Brienzer Grat
An airy ridge traverse high above Lake Brienz. The long, grassy Brienzergrat runs for hours with a constant drop to the lake — a Bernese Alps classic.
The whole Brienzer Grat
The Brienzer Grat is one of the great ridge walks of the pre-Alps: from Brünig-Hasliberg over several days across the Wilerhorn, Brienzer Rothorn, Tannhorn and Augstmatthorn, down to the Harder Kulm above Interlaken. It stays in T4 terrain for a long time but is exposed and varied throughout; just before the Tannhorn comes a harder scrambling step and then a very exposed, knife-edged ridge (T5-). On the Rothorn a tunnel and gallery lead coolly through the rock. The whole way you’re kept company by the panorama from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau to the Finsteraarhorn, Schreckhorn and Wetterhorn.
Tip: Water is the issue. There’s none on the ridge, and on hot days three litres per person is too little — four is more realistic. Tent spots are scarce; plan carefully around the small ones at the Schnürenhörnli and the Ällgäulücke.
How it went for me
We climbed up from Brünig-Hasliberg in the evening, some thousand metres in a good two hours, and had the tent and stove up top by nightfall — the night stayed warm, hut liners were enough. The next day brought the long, gorgeous ridge: on one foresummit we scrambled up a slab (T5+, very loose rock), borderline for me, moderate for Olli. Just before the Tannhorn I hit my mental limit — with Olli leading, it went. Past the Tannhorn we dropped exhausted to the Ällgäulücke, rested in the shade, and hauled ourselves on our last reserves onto the foresummit of the Schnürenhörnli, where there was just room for a small camp. On the third day early up the Augstmatthorn and then the long, very hot descent through forest to the Harder Kulm — the signed 2½ hours turned into four. A stunner of a tour, but properly exhausting too.