Glecksteinhütte SAC

September 8, 2021 by Pat  ‐  3 min read

Difficulty T3+
⇄ Distance 9.2 km
↑ Up 910 m
↓ Down 910 m
Notable Locations Glecksteinhütte SAC, Grindelwald
Public Transit Access? Yes1

Quick Summary

  • A beautiful but very exposed hike to the Glecksteinhütte SAC near Grindelwald.
  • Starting point was easily accessible with public transit.
    • Took the bus from Meiringen to Schwarzwaldalp and then took a connecting bus from Schwarzwaldalp to Grindelwald, Abzw. Gleckstein.
    • On the way back, I opted to take the bus from Grindelwald, Abzw. Gleckstein down to Grindelwald and then returned with the train from there.
  • Most of the path was very narrow and extremely exposed.
    • Warning signs at the start of the trail advised against traversing this path when the conditions are poor.
    • A significant portion of the trail was secured with chains to provide more secure handholds.
  • There was only a single path which led up the valley, so I took the same path on both the ascent and descent.
  • It would have been possible to stay overnight at the Glecksteinhütte, but I opted to do this tour in a single day instead.
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Ascent to the Main Valley

The view from the bus stop Grindelwald, Abzw. Gleckstein. The peak on the right-hand-side is the famous Eiger. The red arrows indicate part of the path to the Glecksteinhütte.

Today's destination.

The sign roughly translates to: ''Mountain path with very steep drop-offs. Only suitable for hikers with suitable equipment who are comfortable with heights and are surefooted. Particularly dangerous during heavy precipitation and storms.''

Most of the hike consisted of this kind of terrain: fairly narrow paths that had been blasted out of the rock. According to the topography maps, the drop-off here is about 200m to 300m.

As can be seen on the left-hand-side, there were steel wires/chains that were mounted along the length of the path to provide better handholds.

Ascent to the Glecksteinhütte

The sun just starting to peek down the valley.

The first view down the primary (unnamed) valley that leads to the Glecksteinhütte.

Some gravel trails to switch it up from the smooth rock portions from earlier.

...And back to the smooth high-quality rock.

This was probably one of the sketchiest spots from the hike. This stream passed over the path, which made the rock very slippery here. Luckily, it was secured by both the steel wire on the left as well as some rubber mats for traction.

I was really impressed by how well this path is maintained.

A view back down the valley.

The Oberer Grindelwaldgletscher spilling down at the end of the valley.

Today's objective is finally in sight :)

Some Edelweiss to make things even more picturesque.

Time for some lunch!

Yes, that is indeed a chicken. (And no, this was not my lunch.)

The view from my lunch spot.

Descent Back to Abzw. Gleckstein

As mentioned, I took the same path back down to the PostAuto stop.

Despite being the same path I took on the ascent, the perspective was completely different which made it feel like a completely new route.

Nearly at the end of the primary valley.

I was very thankful on the way down for all of the steel handholds.

Finally back at the PostAuto stop with a gorgeous view over the village of Grindelwald.

  1. When I did this hike, the buses from Schwarzwaldalp to Grindelwald, Abzw. Gleckstein as well as the one from Grindelwald, Abzw. Gleckstein to Grindelwald were not part of the standard SBB timetable. (Ie. There was an additional surcharge for people with either SBB day tickets or GA). ↩︎

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