# Trails in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland



## Postal (Sep 8, 2004)

My wife, dad, and I are visiting Lauterbrunnen for a few days next month. Is anyone from around the area or does anyone know any trails or riding in the area? We'll be bringing bikes, so that won't be a problems. Just need something other than pavement to ride on.

Chris


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## uphilla (Jun 15, 2005)

Postal said:


> My wife, dad, and I are visiting Lauterbrunnen for a few days next month. Is anyone from around the area or does anyone know any trails or riding in the area? We'll be bringing bikes, so that won't be a problems. Just need something other than pavement to ride on.
> 
> Chris


HI Chris,

There is a Specialized dealer in the town, if you go in there they will point you to routes. There is nothing extreme, but some nice long decents and fantastic scenery. YOu can get trains partway up the climbs. Very nice location.


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## fullsuspfuture (May 20, 2004)

There's certainly some official mountain bike routes and signposted ways that are often fireroad type of paths (and sometimes steep/gravel, sometime flat). For example you can follow a signposted way from Klein Scheidegg down to Wengen and then down to Lauterbrunnen (I would not try to climb up from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen ! unless you are looking for a steep challenge)

To get to Klein Scheidegg you can take the train up, or you can bike around to Grindelwald by the valley (some bits of easy singletrack and litted used paved and dirt roads) then climb up on a fireroad (or take the train).

In any case there are a bunch of scenic official mountain bike routes from Grindelwald too, which is not that far from you, either by an hour or two bike ride, or quicker by train or car; and along the Lauterbrunnen valley, and from funicular stop called Grutschalp, over to Murren, and down back to Lauterbrunnen.

Now from Lauterbrunnen I have done one ride which I consider somewhat tough - if you are looking for a tough ride - very roughly 3000+ft climbing, some bike-portaging, nice singletrack, and some singletrack you need to watch out (steep drop-off on the side)
If you get the 1228 Lauterbrunnen topographic map, you can follow this approximately:
Climb up on little used paved roads to Isenfluh, then a dirt road, to where a trail crosses the road at elevation 1600m. Then you have about 20-40 minutes (can't remember exactly ) of bike pushing/carrying on a trail that is very rocky/rooty and steps uphill in direction of Chuebodmi - you wonder if it is worth it... After that point it becomes pretty much rideable singletrack, if my recollection is right. Then you have a section where the trail is smooth and flat, but narrow and a steep drop-off on one side (maybe 5 minutes walking if you don't want to bike it) before you get to Souslager area (Soustaal valley). From the map, it looks like you can skip the bikepushing, and first bit of singletrack and go directly to Souslager by a dirt road and start on this next next section. Next you take a hohenweg type of trail (high altitude walk) over to Grutschalp, which gives you a 2-3 kms more of mostly rideable singletrack (still need to watch a few corners, and be nice to hikers), and you meet the crowds that have taken the funicular up at Grutschalp. From there you can follow a bunch of fireroads over to Murren, and then back down to Lauterbrunnen. If you're very motivated you can probably with a bit more bike-pushing access some nice singletrack well above Winteregg and Murren, but there are probably lots of hikers there too. Looking at the stats it is a lot of effort for a few kms of singletrack, but that is the way it is. I would not recommend it for any rider - you should be stable and comfortable on sometimes technical singletrack, and not put off by all the climbing and bike carrying.

cheers


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## Postal (Sep 8, 2004)

Thanks for the help guys. I'll take both comments with me. We are headed to see the final stage of Le Tour and then down to Lauterbrunnen the day after.


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## [email protected] (Jan 31, 2005)

Postal said:


> My wife, dad, and I are visiting Lauterbrunnen for a few days next month. Just need something other than pavement to ride on.
> Chris


Hi Chris

Surfing by this thread, i rode yesterday Interlaken - Mürren - Interlaken.
Beginning slowly, you can first visit Interlaken, outside Lauterbrunnen there is parking block, turn right and the bike route to Interlaken begins, one third is pavement. Beautiful route. There are red bike sign, no problem to find them.
13 kilometers one way

Mürren:
From Lauterbrunnen, it's just a fireroad and the steep is continous,
Lauterbrunnen - Mürren = 9 Kilometers and 850 m or 2800 feet, if I count right 

Grindelwald - Kleine Scheidegg - Wengen - Lauterbrunnen.
If you are in good condition maybe you will get to the Kleine Scheidegg
and the downhill to Wengen.

Lauterbrunnen - Zweilütschinen = gravel
Zweilütschinen - Grindelwald = pavement
Grindelwald - Kleine Scheidegg - Wengen - Lauterbrunnen = fireroad, gravel

The route goes this way, because of you can't ride to wengen too steep.

Have a look at
http://www.liebing.ch/bike/bern/grindelwald.html
or the babel english version
http://babel.altavista.com/urltrurl?lp=de_en&trurl=http://www.liebing.ch/bike/bern/grindelwald.html

and as @uphilla wrote
YOu can get trains partway up the climbs

hope it helps a little

[email protected]


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## Postal (Sep 8, 2004)

*Thanks for the suggestions*

We got back from Lauterbrunnen yesterday and had a great time. We rode from Lauterbrunnen to Mürren and back. Imboden Bike had great maps or only 5 CHF. Also, I found the adapter part needed to mount my disc brakes to my Trek 8000. The scenery was great. The climb was good, but exhausting. I was damn well determined to make the whole thing. I think it was about 1/2 mile climb in about 10 miles of trail/road. My dad has a wrist GPS and noted that the grade was around 12% in some places. The downhill was pretty fun, until the pitch black 1200 meter tunnel.

So thanks to all for the suggestions, they made for a great holiday!


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