Mannlichen Bike Climb - PJAMM Cycling

13.8
FIETS
9 mi
DISTANCE
4,435 ft
GAINED
9.4 %
AVG. GRADE

FULL CLIMB STATS

Page Contributor(s): Ron Hawks, USA; Bruce Hamilton/Stacy Topping, USA

INTRO

Wow! How many times can we say "Bucket List" on this website?? We don’t want to overuse the phrase, but this is simply a magnificent climb - stunning. We begin this Top 100 World Climb in the very quaint village of Grindelwald (population 3,818 in 2016 - at the foot of The Eiger) in roughly the center of Switzerland. The climb is tough from the outset and overall is 8.9 miles, 4,465’ at 9.55% average grade. Mannlichen is PJAMM's pick for World's Most Scenic Bike Climb and also on our World Top 100 Bike Climbs list. 
9.6% average grade.  39% of the climb is at grade 10-15%, 4% is at 15-20%, and 2.5% (the last 300 meters) is ≥ 20%. The steepest 500 meters is 18.4% and steepest kilometer 15%. 

See more details and tools regarding this climb's grade via the “Profile Tool” button.


Roadway;  Two lanes for the first third of the ride narrowing to one lane for the trip to the top.  The road is in good condition and paved except for the brutally steep last 300 meters which averages 21%.  

Traffic:  Mild - this is a very peaceful and pleasant climb. 

Parking:  We parked at the hostel where we stayed and rode the few hundred meters to the start.  However, there is a big parking lot 100 meters from the start of the climb (Map; Street View). 
Provisions:  None along the climb but there is a restaurant at the finish of the paved portion of the climb (check to ensure it is open if you are relying on it) - Google Map + Reviews.  There are also a couple of restaurants and a market in the village at the start of the climb. 

Consult the PJAMM "Full Forecast" feature for the time you expect to arrive at the finish to assess what clothing to bring on your ride.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Grindelwald is an extremely popular tourist destination, famous for its stunning mountainous views and surroundings, as well as great hiking. The most famous view from Grindelwald is the iconic Eiger peak. Here is a Trip Advisor link for the Top 15 Things to do in Grindelwald. See also Google Map + Reviews: Things to do in Grindelwald

Use the “Routes in Area” button on the menu bar above to see other magnificent bike climbs in this area. 


ROUTE MAP

MEMBER RATING

Not Yet Rated
-
Road
-
Traffic
-
Scenery

CURRENT WEATHER

PJAMM TRIPS ADVENTURE STARTER BUNDLES

Check out PJAMM Adventure's prepackaged (self-guided) cycling trips. They will help you plan, document and conquer your next adventure.
ALL TRIPS
Browse all of our prepackaged trips and find your next adventure!

NEARBY CLIMBS (0) RADIAL PROXIMITY

FROM
No Climbs Found

MEMBER REVIEWS & COMMENTS

Let us know what you thought of this climb. Signup for our FREE membership to write a review or post a comment.
Already have an account?
ROUTE MAP
PROFILE TOOL

Climb Profile Not Found
CLIMB SUMMARY

Climbing by bike Cycling the prettiest bike climbs in the world - Mannlichen - rock mountain in the clouds 

World Top 10 Most Scenic Bike Climb

Wow!  How many times can we say Bucket List on this website??  We don’t want to overuse the phrase, but this is simply a magnificent climb - stunning.

    IMG_9629.JPG

We begin this Top 100 World Climb in the very quaint village of Grindelwald (population 3,818 in 2016 - at the foot of The Eiger)  in roughly the center of Switzerland.  The climb is tough from the outset and overall is 8.9 miles, 4,465’ at 9.55% average grade (¼ mile 17.4%, ½ mile 14.5%, 1 mile at 13% and 2.5 mile stretch at 12.25%).

When we visited in July, 2017, the town was in the midst of a very festive event that revolved around some form of sumo-style wrestling.

IMG_9445.JPG   

 IMG_9448.JPG

The roadway is narrow throughout but in excellent condition and with very little traffic which is slow moving when it is encountered.  The end of the roadway is also serviced by a gondola that ends at Berghaus Mannlichen which is a nice and highly regarded hotel/restaurant.  

A pleasant surprise at the “top” (what we thought was the top, anyway) is that you can continue up a dirt path to an observation platform which is actually on Mannlichen Peak.  From there, you can observe on a clear day (our day sadly was not clear) the likes of the mighty Eiger as well as many other powerful mountain peaks in the area.  Beware however that the last .4 miles is extremely steep and we were fortunate to have 28mm tires and a 36t and a 42t rear cassette (I am embarrassed to say - that was the Old Man’s!!) - we made it up about ¾’s of the way to the platform.

IMG_9730.JPG 

Stopped about ¾ of the way to the top.

 IMG_9787.JPG

View from the top includes Eiger to the southeast; there are legends at the platform to assist orientation

IMG_9790.JPG 

    IMG_9797.JPG

We stayed at a nice and inexpensive hostel in Grindelwald, but since tourism is king in this area, there are many nice hotels to choose from.

IMG_9850.JPG

IMG_9853.JPG   

Steepest Gradients by Distance

Grades.JPG

36% for 100 yards is inaccurate - likely the highest 100 yards is 25%

Access to full Climb Summary requires a PJAMM Cycling PRO Membership!

It takes less than a minute to sign up & with your PRO membership you can:
  • Rate climbs, post comments and share your experiences on any of our climb pages
  • Create bucket lists of climbs & mark the dates you complete them
  • Weather data for all climbs - Start & Finish
  • Upload photos to your member page to customize your PJAMM Cycling experience
  • Utilize all of our interactive tools - Profile & Routes in Area
  • Download climb route .gpx files
Sign up for a PRO Membership

Already have an account? LOG IN HERE