Close to the end of the climb, the majestic Silberhorn looked down upon us
Triumph. The third big hike in a row, over 9,000 feet elevation accumulation in 3 days.
Where's the snow in the early stages of ascent? Wait one more day for a 'white-out', which occurred
A day after a phenomenal hiking experience, we are sitting at the dining room table, while writing a
few words. Facing the window, we see white flakes falling from the sky. The sun has finally given up,
only allowing a little light to filter into the Bernese Oberland. The mountains have either moved to
warmer climes or are hidden by clouds and mist. From the ground floor of our house, we are able to
view dramatic scenes of at least four major mountains including the Eiger—they seem to sit in the
backyard. Our accommodation is spacious and comfortable, much like living at home, wherever that
may be. The views, of course, are phenomenal. Did we mention that? If not, it's worth repeating.
Each night, when nature calls, we always take time to see what's happening outside. Even in the dark,
these 'monsters' have a presence.
Underneath the arches...um the Eiger, at Kleine Scheidegg
The Jungfrau, some virgin
Higher altitude, more snow; formula never fails.
Yesterday, while sweating on a tough hike, our editor was heard to utter, “Well, that seems to be the end
of the snow season.” ‘Not so fast’, we answered. After two days of good weather, all seemed well
again as the snow began melting, the air remained crisp and the trails were clearing. Unfortunately,
the snow arrived overnight; the forecast is for continuing falls, for a few days. Today, following
acquiring 9,000 feet of elevation in the last three days, we had planned on resting. However,
after an hour of watching the snow, we felt a dose of cabin fever building. Maybe, we should take up
summer skiing.
'Going round the bend' nearing Alpiglen, confronted by Wetterhorn and Schreckhorn, a great pair
Love the ghost like image in the rear. Each day the same positions present different perspectives.
Whoever called this hike small (Kleine Scheidegg) has a warped sense of humor. It was one tough climb
which began from the house, down into the village of Grindelwald, then lower into the hamlet of Grund
followed by a climb of 3,600 feet to the hotels and railway station near the mountain of the same name.
The mountain may be small compared with its neighbors but we felt the strain. What a hike. We started
near the Wetterhorn, viewing Shreckhorn, Finsteraarhorn, the Eiger, Monch, the Jungfrau and Silberhorn.
What a lineup. How did the Swiss obtain such a land? In the beginning, they weren’t even around but now
they have choice real estate, great chocolate and the Nestle Corporation. In a final push, we had to walk
up the hill to our house, making it a day of a little under 4,000 feet in elevation gain. At the conclusion,
our muscles were crying, understandably so but our spirits hovered near heaven.
A snatch of the Eiger from Kleine Scheidegg, 'blowing smoke'
"Why is the editor whining? It's a very nice path...okay, so it has a 'little' incline
In a rush of blood to the head, he decides to jog the final stretch. Why? Another of life's great mysteries.
We did something a little different today. We decided to increase the length of the hike and go up
the whole way with the reward of riding the train back down. We have to hand it to the Swiss. The trains
and cable cars traveling up, down and across the mountains are a phenomenon. It takes an imagination
just to think of setting up a transport system, that seems to be, in the clouds. The other
day we mentioned the Austrians were big on tunnels. Well, that's true but the Swiss are great
'tunnellers', too. The engineering feats we witness in this part of the world make a person walk
around in awe.
Wherever we've been this trip, whether it be Austria or Switzerland, we seem to have two hiking positions—steeply
up and steeply down. On our return, we both might need engine overhauls and definitely, a relining of our
braking systems.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
Editor's licence: Another picture from this position of a captivating sight
No comments:
Post a Comment