Like the monks which it possibly derived its name through, the limestone peaks of Mönch stand protectively between the fair maiden Jungfrau and the craggy troll, Eiger. The chestnut black and cream speckled beauties of the Swiss Alps, the Gelding horses might also have earned the Mönch its name but these muscled beasts of wonder no longer graze on the slopes of the mountain, having sought emptier plains without the bustle of human traffic.

Despite being the smallest of the Big Three in the Bernese Oberlands, the Mönch is the most visited due to its easy to tackle climbing grounds and ridges that are a perfect test bed for the amateur mountain climber. The even smattering of elevations over smooth rock and slippery snow particularly in the Southeastern Ridges provide ample practice for expedition groups before they set off on more challenging routes further ahead. Spiked crampons piercing the tough snow skin of the mountain, the climbers pull themselves over the heights with ice axes and rope harnesses, resembling a trail of ants on a mountain of white sugar. Right before the peak and Jungfrau that rises like a spire beyond, you will witness the steep drop of the Mönch to the north, falling directly to the Lauterbrunnen valley. Wide bends of snow clearing rock and boulders in their path to the south are telltale signs of the wide tributaries of the Mönch’s glacier peaks, immobile in the winter months as the snow remains frozen in the frigid temperatures. From any other point in the Oberlands, the Mönch appears as a majestic crown of stone more often than not, crowded out by its neighboring brothers. Yet it is only from the vantage point standing on the very crown that one is able to appreciate the details of the land and its finer beauties.