The hosts on Alpiglen

It is 6:45 am. In the dark and bitter cold, the latest fresh products are delivered punctually at Grindelwald Grund for transport to the mountain. Then the heavy freight train of the Wengernalp Railway (WAB) gets rolling and sets off on the trip to Kleine Scheidegg. Also included are the goods ordered for the Berghaus Alpiglen, which are unloaded on the way back to the valley at the eponymous station at over 1600 metres above sea level. The tenant Corinne Binggeli has been informed by the WAB staff. She stands punctually on the small platform at 8:15 am, ready with the "Horischlitten" (horn sledge) to empty the pallets as quickly as possible and pull the sledge over the snow to the restaurant. This is Corinne Binggeli's daily morning exercise. It's 6:45 am. In the dark and bitter cold, the latest fresh products are delivered punctually at Grindelwald Grund for transport to the mountain. Then the heavy freight train of the Wengernalp Railway (WAB) gets rolling and sets off on the trip to Kleine Scheidegg. Also included are the goods ordered for the Berghaus Alpiglen, which are unloaded on the way back to the valley at the eponymous station at over 1600 metres above sea level. The tenant Corinne Binggeli has been informed by the WAB staff. She stands punctually on the small platform at 8:15 am, ready with the "Horischlitten" (horn sledge) to empty the pallets as quickly as possible and pull the sledge over the snow to the restaurant. This is Corinne Binggeli's daily morning exercise.

Two seasons - two faces

Together with her partner André Portmann, the 39-year-old from Matten near Interlaken has been managing the Berghaus Alpiglen since December 2015. As a trained chef, André Portmann takes care of the preparation of culinary delicacies created from regional products. Quality is paramount. Even the chicken nuggets for the kids are home-made. Corinne Binggeli takes care of the seven double rooms, the dormitory room, the administration and the catering for the guests. She is a housekeeper by trade, later graduating from the College of Tourism and obtaining the excise licence. She is supported by a small team and temporary help. The hosts spend most of the year on Alpiglen. The winter season lasts until after the Jungfrau Railways' season-closing event, SnowpenAir. As soon as most of the snow has melted and the weather has attracted the first hikers, the young host couple will be back at the foot of the Eiger North Face at the beginning of May. The effort is worthwhile. The number of visitors, in particular regulars, has increased steadily in recent years. Nevertheless, the 7-day operation is a major challenge. Weekend trips, short breaks or just relaxing for a day – the tenants do not get to enjoy that. For the partnership to work in such a small space, there is a recipe for them: the clear division of tasks. Together, they look forward to the longer autumn break, when they like to travel to warm countries.

In winter, Binggeli and Portmann mostly welcome sledging fans, usually on weekends or during holidays. They spend a lot of time eating. With mulled wine at the Run Bar, a good wine with meat dishes or delicious desserts, guests often linger until late in the evening. The night-time illuminated "Eiger Run", a sled run from Jungfrau Railways, is a hit.

In summer, the mountain hotel is constantly busy. The most popular dish is home-made rösti in 10 different variations. There is a bigger mix of guests, often with English-speaking travellers, increasingly also Asians. All have one thing in common: they go to bed early to continue hiking after breakfast the next morning.

Hand in Hand with the WAB

Since Alpiglen is only accessible to guests by train or on foot, there is close cooperation with WAB, which is part of the Jungfrau Railway Group. Above all, Corinne Binggeli appreciates the great amount of flexibility. In an emergency, she can order fresh food from her vegetable supplier until 2 o'clock in the morning, confident that the goods will arrive on the same day on the WAB freight train on Alpiglen.

In winter, the regular arrangements in difficult weather conditions are enormously helpful. If the WAB cannot operate because of high winds or avalanche danger, then the tenants are contacted immediately. Whenever possible, guests are transported to the valley early on in a special train so they do not miss their flights. Corinne Binggeli admits that sometimes they benefit from the strong wind on the summits when the WAB only runs to Alpiglen. The shuttle trains, which transport Schlittler between Alpiglen and Brandegg station in the evening, are very important to the tenants. Binggeli mentions another point of contact to the Jungfrau Railways in relation to first aid. As a former SOS chief of the railway company, she regularly trains her staff in providing emergency first aid.