Adventure in the Alps 2016 Part 2: The Eiger Rotstock Via Ferrata

Travel StoriesTrails Peaks and Waterfalls

Mar 14

Kleine Scheidegg and Hotel Bellevue des Alpes

Yesterday I shared our arrival in Switzerland and an easy hike up Schwarzhorn high above Grindelwald. Our next stop took us to Kleine Scheidegg, a tiny village sitting at the base of the Eiger. We spent the night at the historic Hotel Bellevue des Alpes. The hotel was beautiful, immaculately maintained and paid tribute to it's 1840s roots. The location was breathtaking and we dined on an amazing meal in the dining room.

The hotel offered the perfect view of the adventure that lay ahead tomorrow. We'd climb the Rotstock Via Ferrata on the west side of the iconic Eiger. The via ferrata would take us up a weakness on the right side of Eiger's dangerous north face, allowing us to come as close to climbing the Eiger as we likely ever would.

Eiger Norwand North Face and Rotstock Via Ferrata

We awoke early to a spectacular sunrise. The eastern sky was filled will breathtaking colors, silhouetting the mountain we had climbed the day before. After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we caught the train to the trail head.

sunrise in the oberland alps, grindlewald

The Eiger trail began as an easy walk crossing a few screen filled areas bringing you to the base of the Eiger Nordwand (North Face). Despite the incoming clouds, the trail offered beautiful views of Kleine Scheidegg, Grindelwald and the mountains in the region.

After a short walk, the trail turned up the mountain and the via ferrata began almost immediately with a series of ladders.

We stopped for a few moments to put on our harnesses and helmets and put away the camera so that I could spend my time focused on climbing rather than all the things I could photograph. Forrest kept the Go Pro out, though, so he grabbed a few still shots as we made our way up the mountain.

The photographs certainly don't show the adventure of the 850 foot climb, including 6 ladders, seemingly endless feet of cable, and a few areas of steep exposure. All in all, the climb was pleasantly challenging. About halfway into the climb, we were joined by a pair of Ibex, beautiful mountain animals who decided to follow us to the top of the climb. They stuck close by, maybe just a hundred or so feet behind us for the remainder of the climb. They watched us closely and once we reached the final stretch, the Ibex ran down the backside of the mountain, as if there job as spotters was complete.

We arrived first at the false summit in which the trail turns left to head up the Eiger or right to the summit of Rotstock. The wind was whipping and cold so we bundled up and set off to climb the small section of cables remaining ahead of us.

We arrived at 2663 meters (8737 feet) and found the summit of Rotstock. We grabbed some photographs, signed the summit book, and marveled at the up close expanse of the Eiger next to us.

The climb down was over a rock and scree filled slope, but the Swiss guides had graciously left fixed ropes which you could use to gently self belay down the mountain. I was a little unsure of this method, but I think Forrest thought it was almost as fun as the climb up!

Once we arrived back down in the small town of Kleine Scheidegg, we splurged on a delicious ham and cheese rösti and a celebratory bottle of Rose before catching the Jungfraubahn train headed towards Saas Fee and our next day's adventure.

Watch Forrest's version of the day with his Go Pro footage.