Canyoning, Paragliding, and Hiking - Switzerland's Jungfrau Region Has More Than Just Skiing - Video

The 'Jungfrau' Region of the Swiss Alps, so named for the 13,669 ft. (4,166m) peak that looks down on the numerous lesser prominences and valleys spanning its base, is home to some of the best skiing in Europe. Yet, despite being home to what many consider the best skiing in the world - including this year and next year's Ski World Cup in Jungfrau's town of Wengen, the region refuses to be pigeonholed as just a "ski destination."

In addition to skiing, snow tubing, and sledging, the Jungfrau Region offers a perfect environment for numerous other mountain sport activities, including paragliding and BASE jumping, hiking, and canyoning.

The area's craggy landscape and deep valleys seem to posses an almost irresistible lure for folks who like to throw themselves off terra firma and into the secure embrace of a parachute harness. Watch in the video below as a band of BASE jumpers from the UK wax poetic while they tackle both the Eiger and the cliff face overlooking the valley between the villages of Lauterbrunnen and Stechelberg, one of the deepest in the Alpine chain:

The picture at right, taken from the hiking trail connecting the two villages, is almost unable to capture the magnitude of the cliff face which seems to reach into space, while a pair of paragliders go almost unnoticed.

The hike from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg is an easy 2.6 miles along the valley floor, passing underneath the pristine 800-foot cascade of Staubbach Fall, one of the highest unbroken cascades in Europe.

As you near the village of Stechelberg, the BASE jumpers and paragliders begin to come into view above you, seeming to materialize from within mountain and finally landing in valley meadows ahead of you. Once you arrive in Stechelberg, you can grab a gondola to Murren, a picturesque mountain town perched atop of the cliff, and from there continue on to the 9,748 foot summit of Schilthorn, made famous in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

The Jungfrau Region itself is composed of a number of mountains, including the three major peaks: Jungfrau, Mönch, and Eiger (which was popularized in Jon Krakauer's book Eiger Dreams), as well as a smattering of lesser summits and a collection of Swiss towns and villages dotting the valleys in between.

Jungfrau Region's 3 main summits: to the left, Eiger's knife edge casts an ominous shadow, while
Monch is nestled in the middle and the towering Jungfrau dominates the foreground

The Swiss, like most Europeans, value the outdoors and have sought to minimize human impact by limiting motor vehicle traffic around the Jungfrau mountains. Past the towns of Grindelwald to the east and Stechelberg to the west, access is limited to gondolas, a series of historic cog rail lines, and hiking trails. However, this impressive network makes it possible to hike, ski, and ride all across the Jungfrau Region with ease, even giving access to the Jungfraujoch - the highest recreation area in the region.

Once you've had your fill of hiking and skiing, if paragliding and BASE jumping seem like too much of a stretch, why not try a zipline instead?

Or, if you want something a little more high octane - canyoning. Canyoning is an emerging mountain sport that has participants descending through canyons by a combination of sliding, jumping, swimming, scrambling, and abseiling (rappelling). Not only was canyoning invented in the Alps, these pristine mountains provide spectacular routes to accommodate everything from beginners to long-time participants. Take a look:

So there it is - the Jungfrau Region. Far from exhaustive, consider this list a mere introduction to the options that await you. The sheer beauty of this alpine environment is enough to make visiting worthwhile, and concentration of activities available make it an easy choice for anyone visiting Europe.

Local outfits like Alpin Raft offer full-service guiding for all of the above outdoor activities and many others.

For the Jungfrau Region's official website: Jungfrau - Top of Europe