7 July 2015
The Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg hike was one of the easy and popular hikes around Wengen. For once, we need not have to take the train down to Lauterbrunnen to get to the start of the trail as access to Männlichen was direct from Wengen via the aerial gondola. The gondola took us from Wengen at 1274m above sea level to Männlichen at 2230m above sea level.
From Männlichen, the mountains seem even closer and larger. There was lookout points for panoramic views all round. Standing near the edge of the cliff, we could feel the strong updraft coming up the sides of the steep mountain. Thankfully the sun was out and the weather was pleasantly warm.
Männlichen is the starting point the popular 4.4 km Panorama Trail to Kleine Scheidegg which takes about 1.5 hours to walk. Before starting the walk to Kleine Scheidegg, we took the short trail up to the peak of Mannlichen itself. This short trail (called the Royal Walk) that climbs only 100 meters or so to the Mannlichen peak is an easy, wide, clear path going straight up to the summit, although it is quite steep towards the end.
The journey to the peak is quite nice, with fields of colourful flowers all round and of course, the majestic mountains in the background.
At the peak, there were placards that indicate mountain names that we could see all around, as well as a Geodetic Station that is a part of a network in Switzerland that measures earth movement.
One could get goosebumps just looking down the sheer drop below where we stood. Once we had enough of the 360 degree views of the high mountain, it was time to hit the trail to Kleine Scheidegg.
Getting down from the summit was a bit tricky initially, with loose gravel on the steep trail, but thankfully there were ropes to assist us.
Soon after passing the Wengen – Männlichen gondola station, the trail crossed underneath the gondola line that links Männlichen to Grindelwald. We stopped for a moment to watch the gondolas passing just meters above our heads.
The hike on this Panorama Trail certainly lived up to its name. Here are some of the photos taken on this trail.
As we approached Kliene Scheidegg, we could see two green/yellow trains under the north face of the mighty Eiger, crawling like little caterpillars on a large green leaf, towards Kleine Schedegg.
We had been to Kleine Scheidegg a few years before. That was in December and it was all covered with snow and was a place for alpine skiing. At that time, we were part of a group tour and had only time to do some snow sledding around the station before we had to leave with the group. It looked so different and much greener in Summer. I could hardly recognised anything familiar.
Kleine Scheidegg is the station where visitors will change to the trains that will take them to Jungfraujoch, the top of Europe. Some hikers would combine their Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg hike with a trip to Jungfraujoch on the same day. But we have planned to visit Jungfraujoch as a whole day trip a few days later.
After seeing so much of the high mountains, it was time to do something more sedate. After lunch at the Restaurant Eigernordwand, we took the green/yellow train back to Wengen and on to Interlaken Ost for a change of train to the wood craving town of Brienz.
Up next, a visit to Brienz and cruise on Lake Brienz.
No comments:
Post a Comment