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Why The Bernese Oberland Is The Ultimate Winter Adventure Destination

From the obvious seasonal sports to outdoor activities you might not have considered, there really is so many reasons to visit this part of Switzerland this winter

Get us on the subject of adventure in Switzerland, and we’ll almost certainly talk your ears off. We’ve had the privilege of spending a lot of time in the mountainous country over the last few years, and been lucky enough to experience many of the nation’s top outdoorsy offerings. One of the Swiss trips we’ve been on in the last year, that we’ll still be thinking about many decades from now, was our mission to check out the best of the Bernese Oberland in winter. For it, we packed up all our camera gear (again) and took Dave Searle along with us for the ride. The short story, after getting there, is that we loved every second. The longer story is, well, something you can uncover below.

“On the subject of adventure in Switzerland… we’ll almost certainly talk your ears off”

As part of the trip, we shot this film; a film we hope captures just what a special destination this area of Switzerland is. We’re biased, of course, but we think you should set aside 10 minutes aside now and give it a watch. Searle, an IFMGA mountain guide who lives in Chamonix, is our presenter and, as you can see, he ends up having an excellent time. If you want to read what we got up to instead, continue scrolling down the page. We’ll tell you everything you want to know (and loads of other useful stuff as well).

Jungfraujoch // Top of Europe

Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean

It’s in Switzerland, and it’s the highest railway station in Europe. With that information at the forefront of your mind now, you probably don’t need us to tell you that the views up here are absolutely stunning (they are though, they really are). From this epic spot, you’ll feel an ice cool alpine breeze stream across your face and get a picture perfect postcard view that’s so picturesque it might just take your breath away. On one side of it, you’ll get a view of the Mittelland up to the Vosge. On the other side of it, you’ll get a view of the Aletsch Glacier flanked by some four thousand metre peaks. The Jungfraujoch is 3,454 metres above sea level and, whether you’re visiting in winter or summer, has the power to make you feel like you’ve left earth’s atmosphere and gone to another world. We can’t recommend it enough.

Speaking of things to do in the Bernese Oberland that wouldn’t feel out of place on an isolated alien planet, a wander through the icy tunnels and caves of the Jungfraujoch’s Ice Palace are worth a look. You can find the Ice Palace at the top of the Jungfraujoch. If you’ll pardon the wordplay, it’s a cool experience.

Velogemel

Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean

No visit to the Bernese Oberland in winter can be considered complete until you’ve taken a velogemel out for a spin. A cross between skiing, cycling, and sledding, this mode of mountain transportation is a chance to get historical while simultaneously getting a cheeky little hit of adrenaline at the same time. Velogemels have been used by the Grindelwalders, to get around in winter, since 1911. They’re fully weaved into the area’s longstanding traditions and culture. Fancy getting seriously competitive? The World Velogemel Championship is held in February, in Grindelwald, and anyone can take part. It’s coming home?

Riding the Eiger Run, from Alpiglen to Brandegg, is a special experience. You will, if you’re anything like us, enjoy the novelty of sliding about on a velogemel so much that you’ll find yourself later that evening running through it all again over some tasty local raclette. If only it snowed more in the UK, and there were more mountains to velogemel down, we’d ditch our full-suspension MTBs in a second. That’s the conclusion we ultimately reached. Sorry wheels. You’re out. Wooden bikes that are a bit like sleds are in.

Piste Skiing

Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean

You didn’t really think we were going to spend a bunch of time talking all about wintertime adventures in the Bernese Oberland without doing a section on skiing, did you? Of course, and this should almost go without saying, the quality of the skiing on offer is an absolutely massive pull to the area.

Consisting of 102 km of slopes, down at the foot of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, Kleine Scheidegg / Männlichen is the largest ski resort in the Bernese Oberland and Jungfrau region. It’s incredibly beautiful in that classic Swiss-way, it’s got more than enough skiing terrain to satisfy even the most ‘from sunrise to sunset’ type piste shredder, and it’s home to the world famous Lauberhorn downhill (aka the longest downhill course in the world). What more could you possibly want? Pack your ski gear, and get going.

Credit: Giles Dean

Ski Touring

The ski touring opportunities in the Bernese Oberland are outstanding as well. Our tip for ski touring here is to get high above the Haslital, and soak up the views from Gibel. In good faith though, we can’t just put that one out there and not mention some of the other gems in the area. For the extreme ski tourers who like to get high, there’s a pretty full-on Jungfrau ski tour (near Jungfraujoch) which involves, among other things, circumnavigating glacier cracks on the ascents.

Starting from the Mönchsjochhütte, you’ll have to overcome a crevasse under the Rottasattel which can be complicated. The last ascent up to the summit is climbed without skis, and the descent will go back down the way you came up. Epic stuff.

Another route that’s definitely worth a look is Höji Sulegg. Provided there’s enough snow down to the Lauterbrunnen valley, this one’s a really eye-opening adventure and features a long descent. Just watch out for that rough trail through Guferwald. It’s narrow, and can be challenging. Some other Bernese Oberland ski touring routes we think you’ll enjoy include Faulhorn, starting from the Oberjoch summit station, Gemmenalphorn, a short but stunning ski tour above Lake Thun, and Burg (Bussalp), a beautiful and beginner-friendly backcountry mission starting from Bussalp.

We couldn’t possibly finish a discussion of ski touring in the Bernese Oberland without giving a shoutout to the reassuringly knowledgeable mountain guides in the area. During our trip, we teamed up with Yannick Glatthard. Yannick is an IFMGA mountain guide, and really did know the area like the back of his hands. He underlined to us the degree to which mountain-lovers in the area are able to live and breathe them to a level where their authority on the subject can simply come about naturally. There’s plenty of Yannick-types in this corner of Switzerland, types that can help you to make the most of the region’s ski touring opportunities (and more).

Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean

Snowshoe Hike

Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean

For getting a sense of what an outdoor space has to offer in winter, and slowly but surely peeling back the layers of it as a destination, you can’t go wrong with a snowshoe hike. Snowshoe hikes are brilliant because they deliver everything you love about hiking, while also upping things on the adventurousness stakes thanks to the addition of snowshoe equipment. Do you want to walk in a winter wonderland? Trick question actually because, deep down, everyone does (even if they don’t fully realise it yet).

Visit Interlaken, and connect with an OUTDOOR guide. From there, let them take you on a tour of the idyllic snow-covered terrain of Lombachalp. There’s just something about putting one foot in front of another in a winter environment such as this, and at such a tranquil pace, that can make you feel totally at one with nature. Above the picturesque mountain village of Habkern, peace and relaxation is sat there waiting for you. In an increasingly stressful world, there is, as far as we’re concerned, few things on earth better at helping you unwind than a snowshoe hike in Switzerland. If a week of doing them sounds like your thing, you’ll be glad to know there’s a range of day and night guided snowshoe tours on offer here.

For more on this activity, check out our guide to snowshoeing in the Bernese Oberland.

Kayaking

Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean

When you think about winter adventures in Switzerland, we’d imagine that kayaking isn’t the first activity that springs to mind. Skiing? Sure. Snowboarding? Yes, makes sense. Snowshoe hiking? This definitely tracks. But kayaking? That’s a summer activity surely? Well, actually, no. In Interlaken, it turns out kayaking during winter is dreamy beyond belief. We’ll be thinking about those snowy mountain peaks rising up around Lake Brienz from now until the day we kick the bucket.

Book yourself in with Hightide Kayak School, and go for a half-day kayaking tour. With the aid of a hat, comfortable clothing, and a dry suit you’ll be able to take to the water and stay acceptably warm while doing so. Trust us when we tell you that’s there nothing quite like paddling out into the middle of a Swiss lake, seeing your breath float on the air, and simply stopping for a moment to experience nature at its most tranquil and still. Perfection. Absolute perfection.

Skydive

Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean
Credit: Giles Dean

It’s not for everyone but if you’re going to jump from a plane, you might as well do it where the bird’s-eye-view is as stunning as it is in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. For this activity, the crew at Skydive Switzerland will take you by plane from Reichenbach to 4,000 metres above sea level. From there, you’ll leap from the door of the plane and get a mind-melting look at the mountains, glaciers and lakes of the Bernese Oberland over the course of a 45-second jump.

The ultimate bucket list experience? It might just be. This activity is also, it’s worth saying, a great way of seeing for yourself why Interlaken is called Interlaken. You will, in short, get the perfect look at the ways in which the town is nestled neatly between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. Get high in the sky, and let gravity (and your parachute) do it’s thing.

HotTug

Credit: Pirate Bay Nautical Center / Interlaken Tourismus

No decent discussion of wintertime adventures in this part of the world would be complete without a shoutout for the HotTug. The HotTug is essentially the floating jacuzzi of your dreams. Housing water heated to 38 degrees, it operates on Lake Brienz and is, quite frankly, the ultimate way to end your trip of adventure and adrenaline in the Swiss mountains.

The HotTug is powered by an electric engine, and you can steer it across the water of the lake however you choose. Put your swimwear on, get some brief instructions on how to operate it, and away you go. Throughout your journey, the water can be maintained at a pleasant temperature with the help of a wood-fired heating system. Feeling peckish / thirsty? Take some snacks and drinks with you on your HotTug voyage. Float on.

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Head here for more information about winter adventures in Jungfrau

Head here for more information about adventures in Interlaken.

Head here for more info about adventure specialists OUTDOOR

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