The Bärentrack

During the summer of 2019 I hiked a part of the Bärentrack in the Bernese Oberland. This track is seen by many as one of the most impressive mountain hut trekkings around Switzerland. Officially the trek starts/ends between Kandersteg and Meiringen. I did the part between Kandersteg and Lauterbrunnen (the Jungfrau Region). In this article I share my experience and give you all the details to do the trek yourself.

I would say this trek is not an easy one. For a trekking it's relatively long and there are many parts where you have to climb or decline +/- 1000 meters. As a gift for the hard work the views are stunning and you are surrounded by snowfields and glaciers. The biggest treat: the views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.

Day 1: going to Kandersteg

For the first day I took the ICE train from Utrecht Central directly to Basel. This is a very convenient train connection and I arrived there around 2.30 pm. From there I took the local train to Kandersteg. Before diner time I arrived and was able to have a relaxed evening. I stayed in a dorm of Hotel Des Alpes. Don't expect any luxery, but for the price it's perfect.

Day 2: Kandersteg - Blüemlisalphütte
The first day was pretty intense. From Kandersteg I hiked all up to the Blüemlisalphütte, which means a elevation of 1800 meters. There is a possibility to take the cablecar from Kandersteg to the Oechinensee, but I decided to hike everything from the valley.

The Oechinensee is a beautiful lake, surrended by snow-topped mountains. What I especially loved about it was the relatively calmness. There are many options to relaxe around the lake and the atmosphere was pretty relaxed. I could easily spend the whole day around this lake. It's a beautiful destionation for both experienced hikers and one-day tourists.

From the lake I hiked up all the way to the Blüemlisalphutte. There are two options: the 'easy' one, directly from the lake straight up to the hut or the 'longer' one. This one brings you up higher and you'll have an excellent view from the lake.

Finally I arrived at the hut. The last part is quite intens after 8 hours. There was a lot of snow, steep paths and a chilly wind. The satisfaction by arriving was huge. Also the views of the Blüemlisalp mountain range and the glacier was a great reward. 

Day 3: Blüemlisalphütte - Gspaltenhornhütte

After a good night I started early for a new day of hiking. First I had to decline from 2840m to 1200m. From there I could rise up again to a altitude of 2455m. The weather wasn't great: I walked mostly in the clouds and it was pretty cold. Sometimes I could see some mountains and a little bit of sun. The hike down was pretty steep so be aware of having strong legs and knees. The way up is a bit better. There are several options to the Gspaltenhornhütte. I decided to take the path across the ... of the old Gamchigletscher. This is the longer option, but the landscape is so diverse. The Gspaltenhornhütte is located at a cliff, which makes the surroundings spectacular. This hut is relatively unknown, but I can highly reccommend to stay here.

Day 4: Serfinenfurgge and Rotstockhütte

I think this was the highlight of the trail. From the Gspaltenhornhütte I hiked to the famous pass 'Serfinenfurgge' which gives you the views of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau for the first time. For me personally it's every time a warm moment to see these mountains. I chilled for a while at the pass and then continued my hike. From the pass it's a quite steep path down and combined with the snowfields it was pretty hard to keep balance and control. There were several ropes to help you. The last part it relaxed and gives you the opportunity to enjoy the impressive mountain range. My hiked finished at the very charming Rotstockhütte. It's a small hut, including a big terrace and great food.

Practical details:
Start/end-point: Kandersteg or Meiringen
Province: Bern (Bernese Oberland)
Highest hut: 2840m (Blüemlisalphütte)