The Lauterbrunnen Wetterhorn, seen from the path to the Oberhornsee
| Start | Obersteinberg (1778m) |
| Distance | 2.5km (one way) |
| Height gain | 287m |
| Grade | 2 |
| Time | 1hr 10mins |
| Location | South of Obersteinberg |
This short walk could easily be tacked onto Route 45 for added interest, if the plan is to do a loop trip from Stechelberg. (See Route 47 for a continuation from Oberhornsee back to Stechelberg.) Oberhornsee is an attractive little tarn trapped among boulders and green moraine below the glaciers that come from the Tschingel Pass, Tschingelhorn and Breithorn. From it there is an unusual view of the southwest flanks of the Jungfrau. The tarn, and a good part of this upper valley, is protected as a nature reserve.
Leaving Berghotel Obersteinberg head to the right and at the nearby signed junction bear right again on a splendid hillside traverse that contours across flower-rich slopes, with a steep drop on the left and the constant boom of cascades in your ears. After a while the path descends to a stream, the Tschingel Lütschine, crosses on a bridge and climbs over rough pastures. Steadily gaining height you pass waterfalls and cross more streams, then finally loop up and over a grassy bluff to find the little tarn of Oberhornsee nestling among the boulders. The water is a beautiful deep blue in colour; above it glaciers and moraine banks provide a wild yet lovely scene. (Allow 45–50mins for the return to Obersteinberg, or see the following route for an extension to the walk.)
The Lauterbrunnen Wetterhorn, seen from the path to the Oberhornsee