The Eiger: A Mountain That Demands Attention

The North Face

The Eiger’s north face is 1,800 metres of limestone, ice, and loose rock, and its reputation was built on how many climbers it killed during the 1930s before anyone had climbed it. Two German climbers died on the face in 1935. In 1936, four climbers from two separate teams perished while the bodies were visible through telescopes from the hotels in Grindelwald below. It was not until July 1938 that Anderl Heckmair, Heinrich Harrer, Ludwig Vörg, and Fritz Kasparek completed the first ascent, naming the route the Heckmair Route, which remains the most commonly climbed line on the face today. The mountain earned the nickname “Mordwand” in the German press, a pun on Nordwand (north wall) and the German word for murder.

The face is still climbed regularly, and it still kills people. In April 2025, Swiss climber Nicolas Hojac and Austrian Philipp Brugger completed a nonstop traverse of the north faces of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau in 15 hours 30 minutes, a speed record for the three-summit linkup. In August 2023, a new route called Renaissance was first ascended by Peter von Känel and Silvan Schüpbach. Rockfalls on the face, which have accelerated as permafrost retreats, occurred in September 2023 and September 2024.

For non-climbers, the north face is visible from Grindelwald and from the Klein Scheidegg area throughout the year. The scale of it is clearest on clear days when snow patches on the face make the individual couloirs and ridges visible. It is the best reason to come to this part of Switzerland.

The Eiger Express

The most significant change to access in this region in recent years was the opening of the Eiger Express gondola in 2020. The 26-person cabins travel from Grindelwald Terminal station to Eigergletscher (Eiger Glacier) station in 15 minutes, a journey that previously took over an hour by cog railway. From Eigergletscher, the Jungfrau Railway continues to the Jungfraujoch, the high-altitude saddle between Mönch and Jungfrau at 3,454 metres, which is marketed as the “Top of Europe” and which is one of the most-visited mountain destinations on the continent.

Eiger Express cabins operate from approximately 8am to 7:20pm, with seasonal variations. The Jungfrau Travel Pass, valid for the regional mountain railways, includes travel to Eigergletscher at no additional cost, with a supplement of CHF 89 per adult in summer (June through August) or CHF 63 outside that period for the continuation to Jungfraujoch. Booking in advance is advisable for the Jungfraujoch section, particularly on weekday mornings when tour groups from Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen are most concentrated.

Klein Scheidegg

Klein Scheidegg is a high mountain pass at 2,061 metres, accessible by cog railway from both Grindelwald and Wengen. It sits at the base of the Eiger’s north face and offers what is probably the most direct frontal view of the mountain available from any point with easy public access. The railway station here is a working transport hub rather than a tourist installation, which gives it a practical character that some of the higher-altitude stations lack.

From Klein Scheidegg, the Eiger Trail leads across the base of the north face toward Eigergletscher station, a walk of about two hours that passes below the main rock walls and gives a ground-level understanding of the scale that photographs from the valley do not convey. The path is well marked, mostly on firm ground, and requires no technical equipment.

Grindelwald

Grindelwald is the main resort town in the Eiger region, sitting at 1,034 metres in a valley directly below the north face. It has year-round tourist infrastructure including a full ski area in winter, summer hiking access, and the gondola terminal for the Eiger Express. It is a working Swiss village with a permanent population, which differentiates it from some of the purely seasonal resorts in the Alps.

Hotels range from modest guesthouses to comfortable four-star properties. Hotel Spinne in the centre of Grindelwald is well positioned and has a spa and two restaurants. Bergwelt Grindelwald, which opened in 2021, was named Hotel of the Year 2025-26 and occupies a perch above the valley with 90 rooms and spa facilities. Hotel Eiger has a wellness centre and four restaurants including options for Swiss and international cuisine.

For food independent of hotels, the restaurant at the Eiger Mountain and Soul Resort and the Rôtisserie at Hotel Spinne both serve regional cuisine including the Berner Oberland classics: rösti, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, raclette, and fondue. The altitude and cold air make the case for cheese-heavy eating at every meal.

Getting There

Grindelwald is accessible from Interlaken Ost station by the Bernese Oberland Railway, a journey of about 35 minutes. Interlaken is reached by direct train from Bern (approximately 55 minutes) or Zurich (around two hours). The nearest airports are Zurich (ZRH) and Geneva (GVA), with Bern (BRN) a closer option for those flying within Europe. A Swiss Travel Pass covers all Bernese Oberland regional trains including the service to Grindelwald.

Driving from Interlaken to Grindelwald takes about 30 minutes but note that private vehicles cannot travel beyond Grindelwald itself on many of the upper mountain routes; the cog railways and cable cars are the means of ascent.

Seasons and Conditions

Summer, from June through September, is the prime season for hiking, with trails above the snowline accessible and the north face typically visible on clear days. July and August are the busiest months, and accommodation books up well in advance around school holidays.

Winter brings ski access across Grindelwald and First ski areas, with combined resort passes covering a substantial area. Snow conditions are generally reliable from December to March. The Jungfraujoch is accessible year-round and is often busy on winter weekends when groups come up specifically for snow at altitude.

One practical point that matters for photography and for simple enjoyment: the north face is visible from Grindelwald on clear mornings, but by early afternoon convective cloud often builds around the summit. If seeing the face clearly is important to you, plan to be at Klein Scheidegg or a viewpoint facing north before noon.

A Honest Assessment

The Jungfraujoch is extremely popular and the top of the railway feels like an airport with a view: a large tourist complex with restaurants, a postal office, and crowds moving between observation decks. It is worth doing once for the altitude and the views across the Aletsch Glacier, which is one of the largest in the Alps. But the most interesting viewing of the Eiger itself happens below, at Klein Scheidegg or on the Eiger Trail at the base of the wall, where the human history of the mountain is visible in the rock itself.