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Longest sledging run in the world - «Big Pintenfritz» (No. 50)

Hiking and tobogganing tour to the Faulhorn, in the sunny winter sports area Grindelwald-First. What follows is unforgettable sledding fun for everyone.

Grindelwald Tourismus
CH - 3818 Grindelwald
+41 33 854 12 12
grindelwald.swiss
info@grindelwald.swiss

The starting point on First is reached from Grindelwald by gondola lift in 25 minutes. From there, a marked winter hiking trail leads in just over 2.5 hours past the Bachalpsee to the Faulhorn - the highest point of this tour. In addition to the opportunity to take a breather there is a unique panoramic view of many parts of Switzerland up here. The highlight follows at the end the descent towards Bussalp and Grindelwald, where a total of 15 kilometers and 1600 meters of altitude are covered.

By the way the special name «Big Pinenfritz» is due to the legendary host Fritz Bohren who ran the «Pinte» (Hotel Bellevue) as well as the Berghotel Faulhorn in Grindelwald.

 

Recommendation: In the morning, the toboggan runs from Bussalp are very good. From midday onwards, depending on the temperature, very spring-like, soft pistes. We therefore recommend starting early in the morning on the First for the Big Pintenfritz.

Click here for the status of the sledging trails. 

 

Difficulty
Moderate
Distance
15.04km
Duration
3 hours, 30 minutes
Ascent
417 vm
Descent
1437 vm
Starting Point
First
Ending Point
Gaggi Säge
Top public transport friendly pointToPoint Scenic Summit tour With refreshment stops Mountain railway ascent/descent

Details

Difficulty
Moderate
Technique
Condition
Experience
Landscape
Altitude
2552m1153m
Recommended season
  • jan
  • feb
  • mar
  • apr
  • may
  • jun
  • jul
  • aug
  • sep
  • oct
  • nov
  • dec

Author Tips

On the way there are the following stops: Mountain Inn First, Anja's Skibar Oberjoch and the mountain restaurant Bussalp.

However a special experience is a picnic on the Faulhorn. Here next to the mountain hotel (closed during winter) you can choose a sunny spot in the middle of the snow-covered mountains. With the appropriate equipment you can even have a small fondue or raclette.

Equipment

  • Sled or toboggan
  • Ski helmetday
  • hiking backpack (approx. 20 liters) with rain cover
  • comfortable and waterproof winter shoes or sturdy hiking boots (if necessary dredges and gaiters)
  • hat/headband, scarf
  • waterproof glovessun and rain protection
  • Provisions and drinking water, thermos bottle with hot drink
  • first aid kit
  • pocket knife
  • Cell phone
  • if necessary headlamp and reflectors
  • Map material

Safety Guidelines

 The 10 rules of sledging 

  1. Show consideration for others
  2. Adapt speed and driving style to ability
  3. Respect the lane of the vehicle in front
  4. Overtake with distance
  5. Look up before entering and approaching the road
  6. Stop at the edge
  7. Get on and off at the edge
  8. Observe signs and markings
  9. Provide assistance
  10. In the event of an accident: give personal details

More information and links

Directions

Starting Point

First

Koordinates :

Geographic 46.661545 N 8.052166 E

Ending Point

Gaggi Säge

Step by Step Directions

Cable car: Grindelwald - First
Hiking trail from First to Faulhorn (via Bachalpsee) 2.5h
Sledding: Faulhorn - Gassenboden - Bussalp - Weidli - Oberäll (if there is enough snow till Grindelwald)

Getting There

Public transport

Thanks to its central location in Europe, Switzerland is served by international trains from over 12 countries. Within Switzerland, Intercity trains run from Basel and Lucerne directly to the Jungfrau Region. Travellers from Zurich change trains in Bern. The trains run every half hour.

 

Grindelwald

From Interlaken Ost railway station we reach Grindelwald without changing trains on the Bernese Oberland Bahn (BOB). Important: Get on the rear part of the train, as it splits in Zweilütschinen. If you get on at the front, you will end up in Lauterbrunnen. The journey takes 30 minutes to Grindelwald Terminal (V-Bahn). Three minutes later we are at the terminal in the village.

There are three stations in Grindelwald (Terminal, Grund and Dorf). The terminal station (Dorf) is in the centre of Grindelwald.

Getting there

From Basel and Geneva, the fastest route to the Jungfrau Region is via Bern. From Zurich, the route via Lucerne and the Brünig Pass is recommended. The pass is open all year round.

 

From the south, travel to the Jungfrau Region via the Grimsel or Susten Pass. Both passes are only open in summer. An alternative is the Simplon Pass with subsequent car transport through the Lötschberg tunnel.

 

Grindelwald

From Interlaken we follow the main road to Zweilütschinen. Here we turn left towards Grindelwald. The whole trip takes about 30 minutes and leads over a partly winding road.

Parking

Grindelwald

There are three public car parks: Parkhaus Eiger+ (252 parking spaces), Parkhaus Sportzentrum (160 parking spaces) and the new Terminal Parking (1000 spaces) of the V-Bahn. Alternatively, we can also use the car park in Grindelwald Grund.

Grindelwald First Winter Schlitteln Familie Faulhorn

Grindelwald Tourismus
CH - 3818 Grindelwald
+41 33 854 12 12
grindelwald.swiss
info@grindelwald.swiss

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