SummitPost.org

Hello all!
I'll be in the Oberland this coming February, but I am the only Bergsteiger in the group. We will be staying in Interlaken andI will have a day to myself (while the rest of the group attends a wedding).

Are the mountains open to hiking and simple mountaineering? I may bring an axe and crampons, though I will want to avoid anything dangerous while I am alone. I will just be looking to gain a bit of altitude and take some photos, and get as far up these legendary mountains as possible.... safely!

Danke für alle Hilfe!

You're just taking the train up to the hotel? And back? The same day? In February the height of ski season? That'll eat up some time. It's a ski resort with a big wall in back of it. The NORTH FACE OF THE EIGER. Which you must've heard of. Just walking around the area is an amazing experience.

Love this place. I learned to ski there.

edit to remove fail photo

There are some excellent summit panoramas on the 'lesser' mountains in the area. For example:

http://www.summitpost.org/lauberhorn/216939 (contains links to other, similar viewpoint mountains in the area)
http://www.summitpost.org/schwarzhorn-grindelwald/152886

These are the ones I've been on in summer, I don't know about winter conditions, so make sure you ask someone who knows about this. I would guess that Lauberhorn is still really easy in winter (but great views of Eiger etc.), Schwarzhorn could be a bit more involved in winter, but more solitary.

There's only one summit that can be done in one (beautiful weather required, of course) day from Interlaken : the Monch - along the normal route starting from Jungfraujoch : http://www.summitpost.org/obermonchjoch/493924
a less demanding, but fine, hike could be the Monchjochhutte

Not sure what the winter hiking conditions are but the trail system in the area is heavily used. There may be some avy issues on some. I've done the loop from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen. Between the trains and trails you should be a able to come up with some great and safe day hike options. It's a beautiful place. A lot of these hikes are clasics so there is a ton of information on them in all the Swiss guide books. You can't beat sitting outside in Kleine Scheidegg, having a beer and just staring at the Eiger.

Oh I am very familiar with the Norwand of the Eiger. It's a beutiful vista for most, and a terrifying tombstone for others. I have no intent of climbing the North face... but I've said that about many things that I eventually did.

gabriele wrote:There's only one summit that can be done in one (beautiful weather required, of course) day from Interlaken : the Monch - along the normal route starting from Jungfraujoch : http://www.summitpost.org/obermonchjoch/493924

Now that is possible, thank you for the reference! My favourite monks make beer, perhaps this one will change that.
My primary concern when climbing alone is crossing glaciers. They are "more safe" in winter, which really just means "less dangerous". I'm fairly well seasoned when it comes to winter conditions, and I have a healthy respect for the dangers. I now have much reading to do about the Monch.
I'm hoping the ski traffic won't be too terrible on my way up. I'plan to take the earliest train possible, both because I like an early start AND because every skier I know likes to sleep late.

Final question regarding the Monch SE Butress. Can anyone confirm the safety of the Glacier?

I've always dismissed the idea of glacier crossing alone, it's risky even in a group. However, I'm seeing that, in the summer, there is a foot-highway accross the Alestch Glacier at the souther base of the Monch. I see pictures of snow-cats grooming the Monchjochhutte trail on the glacier during its most unstable season, they seem to be fairly sure of it's safety!

Is there a line across the glaceir that's even close to being 100% safe in the winter? My gut says no, but I've never been to the alps.

The Rotstock Via Feratta may be a back-up plan.

Thanks again!

crossing the Jungfrau firn (not the Aletschgletscher) from Junfraujoch to Obermonchjoch should be safe, the slopes are sweet and without moguls, so, I think, without crevasses - you could feel safer renting a pair of skis ...

here (Konkordiahutte) you can see the status of weather and snow : with fine weather this image shows the whole route from Junfrajoch to Monch

With ski's, I'd only feel safer knowing that I'd break my own legs before I ever made it to the glacier!
From what I've seen with glaciers, the concave sections of topography are much safer than the convex, and the trail that is cut for the hut follows just such a feature.
Again, Grazie for all of the information!