We’re walking in a winter wonderland

ROB IRVINE ditches skies for boots in the Swiss Alps

ALL my life I have loved summer walking holidays in the Swiss Alps but always envy skiers enjoying the sight of all those magnificent peaks and valleys under a good thick coat of snow.

I have skied. It was a big lump of a hill in Bulgaria and I tumbled endlessly then lied profusely in the bar about my exploits. ‘Après ski’ wipes the floor with ‘during ski’.

The Bernese Oberland tourism folks have since cottoned on that there is a demand for a winter season that doesn’t involve sliding and crashing into groups of terrified schoolchildren (I was that bad at skiing). Above lakes Thun and Brienz and beneath the bewildering heights of the Eiger mountain, a network of winter walking trails is now maintained.

We flew to Zurich and took the train to Interlaken then on the local service to Grindelwald, a year round destination and the ideal base for a winter walking adventure. Our hotel, the Derby, was just yards from the station where trains from the valley link with the mountain services all the way to the famous Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest railway station, in the permanent snow belt 11,000 feet up.

No need to head that high in winter to see some snow. There was a mantle of white on those familiar green slopes when we arrived, although the town itself was soggy with rain.

On our first morning we joined the skiers on the train up to Kleine Scheidegg, the saddle that joins the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen valleys.

It is just above here that downhill racers start the perilous descent of the Lauberhorn run to Wengen. This was where we were also heading but we had more time than the skiers to enjoy the stunning sight of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, the finest mountain range in Europe.

I have seen them countless times in summer rising out of the green hills but the winter view really is quite something, especially under clear blue skies.

The walking is pretty easy but you need decent boots and plenty of layers of clothing and waterproofs. This path is easy to follow and a couple of hours later we were enjoying the view sitting in the sun in Wengen with a beer in hand. And no need to fib about how many black runs we’d done.

The network of trains, cable cars and gondolas in the Oberland makes even remote peaks accessible. But the walking is excellent and makes a great way to work up an appetite for the Derby’s five-course evening menu.

A note on the Derby. It is a typical Oberland hotel… pine clad rooms, rustic, relaxed and very friendly. The location and ambience make it an ideal choice for sliders and walkers. The beds are comfy but after a day in the mountain air I could sleep on a plank.

And we had a great balcony view of the Wetterhorn, a huge, square, spiky mountain that impresses in summer but looks like a gigantic Christmas cake when winter sets in.

A decent bar presents itself for aperitifs then on to dinner - soup, salads, much meat and all great quality.

Wine is pricey in Switzerland but, well, you might only do this once so what the heck. Swiss wine is rarely seen elsewhere and the light reds are pretty good.

There are plenty of après ski bars in Grindelwald but to be honest we were tucked up pretty early so I can’t tell you much about them. They definitely have beer though. And schnapps.

Winter walking is growing in popularity but the numbers are still small compared to summer so a peaceful time is guaranteed, especially away from the skiers. One of the finest walks is from Grindelwald, up towards First - you can cheat and take the gondola - then through the forests to Bussalp.

A Swiss forest in winter, with glimpses of 13,000 foot mountains is a bit special.

And so is the bus ride from Bussalp back into Grindelwald. There are lots of hairpin bends and cliff edges - think of the final scenes in Where Eagles Dare if you are old enough to remember. It will be on the box this Christmas although I think I’d rather be back in Grindelwald.

One night it snowed and snowed and the morning came with a festive feeling, even though it was March.

And for the record, we completed 100,000 steps in five days, according to my iPhone.

We also borrowed a couple of sledges from the hotel and did a five km ride down a mountain, an exhilarating experience but hard work on the backside, although easier on the knees than skis.