Just past Zwirgi to Kleine Scheidegg
Day total: 29 km
VA1 total: 183.5 km
Today was the best weather day of the trip! And the perfect day for it.
We got out of the trees just in time to see the Wetterhorn looking like this
We met our first other Via Alpina hiker who is hiking the whole thing. Andre is Swiss and is trying to stealth camp as much as possible.
The guidebook really encourages taking the bus or train for much of the steep stuff. There were lots of options for skipping but we walked.
At Grosse Scheidegg, 1962m, we got our first view of the Eiger. We asked a cyclist which peak it was. It’s the close one with the huge rock face. The snowy one behind it is the Jungfrau or Mönch.
From Grosse Scheidegg we walked down to Lauterbrunnen and back up to Kleine Scheidegg which is the pass the arrow points to.
From Lauterbrunnen it was a steep up to Alpiglen, 1616m, launching place for climbers of the north face of the Eiger. A book had a photo of the first route up.
We got to Kleine Scheidegg (2061m) near the end of the day. We are staying at the Bahnhof Restaurant Hotel. The bunkroom plus breakfast is CHF55 each. Jim asked if one of the dorm rooms had a view. That question got us a free upgrade to a double room with an awesome view. Almost no one is here.
View from our room.
By 8pm it had completely cleared up.
nancyhikes 
Ah, that is a very, very atmospheric and historic spot that you are in. I’m a little envious, in fact. You would much enjoy reading “The White Spider,” Heinrich Harrer’s account of the first successful climb of the North Face of the Eiger. Also “Extreme Eiger,” which includes the account of the fall to his death (very near where you walked) of one of your countrymen, John Harlin. Both books highly recommended!
I’ve read (and still have on my bookshelf) “The White Spider.” Loved it. I think John Harlin’s son also climbed the Eiger. I’ll put “Extreme Eiger” on my list.
You are visiting at the best time of the year. The end of August gets really quiet when school starts and most locals go back to work. Kathey and I stayed in Wengen 33 years ago this week. Took the train up to KS and walked back to town, stopping at each bar along the way. We went back in 2004 with all our kids and stayed in Gimmelwald on the other side of the Lauterbrunnen valley. Reading your blog, I think we’re due for a return trip!
Yes you are. Mürren looked like a great place to stay also.
That Eiger is both beautiful and knarly!
Never hurts to ask, and what a rewarding view from your window!
You have inspired us. Not in the near future because of family, but we’d like to follow in your footsteps. We’d be interested in what a budget per day would look like for Switzerland, could you email us please? No hurry. We’ve been out doing some Kilometres in the hills, great winter weather, sore legs now. Regards, Tony and Joanna Cunningham (Upper Travers Hut, Nelson Lakes NZ)
I will when I get home. If you don’t hear from me by the middle of October, please send me another note. I intend to figure out what I spent. Lots of options to spend way more or less than what I did.