Monday, August 13, 2023
The day begins early. Together with Basia, Anja, Hania, and Simon, I set off from railway station in Grindelwald to the First Gondola. It was a relatively sunny day, but a light veil of clouds draped the sky – a blessing, as it kept the temperature pleasantly cool for our adventure.
At a small cul-de-sac near Dorfstraße 108a, Basia and I stop in our tracks. The mighty Mettenberg stands before us in cool grey, while the majestic Wetterhorn towers to the left. Between them, the Upper Grindelwald Glacier nestles like a frozen river.
Gallery I: First Panoramic Impressions
We leave the valley behind us. In three stages we take the gondola up to 2,166 meters. With every meter of altitude your chest expands and the air becomes thinner and clearer. Grindelwald-First welcomes us as a place where the world seems to stand still – a box seat for eternity.
Our goal is immediately clear: the First Cliff Walk. The iron footbridge nestles elegantly, almost tenderly, against the rugged, overhanging rock walls. The stones here shine in shades from ocher to a deep slate gray, marked by wind and weather. While Basia bravely conquers her fear of heights, the view ahead takes my breath away. The Eiger north face – 1,800 meters of vertical rock – stands there like an invincible sentinel.
Gallery II: Dance on the Abyss
We follow the footbridge that winds around the mountain like a steel spiral staircase. At the end the famous viewing platform awaits. A long line of patient visitors from the Far East waits here for the perfect selfie, but we decide to observe quietly. We don’t need a photo from the jetty to feel the power of this backdrop.
The Schreckhorn now dominates the panorama, flanked by the Kleinaarhorn and the rugged face of the Mettenberg. The glacier shimmers again in a deep depression, behind it the Fiescherhörner rise like dark, steep pyramids. The Great Fiescherhorn appears almost black against the gleaming white of the Fiescher Glacier. And in the middle of this monumental scenery? Two cows. They chew their grass, completely unimpressed, while the world history of geology is written behind them.
Gallery III: The Thrones of the Alps
A pan across the horizon allows you to really understand the dimensions – from the Black Monk to the Wetterhorn. To do this, click on the link below.
The Wetterhorn remains my favorite – an almost rectangular, mighty rock that unfortunately has a few wisps of clouds today. Hopefully not a bad omen for our future journey.
Adrenaline in the Air: The Adventure Begins
After lingering in amazement at the abysses of the Cliff Walk, your pulse changes. We booked the “Adventure Package” and the First is now showing us her wild side. While the group lines up with the first plane, I decide to take a moment of peace. I drive back one station with our dog. With a steaming coffee and the camera at the ready, I take in the mountain panorama in peace while the others at the top are looking forward to the thrill.
An hour later the time has come: Hania was lucky enough to get a free seat next to a stranger and raced down into the depths with her. When we get downstairs, she takes care of the dog so that I can finally go upstairs. Basia is already waiting for me at the stairs. When we reach the top, we watch in fascination as the carriers for our flight are mechanically pulled up again. The heart is pounding – the prospect of flying into the void is exhilarating.
Gallery IV: Flyer Adventure
Enjoy the mountains with a cappucino: https://youtu.be/YMTLKwgquQU
But the adventure is far from over. Hania has already done strategically valuable preparatory work and queued for the mountain carts for an hour. Nevertheless, it takes another hour before we are finally allowed to take our seats in the three-wheeled vehicles. What follows is pure driving fun, but it requires full concentration. The speed is remarkable and the challenge is to find your way between the almost crawling drivers from the Far East and the distracting beauty of nature. The Eiger, Schreckhorn, Mettenberg and Wetterhorn seem within reach as we sweep over the gravel.
Gallery V: Mountain Carts & Lunch
https://youtu.be/fvDLsLBe_Ck The dusty and fun descent with the mountain cart.
After lunch, where we watched with amusement the driving skills of the scooter riders passing by, we grabbed the scooter bikes ourselves. Simon and I quickly lose our initial caution and really pick up speed. The path into the valley is steep. If you look away from the piste for too long, you risk falling – as we see with some unlucky people on the side of the path.
It’s a wonderful descent. We glide along the Faulhornweg through lush mountain meadows and past lonely alpine pastures. The deeper we go, the closer the houses are. The Mettenberg is now coming very close to us from the left side. The last stage takes us through the picturesque, long village. It is undeniable: Grindelwald is one of the most beautiful spots in Switzerland.
Gallery VI: Trottibike Descent to Grindelwald
Video: The final journey through the alleys down to the village.
We comfortably push our scooters the last two hundred meters to the station, hand them in and walk back to the station, exhausted but happy. What a day! A real adventure that we will remember for a long time.
Tips for your first adventure: To make the day a success
A day on the First offers pure adrenaline, but requires a little planning so that the waiting times don’t spoil the fun. Here are my personal experiences:
- The Adventure Package: It is absolutely worth it financially if you want to do two or more activities (plane, cart, scooter bike). You can buy it directly at the valley station.
- Plan for patience: Waiting times of 60 to 90 minutes are not uncommon, especially for the First Flieger and the Mountain Carts. My tip: split up! While one person waits in line, the others can enjoy the view or (like me) take the dog for a stop.
- Be careful with the carts and scooters: the descents are great fun, but are sometimes steep and gravelly. Pay particular attention to “slow” drivers and oncoming hikers. Concentration is more important than speed here!
- Dogs going astray: Dogs can be taken on the gondola without any problem. For the descent with the scooter bike, we recommend a special dog backpack – like we do – so that your four-legged friends can get down to the valley safely and relaxed.
- Timing: If you start early (before 8:00 a.m. at the gondola), you will avoid the huge crowds on the Cliff Walk, at least in the morning.
Interactive map First