France + Switzerland: Bernese Oberland Traverse

Ski Touring Area
Tour Website

About the Region

WHY SKI HERE?

If you like multi-day winter adventures and glacial landscapes, the Bernese Oberland Traverse is for you. Unlike many other tours in the Swiss Alps, you don’t have to be an expert skier to take it on – just intermediate. That’s because the route starts at Jungfraujoch (11,300 ft) – the highest railway station in Europe – and continues at high altitude, rather than zig-zagging up and down from the valley floor. You may not find the steepest descents on the Bernese Oberland Traverse, but it has some of the best views around. It also ends with a 6,500-foot descent down to Lötschental Valley for a bit of last-minute downhill fun.

“The traverse is widely considered to have some of the best views in all of the Alps, as the bulk of the skiing is done high up in the mountains.”

- Daniel Dawson

The Bernese Oberland Traverse is typically a week-long expedition with 4 to 5 hours of skinning each day. The exact route is flexible, but it typically includes visits to Konkordia Hut, Hollandia Hut, Mönchsjoch Hut, Oberaarjoch Hut, and/or Finsteraarhorn Hut, occasionally staying in the same hut for more than one day while you explore local peaks. Some of the more popular summits to include on your route include Finsteraarhorn (14,000 ft), Grünhorn (13,250 ft), Äbeni Flue (13,000 ft), Grosses Wannenhorn (12,800 ft), Mittaghorn (12,750 ft), and Weissnollen (11,800 ft).
Tour Report

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Mid Dec-Late Apr | 35,559 ac | 250″ Snow | 160 Lifts | 10,663′ Top Elev. | 6,562′ Vert. | 4% Beg. | 15% Exp.

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Early Dec-Late Apr | 25,900 ac | 300″ Snow | 166 Lifts | 10,499′ Top Elev. | 7,546′ Vert. | 14% Beg. | 12% Exp.