Biking in Murren
All,
Has anyone ever taken this bike route from Murren to Stechelberg to Lauterbrunnen and back to Murren? What's the trail like? If Rick can do it, can my wife? We're age 60. I know I can do it (and would like to) but I don't want my wife to find herself in very difficult terrain and decide to walk the whole way! We are not big bikers but have gone 30 miles on well graded gravel bike paths before without a problem. I just want to avoid jumps, roots and big rocks if we can. http://youtu.be/eJsl0GvLJEk
Thanks for your comments. Tom
Tom
Oak Brook, IL 11/25/12
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We tried, but got lost. Ask questions when you rent bike. Unlike USA , you can go through closed gates, as long as you close them. From what I remember of RS ride, it is mostly level and slowly descends to valley.
Thanks, Jim for your comments. For now, I'll withhold the "we got lost" comment from my wife. I don't think that will sell very well with my wife!
We rented bikes in Murren and the guy working there sent us to the left as you're looking down from Murren. It was fine at first, but turned into a gravel-y, rocky road with lots of curves that was very, very steep for at least 10 miles. I'm a bike rider and I hated it. I was extremely worried I would slip on the gravel and fall and ruin my vacation. I gripped the handlebars so tightly my wrists hurt, and was very stressed out the entire way down. My son, 18 at the time, didn't mind it but he likes that kind of risk.
When we got down to Lauterbrunnen we rode along the valley floor on a bike path which was easy and pleasant to Stechelberg, then a cable car back up to Murren.
There must be an easier way down than the way we went, and I've always been curious what that way is. The only other way down I know of from Murren is a paved path that only goes to Gimmelwald.
I only tell you our experience so you won't go the way we did!
Tom,
Looking at the route that Rick followed in THIS "dated" Video, it doesn't look too difficult, but of course some caution is warranted.
The route from Mürren to Gimmelwald is all paved, and wide enough for the small SUV's that the local Farmers use (I know as they've passed me while I was walking down to Gimmelwald). I haven't seen the route from Gimmelwald down to Stechelberg, but suspect there's an easy way there also, as the SUV's had to get to Gimmelwald somehow and I doubt that it was on a narrow, rocky goat trail.
When you reach Stechelberg, you could either take the Cable Car back to Mürren from there, or continue to Lauterbrunnen and travel back from there. One point to menntion is that the Funicular shown in the video is no longer there, so travel to Grütschalp will be via Cable Car.
From Grütschalp to Murren, you should be able to load the bikes into the small Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen–Mürren (BLM) railway OR take the small trail which parallels the railway.
Happy travels!
When we walked down from Muerren via Gimmelwald down to the valley floor, loved the walk, we were passed occasionally, very slowly, by several mountain bikers going down the same trail. The trail below Gimmelwald is sometimes wider and smoother, but is often quite steep and with loose stones. Some of the narrowest and steepest parts have roots or stone steps to assist with getting down the steep bits. They will definitely require you to stand up and post. There are several waterfalls that the path passes and the views are lovely. I don't think it would be an "easy" ride.
There is a very easy wider lane down to Lauterbrunnen from Grütschalp which is used by farmers with their small trucks to move up and down the hill and can be walked or ridden easily, but the views aren't the same. The start branches off the path that is next to the railway and branches off down the hill near the cheese dairy.
What i would do is rent a bike from your local bike shop, specifically a mountain bike, take it to your surrounding mountain bike trails, ride the easier to intermediate trails, just to see if you operate a mountain bike well. To properly ride a mountain bike you must be proficient in shifting, braking and know good body positioning. It is a must, even on easy trails. Take it from me. I started to mountain bike in March, I was terrible. I would go over the handle bars because I would go over roots too slow (you really need to pick up speed and "smash" the roots). I was afraid of the most tiniest decline drop ( I now do black diamond drops and climbs). And I didn't know a thing about modulating the brakes or even when to shift (shifting too late to make for easy revolutions could yield your chain coming off or really just make your climb more difficult as you should downshift before a climb).
I would also never wear regular pants with a mountain bike. your pant leg may get caught up in the casette/chain ring; and so could your shoe strings (just properly secure them). I would wear pants that cinch at the bottom to avoid any catching occurrence.
Mountain biking is not anything like road biking, nor is it anything like casual city street riding. If the trail is like the trail that Rick rode, it really does not look bad, seems paved. But if it is all down hill on rougher terrain, try it at home first or else the wife will gripe at your forever for ruining her trip.
I had the same experience as Susan - prob the same guy and route...my impression was the RS one was mostly paved/graded walks and such, but we were sent to the gravel road as well...but I managed to lock the front breaks and flew over the handlebars and ended up tangled in the bike with some major bruises and stiffness to show for it. Nothing broken and no cuts other then gravel cuts on my hand. (Thank goodness I wasn't wearing shorts - and my chin came about 2 inches from the road) Then I was so nervous and sore we walked most of the way down. And there were cars on the road too...so make sure you ask to be sent the 'gentle' way, NOT the way to the gravel road. (PS, I was 37 at the time, but years since I was on a bike, and I got tired legs very quickly...but my hubby (8 yrs older) was fine.) We also stopped into the Trummelbach Falls...
Nicole - very sorry that happened to you. That's exactly what I was afraid of.
I've had my doubts ever since that there is a paved path all the way down to the valley floor. Why would the rental guy send us (and Nicole) the way he did if there was a paved path all the way down? The RS video, from what I can tell, shows Rick on the paved path that goes from Murren to Gimmelwald. But that would take me 10 min tops to ride and not worth renting bikes for. If that is the only paved path, then RS and his video are very misleading.
When Rick is riding past the campground in the video, that is already down on the valley floor. It doesn't show how he got there.
If the only other alternative is mountain biking down on trails, I'd much rather just walk down, like we did many times other days. Now THAT was fun!
Thanks to all for responding. Glad I asked! The video is somewhat misleading as the audio portion includes a conversation between the rental guy and Rick, describing the route from Murren to Gimmelwald to Stechelberg to Lauterbrunnen and back to Murren. Rick looks like he was going for a "ride in the park". The impression is very different from what is described above. I guess an option is to ride from Murren to Gimmelwald take the cable car to the bottom and then ride to Lauterbrunnen (or beyond). Is there an actual bike path in the valley which is off the main road and away from vehicles?
Thanks again. Tom
That VT made me laugh.
20 seconds hes talking about Mürren is a good starting point for mountain biking but the clip is of a biker above Wengen....lol
He then leaves Pete at the old Stager Sports shop (now Alfreds Sporthaus)and heads down to the lower road behind Exile on Mainstreet for the start of the ride to to Gimmelwald ....but then is found coming down from Gimmeln.....lol
Im also confused as that VT was uploaded by Rick Steves website on the 13th April 2011 but 3;05 he on the old funnicular that used to take you from Mürren to Grütschalp but was replaced back in Dec 2006 with a cablecar.
It then shows a clip of the funnicular that goes upto to the Almendhubel from Mürren..
Anyway, this year they have created a new bike trail from Winteregg to Lauterbrunnen if that helps ;)
"Rick looks like he was going for a "ride in the park"."
Tom, that's exactly what I thought when I saw the RS episode years ago, that's why we rented bikes - to do what he did. Our experience was anything but a "ride in the park." Makes me mad he was so misleading.
Yes, there is a paved bike path on the valley floor away from the main road. Don't know how long it is though. We rode from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg and it was very pleasant. But I was so worn out from our ride down, and my nerves frazzled, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have and have no memory of how long it took. My guess is that it's longer than the portion we were on.
I think your idea to ride to Gimmelwald, cable car down, then along the valley floor is good. However, for me (and I love to bike ride), I'd rather spend my time up by Murren and above walking the trails. That was pure heaven.
Susan, Thanks for the feedback RE: the path on the valley floor. Chris, Can you tell me more about the new path from Winteregg to Lauterbrunnen? Is it paved? Good views going down? Thanks. Tom
I think it took us around 4 hrs...we had lunch and took the bikes around 1pm, then got back just before the bike shop closed at 5pm...but we did stop at Trummelbach for maybe 45min or so, and wasted maybe 45min-1hr walking down the mountain after my spectacular header (and Susan, we had some wonderful couchsurfing hosts that night in Bern who drew me a lovely hot bath to soothe my aching bones :) )
Chris
Jersey CI & Mürren CH, Twitter :@murrenlover
Posts: 316
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The old route from Winteregg to Lauterbrunnen is kind of a road so it is mostly flat with nothin to worry about. The new route goes into the forest and can be tricky.
good website to check out the tracks
http://www.bikemap.net/routes#lat=46.54894&lng=7.84184&zoom=12&type=6&gnd=1_2_3&cat=0&rat=0
Nicole, that's so nice!