Grindelgrat

The Grindelgrat has not seen so many Hikr reports yet. This is surprising, since the route is sunny, scenic, relatively short and suitable for beginners. It is fairly safe (up to but not exceeding 30°, with no danger of falling except for the slightly corniced cliffs behind the the summit). The whole valley is a nature reserve, so you have to stick to the routes as they are marked on the map, however especially the summit slopes are more than wide enough for many different lines. The Schwarzwaldalp is even served by bus during selected weeks in winter (the "Grosse Scheidegg Schlittelbus"). Those coming by their own transport will have to take into account that the road is steep and often icy. For me, it was my very first time driving with snow chains on the car :).

The route does not need much explanation. Elsewhere it is graded PD / WS, but I don't see any reason why it can't be an F / L. 

The conditions on the same day have already been reported on Gipfelbuch. A couple of people who have started ahead of us have broken an excellent trail through the fresh snow, which we gratefully follow. Around 1750m, some gaps start to appear in the fog, but it isn't until ca. 2200m that we really get out of the clouds and into the sunshine. It is extremely pleasant on the summit, with no wind and fabulous views over an endless sea of clouds. The top of the clouds is generally around 1800m, but around the Grosse Scheidegg the clouds are pushed up considerably higher. They are not sinking much either, so after a longer rest on the summit, we are almost sad to start skiing back down into the fog. Thankfully the visibility is always acceptable, even in the fog. The snow higher up is excellent (fresh powder on top of a hard layer). Lower down, the heavy wet snow is not quite so much fun, but still decent enough for a quick, problem-free descent.