Wanderlines
The Eiger glacier and the north-west flank of the Eiger
Grindelwald · Hike

The Eiger Trail

A path along the foot of the most famous wall in mountaineering. For three hours you walk across scree and alpine meadow directly beneath 1,800 metres of limestone and ice, past the spots where the great climbs began, down to the green alp of Alpiglen and the train home.

6 km2.5–3 hoursModerateMostly downhill
See the routeThe north face
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
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Overview

At the foot of the Nordwand

Most people see the Eiger's north face from a train window or a café terrace. The Eiger Trail puts you right underneath it, close enough to hear stones falling and water roaring off the snowfields.

The path starts at Eigergletscher station, one stop above Kleine Scheidegg on the Jungfrau railway, and traverses east along the base of the face before descending to Alpiglen, a stop on the cog railway down to Grindelwald. It is mostly downhill, losing about 700 metres, but the ground is rough: scree, rocky steps and a few narrow sections where the path is cut into the slope.

In June the face streams with meltwater and patches of snow linger on the trail; by September the meadows below Alpiglen are golden and the rock is dry. Either way, pick a clear day. Cloud on the face takes away the whole point of the walk.

The route

Eigergletscher to Alpiglen

Signed "Eiger Trail" from Eigergletscher. Walking it downhill, as described, is the common direction; uphill it is a stiff three and a half hours.

240020001600 m Eigergletscher Under the north face Alpiglen 0 km3 km6 km

Approximate profile.

  1. 0 km · Eigergletscher, 2,320 m

    The glacier station

    The Jungfrau railway's last open-air stop before it vanishes into the mountain, with the snout of the Eiger glacier and the Mönch above. The Eiger Express gondola from Grindelwald Terminal also arrives here. Follow the signs east past the station buildings.

  2. 0.5–3 km · The traverse

    Beneath the wall

    The path climbs a little, then traverses the scree and grass at the very base of the face, the rock rising almost vertically to the left. Look for the window of the Eigerwand station of the old railway tunnel in the face, and listen for water and falling stones. Chamois often pick across the slopes here.

  3. 3–5 km · The descent begins

    Views over Grindelwald

    The path turns downhill, zigzagging over rock steps and grassy ledges with the whole Grindelwald valley below and the Wetterhorn ahead. Poles help on the steeper bits, which can be slippery when wet.

  4. 6 km · Alpiglen, 1,616 m

    The alp and the train

    The trail ends at Alpiglen, a green alp with a mountain inn and a stop on the Wengernalp railway's line between Kleine Scheidegg and Grindelwald. A Rösti on the terrace, then the train down; or walk the last hour to Grindelwald Grund through the meadows.

The north face

The last great problem of the Alps

The Eiger, 3,967 metres, is not the highest peak here, but its north face, the Nordwand, became the most notorious climb in the Alps in the 1930s. Several teams died trying it, in full view of telescopes at Kleine Scheidegg, before an Austrian and German party of four, Heckmair, Vörg, Harrer and Kasparek, made the first ascent in July 1938 after three days on the face.

The trail passes the foot of the routes they took, and the railway tunnel that runs inside the mountain, opened in 1912, has windows in the face that were used in rescues. Walking here is the closest most of us will come to that history, and close enough to understand the respect the face still commands.

The snow-capped Eiger above Grindelwald at dawn
Practical notes

Before you set out

Getting there

Take the Eiger Express gondola from Grindelwald Terminal straight to Eigergletscher, or the train to Kleine Scheidegg and the Jungfrau railway one stop up. From Alpiglen, trains run down to Grindelwald. The Jungfrau Travel Pass covers all of it.

When to go

  • July to September: the trail is usually clear of snow.
  • A clear morning: check the webcams; cloud often builds on the face by afternoon.
  • After rain: the rock steps are slippery; take care.

What to bring

  • Hiking boots with grip
  • Poles for the descent
  • Waterproof and warm layer
  • Water: none on the trail
  • Binoculars for climbers and chamois

Safety

Stay on the marked path: rockfall from the face is real, especially on warm afternoons, and the scree slopes are not places to linger. Not suitable for small children or people uneasy on rough, narrow ground.

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← Back to the Bernese Oberland guideWildlife on the trails
Photography

Photo credits

Wikimedia Commons photographs are used under their Creative Commons licences; Pexels photographs under the Pexels licence. Click a title for the original, its author and licence.

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