere is cozy and welcoming. They offer an outdoor shower with glacier water (refreshingly cold!), excellent food, and a warm mountain atmosphere.
TIP #4: Backpacks are not allowed in the dormitory. Everything must be left in the entrance area. So pack smartly, taking only what you need for the night.
Outside, there are a few tables and deckchairs for relaxing with stunning views. Ibexes often visit the area around the hut, a truly charming view!
Most guests at the hut continue their hikes towards the glaciers and peaks nearby. We were among the few heading back to Grindelwald via the “standard” route. Many mountaineers wake up very early, but if you are in a dormitory mainly with hikers (not climbers), you can easily sleep until 6 – 7 a.m., which made our breakfast extra relaxed. We could enjoy the view drinking our Basler Coffee.
On the descent, we took our time admiring the glaciers and scenery. The hike down is not difficult, and knowing the tricky parts of the blue–white trail from the day before made it even easier.
Our drinks:
We brewed our Basler Drip Coffee at the Schreckhornhutte, best enjoyed outside with that spectacular view!
TIP #5: Remember, from Grindelwald until Bäregg there are no refill spots for water, but afterward, you’ll find plenty of creeks and streams for refreshment all the way up to Schreckhornhutte.
We carried a total of 1.6 L (2 × 0.8 L bottles) and refilled about 0.8 L once or twice, giving us roughly 3.2 L in total for two people.
What we packed:
We decided not to bring crampons, and it turned out to be a good choice, as we didn’t encounter any snow.
We wore shorts, merino long-sleeves, and hats occasionally, perfect for the weather conditions. In windy spots, we added our goose down vests (PAJAK). We always carry a rain jacket (Haglöfs), one extra long-sleeve layer, and long pants (Haglöfs). These were extremely useful during the overnight stay, to walk around the hut and enjoy the glacier views.
For the night in the hut, there’s no need to bring flip-flops: crocs are provided, as in most Swiss mountain huts. We took our light sleeping linen and fast-drying towels.
Specific season conditions:
We did this hike in mid-August, so there was no snow and no special difficulties on the way.
TIP #6: Important note: If it rains, I don’t recommend attempting this hike unless you are very well prepared. Half of the blue–white trail is rocky, and when crossing creeks and streams, the stones become very slippery and potentially dangerous. Please be aware of that!
Highlights:
The most scenic hike we’ve ever done in Switzerland: absolutely breathtaking!
Elevation is manageable for fit hikers (especially if you take the cable car up).
Three glaciers on the way: a true display of nature’s power.
Blue–white trail adds a touch of adventure and technical excitement, yet it is well-marked and maintained.
Let's sum up our TIPs:
TIP #1: There is a cable car to Pfingstegg that you can take if you wish to skip the initial ascent through the village.
TIP #2: From the start of the hike, Bäregg is the first place where you can refill your water bottle in a small fountain behind the restaurant. When we were there, the water flow was very slow, so it took a while to fill up. However, it’s not essential to refill there, because from this point onward, the trail crosses many streams and creeks, offering plenty of fresh water on the way.
TIP #3: If you prefer not to continue onto the blue–white section, that is totally fine, but I would recommend to follow the path until Bänisegg, where you’ll find a fantastic viewpoint overlooking two glaciers. You can already see them from Bäregg, but at Bänisegg the view feels more natural and immersive.
TIP #4: Backpacks are not allowed in the dormitory. Everything must be left in the entrance area. So pack smartly, taking only what you need for the night.
TIP #5: Remember, from Grindelwald until Bäregg there are no refill spots for water, but afterward, you’ll find plenty of creeks and streams for refreshment all the way up to Schreckhornhutte.
#TIP 6: Important note: If it rains, I don’t recommend attempting this hike unless you are very well prepared. Half of the blue–white trail is rocky, and when crossing creeks and streams, the stones become very slippery and potentially dangerous. Please be aware of that!
*supported by Garmin and SchweizMobil