Trail Run with Yassine Diboun in the Bernese Oberland
No upcoming dates
Trail running from inn to inn, with our bags transported for us, is one of our favorite ways to see the Alps!
On this trip, we’ll do it with a special guest, Portland, Oregon’s Yassine Diboun. Yassine is both an elite, sponsored trail runner, and one of our community’s most wonderful and supportive people. His own story is one of overcoming personal challenges to create a life that inspires others– both in person and through Wy’East Wolfpack, a fitness and trail running community he created in the Pacific Northwest with partner Wille McBride. Simply put, Yassine is one of the greatest guys we know– his energy and enthusiasm is infectious, and we’re psyched to have him join Run the Alps!
Our trail running tour of the Bernese Oberland will traverse some of the most famous mountain terrain anywhere in the Alps, if not the world. We’ll run about 8-10 miles each day, taking plenty of time on the uphills, pausing frequently to take photographs, enjoy the scenery, and sample great food and drink en route. We’ll trail run over historic Grosse Scheidegg pass, then cruise along high alp pastures with sweeping views of the Eiger. In the mountain villages of Wengen and Mürren, we’ll finish with several days of trail running past high alp farms (including stops for some great lunches!), within sight of the Jungfrau, one of the most photographed mountains anywhere.
Our typical day starts with a continental buffet breakfast at our inn – delicious fresh baked bread, local cheeses, cereal, fruit, coffee and juice – which gives us the energy needed for a day in the mountains. Soon we’ll be out on the trail, and each day we’ll offer options for an ambitious route, or an easier route that takes advantage of mountain trams and railways. Each morning, we’ll bring out a variety of trail nutrition from which you can choose. Almost all of our runs will include stops at mountain huts or alp farms, where we can enjoy a leisurely lunch of local cheeses, röstis or a fruit torte.
Our stages are designed to be trail run in a day with ample time for breaks, and we plan the itinerary to finish each day with time to relax. Lodging in the Alps generally consists of shared rooms for two guests, though the option exists to have your own room at some locations for an additional fee. You’ll have your baggage every night, except for the night at Obersteinberg, one of Switzerland’s classic “Candlelight Hotels.” In the evening we’ll enjoy dinner together at our inn. These are often multi-course events, featuring local Swiss specialties, and will definitely be hearty, filling, well-earned and very delicious.
Book this tour
$5,650 per person (double occupancy)
$650 single supplement
*Please note, there are a limited number of single rooms available, and the night at Obersteinberg Hut will be in shared twins, triples, and quads.
Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive in Switzerland, and transfer by train and then Swiss Post bus to Schwarzwaldalp Inn. We’ll then meet for a drink and briefing, and enjoy our first dinner together.
Arrive in Switzerland, and transfer by train and then Swiss Post bus to Schwarzwaldalp Inn. We’ll have the option of a short trail run after arriving. We’ll then meet for a drink and briefing, and enjoy our first dinner together. Waterfalls and imposing mountains watch over us in this relaxing corner of the Alps. We’ll stay in a friendly, rustic inn with private rooms and shared bathrooms.
Day 2
After a hearty breakfast, we’ll run over Grosse Scheidegg pass and enjoy our first views of the Eiger and of the Grindelwald valley. We’ll traverse the upper reaches of the valley to the postcard-perfect Bachsee Lake, before winding down to Grindelwald and a three-star hotel in town.
After a hearty breakfast, we’ll run over high Grosse Scheidegg pass and enjoy our first views of the imposing North Face of the Eiger and of the Grindelwald valley. With 10,000 vertical feet separating valley from peak, Grindelwald sits at the base of one of the most impressive vertical mountain walls in the world. After reaching the pass, we’ll traverse the upper reaches of the valley to the postcard-perfect Bachsee Lake before winding down on quiet trails to the glacier village of Grindelwald and our lovely three-star hotel in town.
Day 3
From Grindelwald, we’ll run up to the Kleine Scheidegg pass, directly under the Eiger. We’ll take lesser-known trails through meadows and quiet alp farms as we run to the quaint car-free mountain village of Wengen.
From Grindelwald, we’ll run up to the Kleine Scheidegg pass, literally directly under the Eiger North Wall. The Eiger’s massive North Face dominates a landscape that includes many stunning peaks and glaciers. We’ll take lesser-known trails through meadows and quiet alp farms as we run to the quaint car-free mountain village of Wengen.
Day 4
From Wengen, it’s off to the remote Berghotel Obersteinberg, a traditional mountain inn and our inn for the evening. Our route starts with a descent along the Jungfrau Marathon course, followed by a gorgeous, gentle run along the floor of the Lauterbrunnen valley, before climbing up to Obersteinberg.
From Wengen, it’s off to visit the remote Berghotel Obersteinberg, a traditional mountain inn. Our route starts with a descent along the Jungfrau Marathon course, followed by a gentle and gorgeous run along the floor of the Lauterbrunnen valley. We’ll drop in at the quiet Berggasthaus Trachsellauenen at the end of the valley, as we watch paragliders descend from the cliffs above. Next up is a climb into the remote upper reaches of this idyllic valley that inspired the The Hobbit trilogy from JRR Tolkien, running through pastures, past waterfalls, and deeper into the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Area, finally breaking out of treeline as we arrive at Obersteinberg, a working mountain farm without modern accouterments. This iconic Swiss “Candlelight Inn” will be our resting spot for the evening.
Day 5
We’ll have the chance to run a big loop at the end of the valley, staying above treeline and running past glaciers, over streams, and above waterfalls… finishing the day with more pastures and Alp forests, to the car-free village of Mürren.
Today features some of the most dramatic trail running available anywhere in the Alps, period. We’ll have a choice of running a big loop at the end of the valley, staying above treeline and trail running past glaciers, over streams, and above waterfalls… only to descend past goat and cow farms, and finishing the day with more pastures and Alp forests, to the car-free village of Mürren. An option exists for a shorter day, running above Obersteinberg to Tanzbödeli, also known as “the ballroom,” a high peak with a flat summit and a dramatic 360-degree view of this corner of the Alps, right in the very heart of the Bernese Oberland. It’s one of our favorite spots in all the Alps.
Day 6
From the mountain town of Mürren, the trail running possibilities here feel endless—run high pastures with views of the Jungfrau, or lunch at the classic Rotstockhütte, or simply relax for a day with Mürren’s unparalleled cliffside views of the surrounding mountains!
We’ll take a day to enjoy our perch high above the Lauterbrunnen valley, in the mountain town of Mürren. The trail running possibilities here are practically endless—run high pastures with views over our shoulder of the Jungfrau, to lunch at the classic Rotstockhütte, or enjoy the tram to the top of the Schilthorn and a run back to the village, or simply relax for a day with Mürren’s unparalleled cliffside views of the surrounding mountains! In the evening, we’ll enjoy a final celebratory dinner together.
Day 7
Today we say good-bye to the Bernese Oberland and depart for our post-tour destinations.
Today we say good-bye to the Bernese Oberland and depart for our post-tour destinations.
What's Included
4 nights at 3- and 4-star hotels, 1 night at an Inn, 1 night at a Mountain Hut, All breakfasts, light lunches, daily trail nutrition, and dinners, Guided runs daily with 2 licensed International Mountain Leaders (IMLs), Running with special guest Yassine Diboun, Luggage transfers, In-tour transportation, Run the Alps Guide to Trail Running in the Alps.
Arrival
Plan to arrive the day your tour starts, August 14th, 2024 at the latest. Flights from the US usually depart the day before. The closest airport is Zurich, which is a little over three hours away by train and bus. Geneva is four hours, forty-five minutes away. There are train stations in each airport, making for convenient transport to the region. Your tour package will include detailed information about traveling on the Swiss rail system to the start of the tour in Schwarzwaldalp.
Departure
Plan to depart late morning after your tour ends on August 20th, 2024 at the earliest. The closest airports from our finishing point are Geneva and Zurich. Plan for one night at a hotel in your departure city if you have a morning flight. We can assist you with hotel information, and Geneva and Zurich city information, if you like.
Good To Know
Not included: Flights, Public transportation by train and bus to/from the tour, Transport to/from trailheads if you choose to bail out, Extra charges made at accommodations like room service or laundry, Drinks with dinners, Gratuity for the guides.
All Run the Alps guests receive a copy of our Guide to Trail Running in the Alps to assist in preparing for their trip.
Run the Alps Stories: Stechelberg: The Alps of the Alps Käse Selbstbedienung (Aka, Self-Service Cheese)
Terms and Conditions: Read up on Run the Alps’ Terms and Conditions and travel insurance.
Tour Balance: Your tour balance is due 90 days before your tour starts. We will send you an invoice about a month before that due date. However, you can pay your balance at any time. If you’d like the simplicity of paying in full sooner, or would like to pay in installments, please contact us.
Regional map
Interactive map with 7 point(s): Tour Start Point: Schwarzwaldalp; ; ; ; ; ; .