Nepal Footbridge

Nepal Footbridge
Nepalbrücke
Mürren, Bern, Switzerland
328 feet high / 100 meters high
262 foot span / 80 meter span
2008

Located between the small mountain hamlets of Mürren and Gimmelwald in the Bern region of Switzerland, this Nepalbrücke is part of a climbing route known as a Via Ferrata. Unlike a normal hiking trail, a Via Ferrata (or Kletter Steig in German) is constructed along the sides of steep ledges and vertical cliffs that require the permanent placement of ladders, metal rungs and cables. The hiker must wear a sling with 2 carabiners that are connected at all times to the cables for safety. Hikers must be in good physical condition and have little fear of heights.

The Mürren/Gimmelwald Ferrata is 2.2 kilometers long and descends approximately 1,000 feet / 300 meters. The most spectacular part of the route is a bridge crossing over a deep chasm 262 feet / 80 meters wide. With no handrails and a narrow walkway, this catenary suspension bridge is not for the faint of heart. There are no figures reported for the height but images reveal a drop somewhere in the 100 meter height range. If you have little desire to traverse the difficult hiking route there is a cable car that travels up alongside the bridge as it climbs from Stechelberg on the valley floor to Gimmelwald. Another cable car continues up from Gimmelwald to Mürren. The route also contains a Tyrolienne where you can cross a small gorge dangling on nothing more then a single steel cable. You can opt to bypass the Tyrolienne by hiking around it.

Image by By Jochen Ihle.

Flickr image by Zhangn.

Nepal Footbridge location map.