Ski Tour Gemschberg

Moderate
1 day
Good chances of seeing chamois
Varied slopes, long route
4-5 hours with summit ridge passage

Season:

December April

Departure Times

08:30First cable car station (Talstation)

Key info

Ski touring experience required
A strong skier who handles black runs with ease
Comfortable with 4 hours of hiking while carrying a pack

Overview

Recommended for: Anyone who trades comfort for the view.

A summit offering wildlife sightings, a varied descent, and a panoramic view that will linger long in your memory.

After an initial descent, we head upwards with skins: varied slopes, sometimes steep, sometimes gently rising. With a bit of luck, chamois might appear and watch us. On the summit, a unique panorama over the wintery Bernese Alps awaits before the long ski descent back to the village of Grindelwald.

Itinerary

Meeting points
Distance
8.5 km
Ascent
+700 m
Descent
-1400 m
Walking time
4-5 hrs
Arrival

From the meeting point in Grindelwald, we take the Firstbahn up to the top station. An initial ski descent on the piste gets us warmed up. We then take the chairlift up again before a swift descent leads us to Grindel Oberläger: our starting point for the ski tour.
Ascent
2.5 - 3 hr

Here we attach the skins and begin to climb. The track initially rises gently through open terrain before the route climbs over steeper slopes to the shoulder of Gemschberg. If you are observant, you might spot chamois, which are often found here. Further up, we continue in wide turns towards the summit.
Summit

At the top, at 2,659 m above sea level, the view opens up: to the north, the pre-Alps stretch out, and to the south, the 4000-meter peaks of the Bernese Alps rise. After a break, we begin the ski descent.
Descent
1.5 - 2 hr

First wide and open, then through undulating terrain, we finally ski through the sparse forest down to Grindelwald. A long, rewarding line back to the valley.

What's included

Guiding from a licenced mountain guide/ aspirant guide
Expenses of the mountain guide

Not included

Costs for cable cars and travel expenses of the guest
Snacks
Technical equipment
Costs for a taxi if needed (guests pay for the guide's share)

Pack list

Backpack 20-25 l

Warm, functional clothing
Rain jacket
Rain pants
Mountaineering or winter hiking pants
Sunhat
Gloves (ideally one thin and one thick pair)
Beanie or headband
Thermal underwear

Ski touring boots or snowboard boots

Ski touring skis or splitboard with skins and tele crampons
Ski poles (preferrably telescopic)
LVS (avalanche transceiver)
Avalanche probe
Avalanche shovel
Avalanche airbag (optional)

Sunglasses (category 3 or 4)
Sunscreen lotion and lip balm (minimum factor 30, 50 better)
Thermos flask, drink bottle
GA or Half Fare Travelcard (if you have)
Camera and binoculars (optional)
Snacks

Weather info

General weather info

Weather can influence any tour, and a clear decision is often only possible on the day itself. We review conditions carefully and remain within our safety limits, and bad weather alone does not mean we have to stop.

Make sure we can reach you with current contact information in case your booking changes. Silence from us means your tour is still planned or the final call is not yet made. If we need to cancel, you can rebook, choose another activity, or get a full refund.

For detailed advice on how to prepare for (and enjoy!) bad weather days in Interlaken, check out our weather blog 

Meeting points

Meeting point

First cable car station (Talstation)

Dorfstrasse 187, 3818 Grindelwald
DirectionsMore info
Meeting point
Activity location

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