Via Alpina
Overview
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Distance 16 km
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Duration 6 h 25 min
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Ascent 1250 m
Intro
Panoramic high mountain trail past Berghaus Eggli and the Wilde Bode limestone karren area to the linguistic border at the Col de Jable. Many traditional Alpine huts with large shingle roofs and cheese-making in copper cauldrons high above Etivaz.
Description
While the ascent up Hinders Eggli is steep, the route goes through the forest, offering welcome shade on sunny days. On reaching the Eggli, you can catch a first glimpse of the Gummfluh mountain – the landmark of Saanenland.
Before climbing the Col du Jable, you pass through the Wilde Bode forest that looks like it's straight out of a brothers Grimm fairy tale. One final gentle ascent along pastures and farms before reaching the top of the pass. Here, a long dry-stone wall crosses the trail, forming a small biotope with varied flora and fauna at 1,884 m. Once this wall and the cantonal border have been crossed, head down to L’Etivaz. In the distance, you will see the final destination of the Via Alpina – the Rochers de Naye. However, today’s stage ends at L’Etivaz, famous for the cheese of the same name.
Here, you no longer greet people with a “Grüezi”, and instead dig deep to recall the French you learned at school. Once in the village, sampling some of the many cheese delicacies is an absolute must. How about a traditional “croûte au fromage”? Made with the hard Swiss cheese L’Etivaz AOP, of course.
Accommodation in L’Etivaz
- Hotel du Chamois, L’Etivaz
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Gstaad
|
|---|---|
| Destination |
L'Etivaz
|
| Direction |
One way
|
| Ascent |
1250 m
|
| Descent |
1200 m
|
| Distance |
16 km
|
| Duration |
6 h 25 min
|
| Duration back |
6 h 20 min
|
| Technical requirements |
Medium
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| Physical requirements |
Difficult
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| Season |
May - September
|
Quick Facts
Route number
