Switzerland’s "Berner Oberland" & Hiking the Haute Route (Mazama Lodge)

The Bernese Alps in Central Switzerland offer rugged glaciers and high alpine lakes, fervent meadows full of cowbell-toting bovines, and a never-ending landscape of trails for hikers of all abilities. We settled in the cozy and high village of Gimmelwald for four days and hiked the Lauterbrunnen Valley trails, before starting our eleven day Haute Route trek out of Chamonix, France. As we travelled from the Bernese Alps to the French Alps to begin our trek, we spent time with three prominent Swiss: Eiger, Jungfrau and Mönch. The Haute Route is a lesser known Alps’ trek (125 miles) connecting Chamonix in the West to Zermatt in the East. We will share with you our planning and packing and our variations to the route. We did not use a guide service or company. Join Ann Ames and Tom Davidson to catch a glimpse of the Bernese Alps and to see the vibrant beauty of France and Switzerland from the Haute Route path.