UKC

Me and my dad are heading to the Grindelwald for a quick hit on the Finsteraahorn. We are planning on spending 4 or 5 days up on the tops with one ride up and one ride down the Jungfraujoch. We want to camp up there to avoid the huts. What are the rules on camping up there? is it the done thing? Are we likely to get moved on if we camp near to huts like the concordia and finseraahorn huts? Also what is the knowledge on the Jungfraujoch? is it worth booking in advance or can we pick a train on the day?

Many Thanks!!
Al

In reply to Ali D:

If you are going over to do the Finsteraarhorn then you won't need a ride down from Jungfraujoch in the train. It's far easier to walk out eastwards to the Grimsel than slog all the way back up to the Jungfraujoch.

In reply to jon:

Great cheers! Is transport back to the train network fairly easy from Grimsel? When we are finished we will train it back to Geneva

In reply to Ali D:
The Post bus runs through the Grimsel Pass. You'll likely go Grimsel -> Meiringen (bus) -> Lucerne (train) -> Geneva (change train in Lucerne)

Just chuck in your start/stop points to http://fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/en and you get what you need.

In reply to Ali D:

Why not walk in from the Fiesch lifts via Koncordia? Or from Grimsel via Oberaar? You'll save a fortune on the Jungfraujoch train and then you can afford to stay in huts and not carry tons of camping kit.

If you go for the train it's worth turning up early-ish. It can get busy from mid morning.

In reply to Ali D:

You will no doubt be aware, but I'll say it anyway; it can be pretty hellish to bang straight up to the Jungfraujoch un-acclimatised, and then try to do any significant work.

In reply to Ali D:

You will no doubt be aware, but I'll say it anyway; it can be pretty hellish to bang straight up to the Jungfraujoch un-acclimatised, and then try to do any significant work.

In reply to graham F:
Was about to suggest this. If you fly into Geneva, why go to the North side of the mountains at all? Just take the train up the Rhone valley almost to the end, and hike in from Fiesch, up the Aletsch glacier and across Grünhornlücke to the Finsteraarhorn hut in one hard day.
Alternatively, take the bus up to the Grimsel pass, and hike up the glacier to Oberaarjochhütte. If the weather is good I would recommend climbing Oberaarhorn next morning before breakfast, watch the sun rise from the summit (fantastic views of Schreckhorn, Lauteraarhorn, and Finsteraarhorn NE pillar), and head back down to grab a lateish breakfast at the hut (ask the warden the day before whether this is possible, usually depends on how many people are hiking out to the Grimsel and therefore want a late start anyway).

At 3400ish meters Oberaarhorn is a perfect easy summit for acclimatization. Next day, walk across to Finsteraarhorn hut, best taking the long way round as the direct way via Gemschlicke is probably a rockfall death trap in the current heat wave. Then Finsteraarhorn, and out to Fiesch via Grünhornlücke / Aletsch glacier. I can also recommend Gross Wannenhorn as an extra summit from Finsteraarhorn hut. A few years ago we had the entire mountain for ourselves, with the hordes all going off towards Finsteraarhorn, the Fiescherhörner, and Grünhornlücke.

CB

Sorry, missed the no huts bit. I am sure you would find space to camp/bivy on the way in from the East, I just wouldn´t stay directly above the huts where they get their drinking water.

In reply to Ali D:

The link from Fiona is the right one, but the best connection seems to be via Interlaken rather than Lucerne to get back to Geneva airport.