Hiking the SWISS Alps Getting to ShwarzwaldalP Our train trip from Geneva was very enjoyable, minus lugging several duffels in addition to our backpacks. Steve, muscle man, carried two of the three duffels. Max and I shared the third and lightest. We changed trains twice, in Bern and Interlaken. The last train was a local, with stops at several very small stations before arriving in Meiringen (not very large either!). There we transferred to a bus, with a short stop for water, ice cream and wine (for the trip). Listening to an audio book & looking at amazing mountains. What could be better? . here is where the photographER EMERGEs The bus trip was exciting! Just before we stopped suddenly for an oncoming car, Steve said, “I wonder if this is a one-lane road?” It is not! We had many encounters with cars, motorcycles and hikers. Usually the cars backed up, but at least one time the bus backed up a fair distance. As we went around blind turns, the bus sounded its horn - “reverie” according to Max (used to Hiking the SWISS Alps wake up soldiers). At times we were very close to rock walls and at others we were on the edge of steep drop offs. I kept thinking of what it would be like in the winter. The end of the bus route was our destination – Scharzwaldalp (black forest mountain). Our home for the night was a chalet and restaurant of the same name, with a very interesting hydro workshop where it appears that water from the stream is used to saw logs. We had beers and cold milk on the deck and then explored a bit, including exploring a cheese tasting and buying local cheese and salami for upcoming picnics. The wind is blowing and the sky is dark, with the clouds gathering on the peak above us – the Wetterhorn. The predication is for rain; we’ll see what materializes. Hiking the SWISS Alps Max is so jazzed to be here! He is bubbling! This was one of the things he has been really excited about and a part of the trip he strongly advocated for. He spent much of the train ride plugged in to an audio book with his iPad trained on the window to catch each moment in a photo! What a pleasure to see him in his element. He read the detailed descriptions of our upcoming hikes on the train from Geneva and has proposed plans for each day. Those may be altered by the weather, which forecasts significant rain. We will see tomorrow. For now, the cool air feels invigorating. Dinner here is between six and seven o’clock, early for many of the other places we have been recently. Simple but delicious, they were very accommodating to Max’s eating preferences. Max organized an after-dinner hike to explore the river a bit more, and then Max and I went down the road a bit to find lots of cow poop, fences that appear to keep the cows from the river, and what appears to be another lodge or restaurant. The cows . we saw many very large cows on the bus ride. They are more attractive than cows in the US. They look extremely fat and healthy. Many are wearing huge bells, like the one Max tried on at dinner. I would think it would hurt their ears; Max says they aren’t smart enough to notice. Walking around our chalet the background noises include the river, the wind and cow bells, not in that order. Cow bells are predominant! Hiking the SWISS Alps We appear to be the only guests in the chalet. There was another couple at dinner, with a beautiful husky. They are staying close, according to the staff, but in a different building. We went back down to the dining room for after dinner drinks, as our couch was not particularly comfortable. The other group at dinner, still there when we returned, appears to be the extended family of the owner or manager. They had several young children and it was fun to see everyone enjoying themselves. When it looked like they were ready to close we headed back upstairs. All staff left the building, leaving us as the sole residents. That make the shared bathroom and shower very easy! We were excited, after all of the hot places we’ve been, to open all the windows and let the mountain air in. During the night Steve’s snoring competed with the cowbells. I didn’t sleep well, but the benefit was that I was up many times to hear the night noises and see the stars! Shwarzwaldalp to Grindewald (not the Grindelwald from Harry Potter) We got started around 9:30am and went up, up, up (over 1,500) feet to Grosse Scheidegg (“large pass”). We walked through forests, over streams, past alpine cows, horses in pastures (one also wearing a bell) and pigs in a pen (no bells). We were lucky to have cool conditions and no rain. That said, I was soaked with sweat when we got to the pass. We compared our other hiking experiences and noted that there is much more human development (among other things cows!) in the mountains here. We passed through many fences that are either electrified (Max says he received some shocks) or just visual deterrents for not very smart cows. At one point, on a back country potty trip, I scared something more interesting than a cow, but couldn’t see clearly what it was. At another point I took photos of pigs, to the obvious amusement or disgust of their owners, who I’m sure wondered what was so interesting. The wildflowers are beautiful now and we saw many different types. We also saw the Post Bus cross the trail on the road that crests the pass, as well as a “roller skate” car and several bikes. Our entire morning hike was framed by the Wetterhorn (“wetter” meaning weather, according to Max). The imposing peak came in and out of focus depending on the cloud cover. Hiking the SWISS Alps Hiking the SWISS Alps From the pass we saw the Schrekhorn (not related to the movie or Lord Farquaad, as far as I know) and the profile of the famous and impressive Eiger. In the other direction were the Schwarzhorn and the Faulhorn, also impressive peaks of a very different character: much greener, yet still imposing. We hiked along the ridge under these mountains with a view of the Grindewald Valley and a number of developments that we came to learn are part of the Grindewald/First (“Feerst”) Ski Area. It is not so hard to imagine these slopes as ski runs. We may have to come back and explore in the winter. Along the way we heard a huge crash, like thunder, and turned around to see an avalanche racing down the mountain on the opposite side of the valley. Hiking the SWISS Alps Our total hike today was 12 miles, with over 3,400 feet of elevation gain. We stopped for lunch at top of the First gondola, just after passing through “marmot valley” (we saw marmots, but not here). The food was good (except the pizza) and waiter was funny and friendly, making the stop even more appealing. We are definitely imagining this in the winter and feeling drawn to it! Despite the “drops” (rain), Steve’s knee hurting and his need to make an afternoon work call, we continued our upward trek to Bachalpsee, a duo of lakes just under an impressive ridge. This portion of the hike was busy, as many people ride the gondola up and hike to the lakes. We saw some of the most un-hiker outfits! The lakes were beautiful and the fog rolling in and out made them particularly mystic. Above the lakes we saw what must be an alpine hut, another option for overnights. It looked tempting, perched on the top of the ridge, but we were happy to be heading down at that point. The hike that followed was the highlight of the day for me. No one but us, several rushing streams, spectacular rock formations, beautiful wild flowers and clouds that surrounded us then moved on. This went on for at least an hour, before we dropped down to the beginnings of civilization: a few unoccupied buildings and a road. There were no cows on this part of the trail, maybe because it is too high and inaccessible? Hiking the SWISS Alps As Steve talked to colleagues in Seattle, we walked down a road with continued amazing views and fog. At Waldspritz, a bus stop and restaurant/lodge, we turned off the road onto a VERY steep downhill (thankfully) trail. We dropped down through the Spruce (and some pine?) forest at an impressive rate, wondering who imagined (and then built) a trail like this. Max is awed by the beauty around us and, not wanting to be the photographer, requesting that I take MANY very specific photos. We finally agreed that, in exchange, he will design a mountain photo album from our entire six month of adventures. A fine trade. Our trail dropped us back into cow country, a steep and impressive valley that at first glance would not appear to be cow friendly, and then to the mid-point of the First gondola, Bort. We took this down to our destination for the night, happy to be inside as the rain began to pour down. Hiking the SWISS Alps The base of the gondola is in the town of Grindewald and a five-minute walk from our hotel – Gletschergarten.