Via Ferrata Mürren-Gimmelwald — Attraction in Lauterbrunnen

Came in with minimal knowledge other than what you see on some social media stuff but did not do any research until I walked by it. Came in to ask some questions without even thinking you would be able to do it last minute and without equipment but to our surprise we were out and on our way in ten minutes. The guy was helpful and informative. Showed us on a binder with what to expect. We were able to rent out equipment for 100 for two people. We get the harness, hat and the shoes. They show you how to do the latching with the harnesses. They close at 6pm which I think they said the last groups/times to go out is around 2 so they have time to make it back. If you have your own equipment, it’s free. We did not guide and I would say, Its pretty self explanatory. The entrance is right down and 5 minutes away. At first it’s not bad and you get a hang of using the latches and the climbing down the metal rebar. Then you hit the scary part and as someone who is scared of heights, it does make you question why you even did it. But as long as you take your time and you are careful, you will be fine. Honestly that was not the scariest part as I found the ladders down the side even scarier. Then you make your way around to the tight rope and the bridge which are indeed more mental than physical. We were lucky that it was not crowded around us to make us feel pressured most of the time. A few people who seemed to be doing it for speed went around us and kept going. Overall, I’d say you do need to be a little athletic to be able to pull yourself up and down. Eventually you’ll reach the town and realize it was not as bad as you thought. Then you take the cable car back up which is not covered by the Jung pass so take your money with you so you can pay for it. It was one of those experiences that you’ll always remember and one that tests your mental toughness! You are always latch on by at least one of the latches so you are always secure. Take some water and you’ll be fine! Worth the experience when you look out and...

A long via ferrata following the side of the cliff from Mürren to Gimmelwald.

The approach is very easy. Right from the Intersport shop where you can rent your gear if needed, heading south, there are signs indicating the short 3-minute walk to the ferrata entrance.

During the ferrata, you'll find yourself hiking through the forest more often than climbing the ferrata. Overall, the climbs are quite easy, but in some sections, you will be exposed to the full 600m drop bellow you. Along the ferrata, there are 3 different bridges, with its most popular one near the end. There are also many ladders scattered throughout, and some sections that cross over waterfalls.

This ferrata is just under 2 km long, and takes about 1h30-2h depending on your speed. However, because of its length, as a faster climber myself, it is very likely you will catch up to other climbers (or others catch up to you) since there is only one way. Most of the time, there is room for climbers to pass others, but stay mindful of the other climbers as for many this is their first via ferrata.

The ferrata exits in the town of Gimmelwald. There are no water fountains there in case you were hoping to fill up bottles just as we were. If you were to hike back to Mürren, it takes about 40 minutes, uphill, on well paved roads.

I don’t belive a guide is necessary even if this is your first via ferrata. The climb is pretty easy and well traveled. The only difficulty would be the height and duration. The Intersport store does have an instructional video about the ferrata if you're new to it. This is a great via ferrata for anyone including beginners.

Beautiful scenery of the valley and...

Here is an honest review from a person who trained 6 months for via ferratas and did 3 of them in Switzerland . This Via Ferrata is more like a walk in the mountain, for 70% you are in the forest and the photos you see with the scary part where you are high above the ground is only in the begging and it's only for 50 meters. All of the rest is walk in the forest and 3 bridges, 2 of them are 3 ropes and the last one is the longest one with metal platforms which is a bit scary in the beginning but it's ok after that. Also important thing to note here is that this via Ferrata is only decending , meaning that there is no ascending anywhere and therefore you don't need any training or strength at all, you only need courage for the heights, which I admit are scary if you have no experience with heights. If you have fear with heights, you might get a panic attack, so plan carefully if this is for you. If you want a real via ferrata experience, I highly suggest Kandersteg, which is amazing via Ferrata and, for me, the best one I did in Switzerland. Regarding time, it's highly dependent how many people there are and how many photos you make. Since this is the most popular one , it will be crowded for sure and you will probably need...