Grosse Scheidegg to First: My Favourite Less-Crowded Hike From Grindelwald
Today marked the beginning of my second trip to Grindelwald. This time, I really wanted to find a less-crowded hike from Grindelwald, and I really hit the jackpot with the hike from Grosse Scheidegg to First.
The best part is you can do it all without a car. I took a 30-minute bus from Grindelwald to the trailhead, hiked six kilometres to the First cable car station, and returned to the town by cable car (after a coffee, of course).
Here’s how you can do it too.
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Is The Grosse Scheidegg to First Hike Worth Doing?
If you’ve come across my blog before, you’ll know by now that I’m not a huge fan of crowds. You might be thinking, “Why did you go to Grindelwald, then?”
The thing is, I also believe that even the most popular places are worth visiting, because there’s always a way to get off the beaten track. Even the smallest change to your route can do the trick!
So, I really like the hike from Grosse Scheidegg to First because it’s much less-crowded than the hike to Lake Bachalpsee from First. I’ve already done that hike, so I can tell you that for certain.
On this hike, I only passed about 10–15 people. There are mountain views all the way – literally, no stopping them – too!
Difficulty
I did the hike from Grosse Scheidegg to First mountain with my parents, who are in their mid-60s. I saw all ages on the trail, from young to old.
Overall, the difficulty is moderate. It’s six kilometres in total (12 only if you decide to hike out and back instead of taking the cable car down to Grindelwald).
From the beginning of the hike in Grosse Scheidegg, it’s mostly flat. However, it gets hillier as you get closer to the First cable car station. In all, the elevation gain is 316 metres.
My legs are sore afterwards, and I did get out of breath going up the final slope to First. So, be prepared for about 20–30 minutes of walking uphill at the end.
The trail is easy underfoot, mostly on a wide gravel path with some stretches along a dirt trail.
How to Get To Grosse Scheidegg
You can do this hike from Grindelwald by bus. Then, take the cable car back to Grindelwald from First!
- By car: The road from Grindelwald (Hotel Wetterhorn) and Schwarzwaldalp is closed to private traffic, so you can’t drive up. You can park in Grindelwald and take the bus.
- By bus: You’ll need bus B 128 from Grindelwald to Grosse Scheidegg, which takes around 30 minutes. There are several bus stops in town; after getting my tickets on the SBB Mobile App with my Half Fare pass (it came to CHF 13.50), I boarded the bus at Grindelwald bus station to make sure I got a seat. You can also get on at the Firstbahn bus stop near the cable car station.
If you’d rather do this hike in the reverse, you can take the cable car from Grindelwald up to First. Then, hike to Grosse Scheidegg and take the B 128 bus back to Grindelwald.
What to Expect on The Hike From Grosse Scheidegg to First
Map
My Experience Hiking From Grosse Scheidegg to First
I took the B 128 bus from Grindelwald to Grosse Scheidegg, which took about 30 minutes.
Once I arrived at Grosse Scheidegg, I nipped into the restaurant there to use the bathroom, before beginning the hike across the road.
At the beginning, a wind was blowing through the valley so I was pretty shivery and started to regret my decision to wear shorts. But soon, the path dipped into the green valley, and I was nice and warm in the direct sunlight.
Usually when I write about a hike, I find myself needing to set expectations about sections where you don’t get any views. But not on this one!
The hike from Grosse Scheidegg to First has views of white mountains all the way, oftentimes with cows grazing on the green hillsides in the foreground.
Towards the beginning, you get a beautiful look at the jagged Engelhörner limestone mountains to the east. Walking into the valley, the main views are of First and the Eiger, Wetterhorn and Schreckhorn.
Through the valley, you’ll pass cows with bells and a few small streams and waterfalls. There are no toilets or benches along the route, but once you reach First, you’re at a busy cable car station with toilets, a water re-fill station and benches.
When I arrived at First, I ate my sandwich, watched people soaring down the First Flyer zipwire, and decided I wasn’t done walking.
So rather than taking the cable car back to Grindelwald immediately, I walked down the trail for 30 minutes to Schreckfeld cable car station, where there was a huge line for the troddies.
I went to the nice takeaway café there, plonked down on a deckchair and took in the views one more time before taking the cable car back to Grindelwald for CHF 17.50. The coffee was worth it for sure!
Tips for the Hike
- Take plenty of water and snacks. Even though the hike is only 1–2 hours, I got pretty hungry along the way and was thankful for the banana I’d packed. There are restaurants at the beginning and end if you need them!
- Download the SBB mobile app to buy your bus/cable car tickets and keep them on your phone. I always buy the Half Fare pass when I visit Switzerland – it works out cheaper overall if you’re using public transport a lot.
- Plan ahead if you want to do some of the other activities at First. You could do the 20-minute First Cliff Walk (an iconic but busy route), the First Flyer (a zipwire experience that looks a lot of fun) or hire a trottie bicycle for part of the route back to Grindelwald. For a bigger hiking day, you can also hike to Lake Bachalpsee after you’ve finished this route.
That’s all you need for this less-crowded hike from Grindelwald – let me know if you do it! I’d love to hear from you.
