Handeck is a stop on the way up to the Grimsel where the road and the water meet in the loudest possible way. The Aare river, born a bit higher in the glacial valley, plunges here from a ledge in a single fall of about forty-six metres, throwing spray across the gorge, and a footbridge lets you stand close enough to be soaked. On a warm day it is cold and pleasant, and in spring snowmelt it is deafening.
The setting is the Haslital, a glacial valley where granite dominates. The rock is pale, smooth and polished by ice, with hanging valleys and thin waterfalls on every side. This is also the heart of one of the Alps' great hydropower systems, with reservoirs high in the mountains feeding turbines in the valley, and you will see the hidden infrastructure in the form of pipes, galleries and small power stations. The Gelmerbahn, a funicular that climbs a slope at an astonishing gradient to the Gelmersee, starts close to the Handeck, and is one of the steepest of its kind in Europe, a short ride that is worth the money if you like heights.
For riders, the road from Innertkirchen climbs in a series of long, steady bends, with views opening to the glacier-carved walls, and the Handeck marks the point where the climb becomes serious. Above, the road tightens and gains height over tunnels and galleries, and the trees thin out. The surface is generally excellent and the corners predictable, although the traffic, especially the coaches, can be heavy in summer. Morning is best, before the buses arrive.
Meiringen, about fifteen kilometres down the valley, is the nearest large town, with supermarkets, petrol and restaurants. There is a small hotel and restaurant at the site, and a car park with a short walk to the fall. The Grimsel Pass above is closed in winter, normally from late October until late spring, so the road ends at the barrier early in the year.
Meiringen is also known as the home of the meringue, according to local legend, and the fictional Sherlock Holmes met his apparent end at the nearby Reichenbach Falls. Both tales add a little flavour to a trip through this part of the Bernese Oberland.