National Geographic Traveller - UK (2022-06)

IMAGE:

AL

AMY

On the rocks
Towering above Grindelwald,
the peak of First is fantastic fun in
summer. A cable-car hauls you to
the summit, where you can hurtle
towards the Eiger on zip-lines at up
to 50mph. Descend the mountain
a little to Schreckfeld to pinball
down the slopes on a chunky
go-cart, as the forests, meadows
and peaks whizz past. Stop at Bort
and switch to a trottibike, a Swiss
take on a scooter, for the speedy
ride back down to Grindelwald.
jungfrau.ch

In the sky
If ever you’re going to jump from
a helicopter, do it in style in front
of the Eiger’s notorious north face:
a view enjoyed by only the most
committed, hardened of rock

climbers. After a 15 -minute scenic

flight to the top of the summit,

you’ll freefall for a slow 45 seconds

before the parachute opens

and you glide noiselessly down

to Grindelwald, the Jungfrau’s

parade of peaks and glaciers all

around. Flights are available on

weekdays and mornings are best in

summer. Good weather is essential.

skydiveinterlaken.ch

On the water

A plunge in the region’s gaspingly

cold, turquoise lakes and rivers

is truly invigorating. Interlaken

is the base for some top-notch

watersports; here you can white-

water raft on the foaming rapids

on the Lütschine River, right in

the Eiger’s shadow, or dive into

a nearby canyon to abseil, jump

and slide down waterfalls. If you

prefer something gentler, kayak

or standup paddleboard to placid

lakes Brienz and Thun, never

lovelier than when the day fades

into a pastel dusk. outdoor.ch

On ice

The snow glare, the ethereal

blues, the sun breaking above

horn-like mountains — a two-

day summer hike across the

14-mile Aletsch Glacier, the

longest glacier in the Alps, is

unforgettable. This adventure

heads properly off-piste, with a

night in the spectacularly perched

Konkordiahütte at 9,350ft. The

only prerequisites are a head for

heights and the ability to walk for

six hours with a backpack, at times

as a roped team. outdoor.ch

GET ACTIVE FOUR MORE OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

A cable-car passes over

the Thrill Walk, Birg

MORE INFO

Jungfrau Region.

jungfrau.ch

jungfrauregion.swiss

Mönchsjochhütte.

moenchsjoch.ch

Mürren. muerren.swiss

Berghaus Alpiglen.

alpiglen.ch

Intersport. intersport.ch

HOW TO DO IT

Interlaken, the regional hub,

is two hours by train from

Zurich Airport. Alternatively,

TGVs run from Paris to major

Swiss cities in three to four

hours. eurostar.com sbb.ch

Jungfrau Railways three-

day ‘Top of Europe Pass’

offers unlimited travel on

all mountain transport from

£202. Hotel Eiger has double

rooms from CHF289 (£235),

B&B. hoteleiger.com

Hotel Glacier has double

rooms from CHF319 (£260),

B&B. hotel-glacier.ch

Right on track

Launched in spring

2022, the 186-mile,

20-stage ViaBerna

passes through Bern’s

UNESCO-listed

heart and along

the shores of Lake

Thun, before taking

in the Jungfrau

Region on the walk

from Schynige

Platte to First.

schweizmobil.ch

Using Interlaken — Europe’s biggest extreme sports hub — as a base, you’ll find no shortage of ways to get
the pulse racing, whether it’s on water, land or in the sky

48 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL

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