Giving you real, honest information about the Bachalpsee
Ever notice how it always seems to be perfect weather on blogs and Instagram? Sometimes it seems like bad weather doesn’t exist. Unfortunately, when you want to hike in the Swiss Alps there is a chance you’ll have some bad weather. This post gives you an honest insight what to expect of the Bachalpsee Lake during non-perfect weather conditions. This way you can make the trade off whether it’s worth it or not to go.
Quick facts Bachalpsee hike
- Duration hike: 50min (one way)
- Gondola departs from: valley station Grindelwald
- Hike starts at: Gondola mountain station First
- Gondola ticket price: 64 CHF pp return / 32 CHF single
Is the expensive gondola ticket to Bachalpsee worth it?
The gondola tickets from Grindelwald to the Bachalpsee are pricey! A return ticket from the valley of Grindelwald to the final station First is 64 CHF per person for a return ticket (about 58 Euro’s / 69 US dollars) ! In the valley it was warm and we saw blue skies with white, friendly clouds. The weather seemed pretty perfect for a hike. Little did we realise, but higher up the mountain the weather can be completely different!
Bachalpsee during rainy weather: Instagram vs. reality
The photos give you an honest impression of what the Bachalpsee look like during non perfect weather conditions. Decide for yourself if this is worth the trip up.
The scenery and trail: Bachalpsee Lake
Aside from the weather, the walk to the lake was lovely and we enjoyed the scenery. There are also cows and goats along the route. The trail is really easy going and almost all flat. To give you an impression of the level of difficulty of the trail: we saw a mother pushing a stroller on the trail.
Detour to First cliff walk
You can do the First cliff walk as a detour on your way back from the Bachalpsee Lake. It’s on you way back to the gondola and entry is free.
Camping at Bachalpsee
The lake seems like the perfect spot for wild camping. There is enough flat space around the lake to pitch a tent. There is even a small hut next to the lake where you can seek shelter. We did not see any signs forbidding camping.
Check the weather before heading to the Bachalpsee
My tip is to check the weather at the top of the mountain before purchasing your (expensive) gondola ticket. MeteoSwiss gave us the most accurate results, even better than Mountain Forecast which I normally use.
These Swiss hikes are cheaper (and more scenic) than the Bachalpsee hike
If you decide not to go to Bachalpsee, or you want to do more hiking in Switzerland, check out these unique Swiss hikes, that are cheaper than Bachalpsee (and arguable have better vistas):
- No gondola hike: Hike the alternative Augstmatthorn hiking route to beat the crowds (who only know about the classic route) and have the views all to yourself!
- Cheap gondola (15 CHF return) hike: Hike to the blue Limmernsee lake before other tourists discover this lesser-known beauty!
- Easy going hike: A gondola ticket (return) to the Oeshinensee costs 30 CHF. Discover the Panorama hiking trail and best photo spot’s at Lake Oeshinen.
