Grindelwald is an easy train stop outside of Interlaken, just a mere 35 minutes.
From the village of Grindelwald, you can ski the Grindelwald-First region, Kleinne Scheidegg, Mannlichen & Wengen; and with a bit further travel, Lauterbraun & Murren.
3 days before arrival, the 360deg webcam was showing this. Grass. Umm.. Not what one hopes for when planning to ski. And then it changed. A few days of snow, reinforced by snow making, opened Kleine Scheidegg.
With more snow and a weekend coming, I took my time to enjoy the village first, along with a journey to the Top Of Europe, Jungfraujoch. Possibly the most expensive short train journey I have taken, but the views on this exceptionally clear day, were simply stunning.
The skiing at Kleine Scheidegg is at the face of the Eiger North Wall, an imposing backdrop. Being early season and staring from a Monday, there was little in the way of left queues; and while snow showers brought some powder, off piste was mostly a shallow layer over obstacles, ice or a fairly hard packed surface.
Grindelwald First gondola was running, along with 1 chair at the top ferrying people who wanted to freestyle, is, they had not setup runs or done any grooming. It was still worthwhile to take the trip up and see what this area may offer later in the season. It also seemed popular with sledders.
No-one can help what the weather provides, but it was clear, even with the limited snow, Grindelwald is a special place.
