In the middle of Switzerland and yet far from civilization

Day 1

One beautiful Saturday morning we met in the Bernese Oberland. was scheduled for 8:30 am. Unfortunately, an SBB switch malfunction between Zurich and Bern meant that the Posti, which only runs hourly, reached the Jaun Pass without me and so the whole group had to wait for me. Mega sweet, if that’s not camaraderie. One of Siebrig’s telescopic poles also failed and refused to be persuaded to extend. So we set off with 11 poles, 12 arms, 20 legs and 8 backpacks. Who has legs but no arms but can carry a rucksack? The additional 8 legs and 2 backpacks belonged to our fur nose participants Maxi and Kira.

We started from the Jaunpass (1506m) towards Hundsrügg (2047m) in Kaiser weather, the gray clouds soon disappeared completely, and wonderful powder snow. We climbed steadily up the ridge and Kira in particular didn’t want to know anything about a leisurely pace. Dominic wisely warned us to conserve our strength, as reaching the summit was only half the battle and the real work was still ahead of us. But we enjoyed the view from the summit to the full, the rugged flanks and towers of the Wandlflue made some of us dream of wild summer climbing, while the powder snow made others dream of racy turns down the slopes.

Now we had to march swiftly to the hut and leave the well-trodden path. To spare our legs and save altitude, we bypassed the Birehubel. Unfortunately, Katrin’s knees didn’t like the long traverse on the inclined slope. After a short break, we continued on, as the afternoon had already begun and we now had to step it up a notch and find the quickest but safest way to the hut.

The trail from the Birre on a forest path promised to be easy to follow. Unfortunately, an old avalanche cone thwarted our plans and we soon gave up the traverse and headed straight down into the valley. Every now and then someone lost their balance and so the seat of their pants had to be used for the descent at short notice.

This was followed by a wonderful powder section that demanded a lot of track work from Dominic, Siebrig and Michael supported him whenever he allowed it. Kira also repeatedly struggled with a lack of ground clearance. Maxi benefited from his light weight and was able to trot along happily. The snow-covered forest and the glistening winter landscape rewarded us for our efforts.

Once we reached the bottom of the valley, the marked hut access route was a tough climb and we had to mobilize all our strength once again. Once at the top, we were warmly welcomed by Deborah, the landlady of the Grubenberghütte, in a well-heated room and with an isotonic sports drink made from hops in our hands, everyone was able to enjoy the successful day. But we were still to experience one or two nice surprises that evening. First of all, the sunset gave its all: the sky over the Bernese Oberland was a picture-book red. Then we had a “fine z’Nacht”, a fondue with a special cheese blend from the region. Everyone took a good bite and soon the second bottle had to be decapitated. After dessert, everyone was round as a ball, so a little schnapps was needed to help. Maxi and Kira behaved in an exemplary manner and were lucky: Deborah allowed them to spend the night in the restaurant. Equipped with warm flasks and extra blankets, we went to our cozy bunks. Everyone was soon comfortably warm and blissfully asleep.

Day 2

After a first-class breakfast at a richly laid table that many a hotel can take a leaf out of its book, we left the cozy warmth of the wood stove and the comfort of the Grubenberghütte with heavy hearts.

The descent and subsequent ascent to the Forclaz saddle was tackled. Katrin’s knee got a little support for the descent from a few tapes that Siebrig applied “on the go”. All alone, we trudged through the snow-covered landscape.

The reported storm took pity on us and was delayed, so we were soon sweating and had to take off the extra layers we had put on as a precaution. After an attempt to summit the Rodomont, we had to break off below the summit slope and turn back. The approaching bad weather, the noticeable increase in wind at altitude and the delicate avalanche situation called for caution. After a short break, during which the textiles were adjusted to the now windless sunny weather, we walked leisurely towards the valley along a babbling brook. When we reached the road again and thus the first civilization, we took a long lunch break and fortified ourselves. The snowshoes were stowed away and the hike continued in the direction of Flendruz. The plan to do this again and take on a few more meters in altitude to reach the planned destination of Rougemont was discarded and we hiked comfortably on to Flendruz. Once there, we unfortunately found that no pubs were open and it’s not entirely certain that any were ever open.

When we arrived at the station, we bid each other a fond farewell. Kira and I started the journey to Bern/Zurich and the rest of the team took the train back to Valais via Montreux.

Many thanks to Siebrig, newly qualified hiking guide, for the wonderful tour, and “Chapeau” to Dominic for guiding and tracking in the open terrain. Kira and Maxi thank you for all the cuddles and consideration for their sometimes not quite adapted pace and the one or other leash in the way. We cannot praise Deborah’s hospitality enough, we will certainly be back soon! A visit to the Grubenberghütte can only be warmly recommended.

We are already looking forward to the next tour with you. Best regards, Franziska & Kira