You climb through the Griesalp valley, sleep at 2,840 m in a Swiss Alpine Club hut, watch the sunrise over the Alps and descend to the blue Oeschinensee, with an optional swim. This is what you need to know.
It is one of the most complete mountain tours in the Bernese Oberland: you cross from the Kiental valley to Kandersteg via the Hohtürli pass (2,778 m) and sleep at the Blüemlisalphütte (2,840 m), at the foot of the Blüemlisalp massif. The next day you descend to the Oeschinensee, one of the most photographed lakes in Switzerland, and from there to Kandersteg.
Done over two days it's a different experience from doing it in one go: you reach the hut with time to spare, have dinner with a view and watch the sunset and sunrise in the high mountains.
Data from Bergwelten (Griesalp – Hohtürli – Kandersteg: 16.1 km, 7 h 45 min in total, T3). The SAC rates the ascent from Griesalp to the hut as T2 (4 h, 1,450 m); BLS and Bergwelten rate it T3. Sources at the bottom of the page.
The name means something like "alp of the little flowers". The Blüemlisalp is a glaciated massif with peaks over 3,600 m: the Blüemlisalphorn (3,660 m) is the highest, next to the Wyssi Frau (3,648 m) and the Morgenhorn (3,620 m). Folk tradition tells that there was once a very rich alp whose inhabitants, out of pride, were buried under the ice. It is a legend, but it helps to imagine why this wall of ice above green meadows is so impressive.
The Blüemlisalphorn was first climbed on 27 August 1860: Leslie Stephen, R. Liveing and J. K. Stone, with guides Melchior Anderegg and Pierre Simond. They left the Oeschinen chalets at 2am and reached the summit around 8. That is why the massif is known as one of the cradles of mountaineering.
The Blüemlisalphütte belongs to the Blüemlisalp section of the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC), at 2,840 m, very close to the Hohtürli. It is the starting point for many ascents in the area, and a few minutes away there is a climbing area. It has more than a hundred places and is part of the multi-day route called the Bärentrek.
The plaque on the façade says it: the building was built in 1946–1947 and extended in 1988/89. In summer 2023 there was construction work, and the hut stayed open to guests.
The Oeschinensee lies at 1,578 m, covers a little over 1 km² and is about 56 m deep. It was formed by ancient rockslides that dammed the valley. In the 17th and 18th centuries sulphur was mined on the Oeschinenalp, and since 2007 the lake has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch.
Train to Reichenbach im Kandertal (hourly RegioExpress from Bern or Brig) and from there PostBus 220 to Griesalp. BLS describes it as the steepest bus route in Europe: very tight hairpin bends, so take it calmly. In 2026 it ran from 23 May to 18 October. Confirm the timetables each season at BLS and SBB.
There are pay car parks at Tschingelsee and at Griesalp. Keep in mind that you finish in Kandersteg, not where you left the car, so plan your return: the most practical way is to arrive by public transport.
The finish is in Kandersteg, which has a train station. From the gondola valley station there is a bus to the station. If you are going down by the Oeschinensee gondola, in 2026 it ran from 8:30 to 18:00 (until 20 September) and until 17:00 (21 September to 8 November); the downhill ticket cost CHF 26.20 for adults and CHF 14.10 with a Half Fare card or for children. Check times and prices before you go.
Sources: BLS, Hohtürli-Passwanderung and Oeschinensee, gondola.
Ascent of about 4 to 4 h 30 of actual walking, with +1,450 m of elevation gain. With breaks, allow 5 to 6 hours.
Descent of about 1,680 m. Allow about 3 to 4 h of walking to Kandersteg, without breaks and without a swim (7 h 45 min total route minus the first day's ascent).
Reference times for continuous walking. Route source: Bergwelten, Hohtürli and Blüemlisalphütte.
Yes, you can: swimming is allowed, at each person's own risk. There are no changing rooms, showers or lifeguards. The shallow south and west shores are the most used for cooling off.
It takes two days. The first climbs from Griesalp to the hut (about 4 to 4 h 30 of walking, +1,450 m). The second descends past the Oeschinensee to Kandersteg (about 3 to 4 h of walking, not counting breaks and the swim).
It is a demanding mountain route, T3 on the SAC scale according to BLS and Bergwelten. It has a steep section with chains towards the Hohtürli and a steep descent. Good fitness and no fear of heights are required.
Yes, some people do it in one go: about 16 km and close to 7 h 45 of walking according to Bergwelten, with +1,450 m of ascent. Sleeping at the hut lets you do it calmly and see the sunset and sunrise in the mountains.
The Blüemlisalphütte is staffed from mid-June to mid or late October, and in full operation from July to September. Outside those dates only the emergency room is open. Always book in advance.
Yes, swimming is allowed, at your own risk. There are no changing rooms, showers or lifeguards. The water is cold, like a mountain lake, so go in slowly and only for a short time.
You can continue on foot along the Oeschibach stream to Kandersteg, or take the gondola from the lake for the last 400 m of descent. The gondola has seasonal timetables, so confirm them.
A sleeping-bag liner (mandatory: the hut provides blankets but not sheets), card or cash for drinks, warm clothes, a headlamp and mountain footwear. Dinner and breakfast are included if you go with Clas Tours.
Timetables, prices and path conditions change each season; check them before you go.
I run this tour with small groups: planning, pre-trip guidance and all the information in your language, so all you have to do is enjoy it.
per person · all inclusive (guide, night in the hut, dinner and breakfast) · minimum 2 people
Groups of 7 or more: CHF 260 per person · maximum 10 people
Write to me directly and I'll reply with no forms. I can also organise a date for your group.
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