Hiking with kids: from Adelboden to Cholerenschlucht

Our first hiking trip after the holidays in Moravia was originally supposed to look completely different. However, one person (ahem – me) should not forget to extend the validity of children’s Junior Cards, with which children over 6 years of age, accompanied by their parents, have free public transport (including cable cars). And unfortunately, on Saturday morning at our small train station, the ticket office was not open. And so I had to quickly choose another trip, one in which we don’t have to use any cable car (so we don’t need a Junior Card). But since I always have a few hiking trips in stock, I quickly dumped a trip to Adelboden to the Cholereneschlucht gorge.

Starting point – Adelboden

It takes about an hour by car from Bern to Adelboden. Just set the navigation to the center of Adelboden and the Parkhaus Zentrum. This multi-story covered parking lot is paid (> 4h – 6CHF, 5h – 7CHF, 6h – 8CHF). An elevator will take you from inside the car park in front of Restaurant Adler. If you have kids with you, expect to stay on the playground for a while. We still had to make a small detour to look at “our” hotel, where I stayed with our little one during our ski holiday in Adelboden. Then we headed to the post office as the starting point of our hike.

By public transport: by train (RegioExpress Lötschberger) to Frutigen, then by bus (AFA line) to Adelboden, Post.

From the center of Adelboden, take the sidewalk along the road leading to Ausserschwand.

At the local school building, in front of which there is a bus turntable, turn right. Then the road (you still follow the asphalt road) practically still descends to Cholerenschlucht.

Cholerenschlucht – Choleren Gorge

After about three kilometers you will reach the bridge over the inconspicuous-looking stream Tschentenbach. From the bridge, however, you will see a tangle of iron stairs, which suggests that the passage through the gorge will be really “exciting”.

To get to the entrance to the gorge, you have to cross the bridge and turn right, then keep right. The path suddenly changes into a narrow zigzag path leading steeply down.

Jungbrunnen

Before entering the gorge, we turned left towards Jungbrunnen. Since the sign directly encourages visitors to enjoy a bath in this “fountain of youth” and let the power of the water work on us, we did not hesitate (ok, I hesitated for a while, my husband did not). We took off our shoes and in beautiful hot summer weather we refreshed ourselves for a while in the crystal clear mountain water. But beware! The sign also warns that in the event of a storm (and high tide) you must leave this area immediately, so please take care of your own safety.

After a pleasant refreshment, we returned a little uphill to enter the gorge. The entrance is a suspension bridge and crossing it can be quite an adrenaline rush for someone (sheepishly raising my hand), especially when children are trying to rock it.

This is followed by a narrow footbridge and stairs. Lots of stairs. Even spiral. And noise. The immense noise of wild flowing water. But it is a beauty that Mother Nature has conjured up.

Hiking back to Adelboden

You return back in practically the same way you came to Cholereschlucht. But after about two kilometers you will come at the crossroads – turn left and downwards along the Zwischenpörterweg.

Where the path seems to end, continue along the path towards the forest. In the forest, a quite steep climb up the wooden steps awaits you. You leave the forest again by the road (near the Hotel Hari). Head left and you will be back in the center of Adelboden in less than two kilometers.

Hohstalden suspension bridge

Since I decided that by crossing the suspension bridge at Chorelenschlucht, I could boldly jump to overcome another mental goal, we stopped on the way back at the suspension bridge Hohstalden (at the bus stop of the same name). I believed that I would cross it – after all, I crossed the suspension bridge in Sigriswil last autumn.

The bridge is privately owned and there is a charge for crossing it – either you put 1 franc in the box, or you buy something in “Beizli”, ie in a kiosk.

Summary

• The route measures 8 kilometers and is not suitable for strollers – especially Cholerenschlucht.
• If you feel that you have already read the name Cholerenschlucht on my blog, you are right. Another gorge of the very same name can be also found on Lake Thun.
• The mass of water in the Cholerenschlucht reminded us of the Trummelbachfälle waterfalls near Lauterbrunnen, but unlike them, the local natural spectacle here is free.