The Grand Bernese Oberland Traverse
Dates | Duration |
|---|---|
| Aug 9, 2024 - Aug 20, 2024 | 12 days - 11 nights |
If you’re looking for an epic cross-country trail running trip through the Alps that features dramatic high country, well, you landed on the right page!
This traverse of Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland starts in the east at a high mountain farming area called Schwarzwaldalp, passes under the famed Eiger North Face, and crosses high cols and mountain pastures to reach the mountain resort of Gstaad, not far from Lake Geneva. This tour features day after day of stunning and varied mountain terrain. While the tour broadly follows the Swiss Via Alpina trek, a high hiking route that crosses through much of Switzerland, we choose to explore beautiful and quiet variations along the way.
We’ll run about 15 – 20 km each day, taking plenty of time on the uphills, pausing frequently to take photographs, enjoying the scenery, and sampling great food and drink en route. We’ll trail run over the historic Grosse Scheidegg, Sefinafurgga and Hohtürli passes, and cruise along high alp pastures with sweeping views of the Eiger and mountain lakes. We spend two nights in the famous mountain village of Grindelwald, giving you a chance to either explore the trails, or take a leisurely day to wander around town.
After a generous breakfast at our hotel each morning – delicious fresh baked bread, local cheeses, cereal, fruit, coffee and juice are typical – we’ll be out on the trail, either moving on to our next stop on the traverse, or taking in a local run. Most days there are options for an easier route that takes advantage of mountain trams and railways. Each morning, we’ll offer a variety of trail snacks from which you can choose, plus we’ll stop at mountain huts or alp farms, where we can enjoy local cheeses, röstis, or a fruit torte.
You will have your luggage every night, with the exception of our fastpacking overnight at rustic Obersteinberg hut, one of Switzerland’s famous “candlelight” hotels. In the evenings we’ll enjoy dinner together at our hotels and inns. Dinners are often multi-course, featuring local Swiss specialties, and will be hearty, filling, and delicious. We will leave one night in Grindelwald free, so you can have a chance to explore the town and choose your own evening meal.
Book this tour
$1,050 single supplement
Due to the size of some of the towns and inns along the way, the single supplement can only be guaranteed 7 of the 11 nights.
Itinerary
Bernese Oberland Traverse (Photo: Kim Strom)
Day 1
Arrive in Switzerland, and transfer to Schwarzwaldalp Inn where we’ll meet for a drink and trip briefing, and enjoy our first dinner together.
A summer swim in the Swiss Alps. (Photo: PatitucciPhoto)
Day 2
After a hearty breakfast, we’ll complete the run over the Grosse Scheidegg pass and enjoy our first views of the Eiger and of the Grindelwald valley.
Trail running along Schynige Platte above Interlaken, Switzerland. (Photo: PatitucciPhoto)
Day 3
We kick things off with a trail run high above Grindelwald, along the scenic ridge of Schynige Platte opposite the Eiger. Huge mountain views to the south are balanced by stunning views down to the Thun and Brienz lakes just north of us.
Dropping down into forest to reach Grindelwald in the valley below. (Photo Yuji Yanaru)
Day 4
We’ll run up to the Kleine Scheidegg pass, directly under the Eiger. The Eiger’s massive North Face dominates a landscape that includes many stunning peaks and glaciers.
Trail running from the Lauterbrunnen Valley to Obersteinberg, Switzerland. (Photo: PatitucciPhoto)
Day 5
Our day features a run through the dramatic Lauterbrunnen valley, with a visit to the working alp farm of Obersteinberg, where we spend the night.
Running above Mürren on the Bernese Oberland Traverse. (Photo: Kim Strom)
Day 6
Today, we’ll run to the car-free town of Mürren, perched above the Lauterbrunnen valley. We’ll have the option of a run through woods and past waterfalls, or over the peak known as Tanzbedeli, or “The Ballroom.”
Drinks at the Rotstock Hut. (Photo: Kim Strom)
Day 7
We’ll run through traditional farming landscapes and pass several high-altitude farms, before climbing to the 2611m high Sefinafurgga Pass. Here, we leave the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau behind, and enter the wild Kiental valley.
Cows in the Berner Oberland. (Photo: Jen Stretton.)
Day 8
We continue through working farmland with cows roaming the pastures on the way up to Hohtürli pass. Our descent to Kandersteg will take us past an iconic Swiss treasure, the azure lake of Oeschinensee.
Trail running from Kandersteg. (Photo: PatitucciPhoto)
Day 9
Starting today and for the rest of the trip, we’ll be running on wilder, less frequented trails. It’s possible to take the gondola up from the valley floor and skip the first steep part of the climb to Bundergrat.
Enjoying the colorful alpine pastures. (Photo: Yuji Yanaru)
Day 10
Rolling meadows, smaller mountains and patches of forest are the order of the day as we head over the 1936m high Hahnenmoos pass to Lenk.
Trail running tour above Gstaad, Switzerland (Photo: PatitucciPhoto)
Day 11
Our last day of running goes through an intricate agricultural landscape of rolling pastures, rocky crags and forest patches. The high point of the Wasserngrat ridgeline is an exciting finale to the tour – but a less exposed descent to Gstaad is also possible.
Which way to head next… (Photo: Kim Strom)
Day 12
Today we say good-bye to the Bernese Oberland and depart for our post-tour destinations. Run the Alps can assist with Geneva or Zurich accommodations if your departure times require a night in town.
Regional map
What's included
10 nights at three-star hotels, one night at a mountain inn with private rooms, all breakfasts, light lunches, trail nutrition, 10 dinners, guided runs daily, all transfers to and from trailheads, and luggage transfers between stops, except for our night at the mountain hut. Supporting materials, including Run the Alps' Guide to Trail Running in the Alps, are also included.Plan to arrive no later then 11am the day your tour starts. Flights from the US usually depart the day before. The closest airport is Zurich, which is a little over three hours away by train. Geneva is four hours, forty-five minutes away. There are train stations in each airport, making for convenient transport to the region. Your tour package will include detailed information about traveling on the Swiss rail and bus system to the start of the tour in Schwarzwaldalp.
Plan to depart the day your tour ends. Gstaad is about 3 1/2 hours by train to either Zurich or Geneva airports. Please plan on one night at a hotel in your departure city if you have a morning flight. Run the Alps can assist with Geneva or Zurich accommodations if your departure requires an additional night.
More options for this tour:
Self-guided: Everything but the guide… custom tour design, trail runs, and all the details.
Private: Make it private! Your companions, your dates, your tour– we do the rest.
Contact us for details.
All Run the Alps guests receive a copy of our Guide to Trail Running in the Alps to assist in preparing for their trip.
Terms and Conditions: Read up on Run the Alps’ Terms and Conditions and travel insurance.
Concerned about being ready? We can help! We’ve teamed up with the wonderfully supportive team at Vert.run to offer customized training plans tailored to each Run the Alps trip. Once you’ve signed up for a trip, we’ll email you all the details and your unique code for your FREE first month of training! In the meantime, you can start exploring the plans here.
Tour Balance: Your tour balance is due 90 days before your tour starts. We will send you an invoice about a month before that due date. However, you can pay your balance at any time. If you’d like the simplicity of paying in full sooner, or would like to pay in installments, please contact us.
Tour stories
Guides for this Tour
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Book this tour
$1,050 single supplement
Due to the size of some of the towns and inns along the way, the single supplement can only be guaranteed 7 of the 11 nights.
