Driving the Inferno Murren with a 60% of maximum gradient
In the theatre of Alpine scenery, the Inferno Mürren downhill is one of the most dramatic and challenging 4-wheel experiences on Earth. Located in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, the downhill ski track is 14.9km long on a slope of up to 60% over ice, loose rock, mud, broken asphalt, grass, and gravel.
How long is the Inferno Mürren downhill?
Set high in the Swiss Alps, the track is 14.9km (9.25 miles) long on a 2,170-meter vertical descent. The surface of the grueling drive, strewn with boulders, includes ice, loose rock, wet mud, broken asphalt, grass, and gravel. The trickiest passage is the gun barrel, a treacherously narrow gully. Hurtling down the mountainside at a gradient of up to 60 percent, it still remains an adrenaline-pumping journey and is definitely not for the faint of lungs, heart, or legs. With 14.9km of ever-changing terrain, words can’t describe the road, and pictures don’t do it justice. It's one of the highest roads in the country.
Where does the Inferno Mürren downhill start and end?
The drive starts at Schilthorn (best known as the mountain hideaway of Blofeld in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service), at an elevation of 2,970m (9,744ft) above sea level, and ends at Lauterbrunnen, at 800m asl.
Is the Inferno Mürren downhill open?
It's one of the highest roads in Europe. The track is accessible only during the snow-free summer. At an altitude of 2,970 meters, the weather can be unpredictable, to say the least. The track is throwing up some of nature’s toughest challenges: 180-degree bends, lung-bursting climbs, and frozen forest paths. Fog and mist patches make for poor visibility.