How To Do The “Murren” Via Ferrata in Switzerland : A FULL GUIDE
THE CLIFF EDGE “WALK”
The Murren Via Ferrata in Murren, Switzerland is a famous route taken by adventurous adrenaline seeking travellers who are often in the area. Characterised by this photo on the left which is at the beginning of the ferrata which leaves you walking on metal rods slotted into the mountain side which exposes you to the 1000ft drop below in the Lauterbrunnen valley with views of the Eiger massif on a good day.
I did the route back in 2022 and was the first via ferrata I’ve done outside of the UK. I did it solo without a guide in August, however there was that many people there that day on the route with the good weather that it creates a form of traffic jam so it’s good for first timers as you’re not alone however if you’re an experienced via ferrata enthusiast you’re best to leave early as possible during the day to beat the crowds and the rental shop opening times.
Via Ferrata, translated as the “Iron Way’ in Italian from its WW1 origins is just that, a man made iron way around or up a mountain face. They are often unmanned just like this route, so please only attempt if you have an experience of using the equipment correctly and a head for heights as there’s not much room for error when you’re hanging off a cliff edge like this. There’s plenty of local guides which could take you on the route but it’s a straight forward experience once you remove the logistics of having a drop to your death below you, keep clipped in with both clips at any given moment, 3 points of contact with your hands and feet and just move one clip at a time between metal cables
MÜRREN VIA FERRATA: THINGS TO KNOW
Starting Point: The starting point for the Mürren Via Ferrata is next to the Sportchalet in Mürren, which is where you will find the clay tennis courts. It is also directly across from Intersport, which is where you will likely hire your gear. You then follow the signs that say Klettersteig, as they lead you down a path through the town and then into a tunnel. The cable starts at the end of the tunnel.
Ending Point: The end of the Mürren Via Ferrata is in Gimmelwald. It ends right at the Schilthornbahn station so you can either cable back down to Stechelberg or up to Mürren to return your gear.
Length: The entire Mürren Via Ferrata is 2.2km in length with several lengthy sections, which are pretty much just a hiking trail.
Duration: I did this trail in 1.5 hours but could imagine it would take others up to 3 hours especially if you are in a bigger group.
Difficulty: The Mürren Via Ferrata is rated as a K3 difficulty, which is on a scale of K1- K6
Cost: Like all of the via ferrata’s in Switzerland it is free unless you need to hire your gear. The route itself is free to enter.
Guide: You don’t need a guide but if it is your first ever via ferrata I suggest you take one just to learn the basics. Engaging in this activity is generally safe, but it can become extremely hazardous if you make errors while setting up your equipment or experience panic while standing on the edge of a cliff.
GETTING THERE
The route itself is located in the car free town of Murren, you can access this by Lauterbrunnen is 2 ways, by foot or Cable Car / Train.
1) By Foot - starting in the lauterbrunnen town, park up somewhere and head up the path to Murren which is hidden behind the cable car, the path is slightly relentless in its incline for the first few kilometres as you wind up the cliff face, soon after you begin walking through grassy meadows which you will then start to have views of the Bernese Alps behind you, this then gives you sublime views on a clear day as the photo to the side shows. ALLTRAILS ROUTES
2) By Cable Car / Train - starting again in Murren you can get the cable car from the cable car station known as “Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren” – it is located right across the street from the train station) to Grütschalp. This ride is only 4 minutes, but is incredibly scenic. You can buy a round ticket for the cable car and train from the station. If you’re doing the ferrata it’s reccomended to do this route as you can get to the climb earlier in the morning and fresher if you haven’t had to hike all the incline involved with option one!
THE ROUTE
So the route starts through a small tunnel which is just down a small side street from the Main Street that enters into Murren from the train station or on foot. It first starts with a short decent through the forrest which is a down climb through tree roots and small stairs, it’s got a protected cable running through it which isn’t obviously necessary at this point however you’ll soon realise only 15 minutes later you’re on the edge of the cliff, it’s a good place to start using your equipment in a less exposed place to get used to the feeling of being attached and also the movement of swapping your ferrata lanyards between metal cables. You’ll pass through a few caves which is the last opportunity to put your equipment on and double check everything if you haven’t already.
Soon after you’ll pass the base jumping platform and then the real fun begins, you get to the first section of REAL exposure here so after this there’s no turning back. Clip in and enjoy the ride, via ferrata is safe as long as done correctly. Follow the metal foot holds on the floor and work your way around the curve, towards the end of the first small section which is only around 50m it goes into a part of the cliff which concaves so you have to make yourself a bit smaller, meters later you’re off the first and last part with this level of exposure.
Next you have a small hiking section which then pops you out with a cable bridge over a waterfall, you clip in with one clip either side as you tightrope across the gap below. Then you have an easier hiking section with no obvious danger followed by a section of down climbing ladders. They can be a bit fiddly at first but the trick is to lean over and clip in then turn your body around and lower yourself, remember to unclip as you pass your lanyards as if you forget to switch between sections you’ll have to reach up or climb up to re-adjust.
After the ladders, we again dove into the forest for more easy trail navigating before finding one more little cable tight-rope over a waterfall. There were quite a few waterfalls on this trail, which was really nice and the whole landscape was just incredible. Waterfalls, cliff-edges, and views of Lauterbrunnen. What more can you ask for?
The last part is this famous Nepalese style bridge, when you look at it from afar it looks very stable, I thought I would just fly over it however there’s multiple people at a time on the bridge and it sways with those footsteps and the wind much more than expected. Clip in either side or just on the one side and take your time across the bridge, the views below and to your left will be amazing, this is the last part so take it all in. Shortly after you have about 50m left to hike and you’re DONE!
There’s a couple of options for a nice cold local bevarage at the end of the route which overlooks the mountains, the hike back to Murren from here takes no longer than 1 hour.
I hope you enjoyed my guide to the route, if you have anymore questions please drop me a message on Instagram @ Willem.Explores
How To Climb “Stairway To Heaven” Via Ferrata in Austria
The “Stairway to Heaven” also known as Intersport / Donnerkogel Klettersteig is a thrill seekers dream which climbs high above Gosausee in Austria.
It takes the name from the 40m ladder section about two thirds up the route which crosses a deep gulley in the mountain range (see above)
The route itself is rated a C/D route (difficult) and is recommended you have some experience in via ferrata / klettersteig before attempting. This was obvious once I started the route as from the beginning there are some difficult sections which require some technique or decent upper body strength. A lot of the route however is graded A/B which is Easy/Medium but there is vast exposure even at these sections so a good head for heights is required.
The route can be broken down into two parts, before and after the ladder. Beforehand I found the route very nice, with the lake Gosausee to the left, some small vertical sections but mostly traversing (see below) it must be noted though I had good weather, it is recommended to avoid in the rain or aftermath of heavy rain due to the slippery rocks.
After around 1 1/2 to 2 hours you will reach the ladder. However this time is estimated as there was lots of “traffic” on the route when I went on a summers day in August after days of rain, adventure enthusiasts gathered to climb the route in the 48 hour good weather window. When you arrive at the ladder this is your final chance to leave the route down to the right of the ladder back onto the trail where you can either turn left up to the summit or down to the right to the cable car / alpine hut.
The ladder has a 3 person weight limit however I saw at times people going 1 at a time and some people going 4 at a time.
The ladder section gives you a real rush as it sways slightly with the wind and weight of other climbers steps above and below you. (See below)
After the ladder I personally believe the route really steps it up a notch. You have around 30-45 minutes of high exposure climbing to do now as you go up and over the ridge-line to the summit (see below). I saw a few people struggling here however there is NO way off at this point so if you are here the safest thing you can do is try to keep a clear mind and persevere to the summit where there is an easy decent on the north / west side of the mountain.
After the small C/D sections it then turns to A/B in the final push to the summit.
Once you are at the summit if you got lucky with the mountain gods and the summit isn’t covered in clouds you will have a magical view of the surrounding area. I even managed to see the snow capped matterhorn as clear as day on the horizon. The summit cross is majestic and a real sense of achievement. Grab your pictures, sign the summit book and head on straight and slightly to the right for about 1-2 hours and you’ll reach the hut which is the starting point.
Here’s a drone shot I took of the summit below.
Things to note
The first cable car is at 8:15, if you want to beat the rush I suggest doing so
The last cable car down is 17:50 in summer if you miss it you have an extra 90 minutes to hike
The return trip cost me 22 Euros
The starting point is at the car park just 5 minute walk from the cable car (see below)
If it’s your first ferrata I suggest trying the smaller ferrata to the left of Gosausee which is graded C but has sections as difficult as this route, just not as exposed. Otherwise hire a guide from somewhere.
Here is a route overview (not my image)
And there you go! I hope you enjoy the route, if you have any questions please message my Instagram @willem.explores
peace ✌🏻
First week of van life
Where can I start. 700 miles in and not even one shower! It’s been a crazy first week or so but I’ve been loving it, it’s taken me some adjusting to being alone alone compared to when I’m doing my own thing in the UK I’m still close to being near civilisation. Out here I’m on my own completely solo! So at times when I’m parked up in the Swiss mountains it can feel a bit strange, I think it’s just a learning curve though. Other than that my time so far has been amazing, I’ve done so much and seen so much already it doesn’t feel real to me! From seeing Tour de France, summiting my first Swiss and French mountains (see gallery) and meeting some new friends inbetween, it really has been a fast track into van life! The mountain roads have been challenging on the old girl but 2nd gear and 15mph seems to do the trick (I just have to wave by people). After spending some time in Chamonix / France it was a nice reassuring stop having some amazing experiences there including doing a part of the ‘Tour Du Mont Blanc’ and managing to get up to Lac Blanc and my first 3000m peak ‘Mont Buet’. I think I’m spending tonight in Chamonix as it’s so van friendly here then setting off to see Annecy, Geneva and then back into Switzerland for a few places on my list before either venturing to Austrian / German alps or Italian Dolomites! Willem Explores over and out x
The day everything became a bit more real
On Tuesday 7th June I finally handed in my notice after 8 years working for the Volkswagen group, travelling has always been on my mind over the years however for various reasons it never came to fruition. When I was 19 I joined the brand with no real future aspirations, 2 years into my career I got a promotion as the youngest Retail Manager in the group at 21. Traveling was put on hold as I then got into a relationship and having made a good name for myself within the company I decided to stick it out. Next year comes around and I’m in a position to buy my house, I decide “well if I can buy a house at least I’ve done the hard part so I can fall back on the property if I even went traveling”, fast forward 6 months after gaining my mortgage in principle I now get another promotion at a different branch which put me as a Sales Manager. This again led to many years within the company which we saw some great times however 8 years nearly flashed before my eyes and here I am ready to embark within the next 30 days on what will probably be the start of a new chapter in my life. Everyone has been very supportive in my decisions and most people I work with are from a generation ahead which simply say “they wish they did it'“… So I think I’m doing the right thing!
