GRIESALP TO KIENTAL

We took the bus from Frutigen to Reichenbach and then the Post bus (actually mini-buses with trailers) up to Griesalp. The road is the steepest buses operate anywhere in Europe. From the Tschingelsee the road has been blasted up the rock face to griesalp at a mind blowing  28% which is between 1 in 3 and 1 in 4. 

No mention of the Kiental and Griesalp would be complete without a photograph of the Postbus!

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It was strange to revisit Griesalp (1408m) after our last visit on the APR in 2000. After a coffee in the Berghotel Griesalp we left the village to go along the Barenpfad through Golderli to the Tschingelsee. 

The Tschingelsee from near Golderli

Path to Tschingelsee

Spectacular waterfall

The path from Golderli drops first through meadows and rough pasture and then through woods along quite a steep path with stair cases and a few fixed cables down to the lake at 1150m. The lake was formed in July 1972 after a storm when the valley meadows were covered with glacial debris through which run streams and a small lake formed. It is now a nature reserve. 

The Tschingelsee

The road to Griesalp finds its way up that cliff face!

The path to Griesalp crosses the river and follows its course through woods to 948 m. The walk took us about 1 and a half hours and, we suspect is a much pleasanter walk than the main path between Griesalp and Kiental.

The wild river above Kiental

We had intended intended to continue the walk along the valley to Frütigen which would take about two to three hours but the weather was deteriorating so we decided to go no further than Kiental.