THE FINAL CHAPTER - MARS AND VENUS GET TO GSTAAD (TOGETHER!)

I have a shocking announcement - today, Anthony is taking me shopping - in Gstaad!  How glamorous!  Not only is Anthony someone who "never knowingly gets wet" he is also prone to going into something akin to anaphylactic shock at the mere suggestion of shopping.  So what might not come as such a surprise is that to get to Gstaad we will have to walk - about 9 kms in fact, and climb 750 metres - maybe not so glamorous after all!

Certainly it is no surprise that the start to our day should entail a fairly swift ascent, through pasture land to start with, and then climbing with ever increasing ferocity through a forest to reach the first of our destinations, the Chrine Pass at 1,659 metres.  We had treated ourselves to a later start than usual this morning, heading off just after 9.00 am, and already by the time we reached the Pass the intensity of the sun was such that after admiring the view from the Pass towards the Les Diablerets massif, we were very happy to meld back into the cool of the shaded forest to make our way to the foot of the Hohi Wilspile ridge.  This ridge, with its panoramic views in all directions, would lead us all the way to the Hohi Wispile Pass and on down to the cable car which would sweep us off our feet and into Gstaad.

The sweat and toil of our initial climb is rewarded with wonderful panoramic views

Although the beginning of each day has a now familiar pattern, the end result is always varied, and today the walk along the ridge was a mostly gentle ascent across open grassland, with the occasional sharp pull uphill, but with wonderful 360 degree views.  The Gummfluh, Les Diablerets and the Wildhorn stood proudly in the morning sun, with the lush Lauenental Valley from where we had ascended laid out like a tiny Toy Town beneath.  All was ant-like industry, as the business of the hay carting which we had witnessed on our arrival in Lauenen yesterday was in full swing again today, the strength of the September sunshine an absolute blessing for the hay makers.

All go in the valley below as hay-carting is in full swing

Far from the secluded Passes of some of our previous days, the Hohi Wispile was the centre of attention for walkers, paragliders, day trippers and dog walkers.  The cable car connection from Gstaad makes it an ideal destination from which to enjoy the wonderful views, and the superb weather had brought people out to enjoy the scenery in optimum conditions.  After pausing to enjoy the views (and dry our shirts!), we ambled down to the restaurant at the cable car station and toasted the end of the last hike of our trip with a well earned glass of Prosecco.

The Hohi Wispile Pass at 1,939 metres provided spectacular 360 degree views in optimum conditions

Now, I know you are wondering about the shopping - on arriving in Gstaad there was Louis Vuitton, Chopard, Prada - it was hard to know where to start, so instead we settled for a very good lunch!

Cows are venerated in this region - even in relatively ritzy Gstaad.  I love this charming bronze in the Gstaad high street

Over lunch we reviewed what has been a hugely successful holiday.  Switzerland has exceeded both our expectations in terms of sheer natural beauty, and the hiking experience is something that we both have really enjoyed.  We estimated we have covered somewhere in the vicinity of 180 kms in twelve days hiking, and we have been remarkably lucky with the weather.  I learnt today that Switzerland has 72,000 kms of roads, and 60,000 kms of waymarked hiking trails, so it should come as no surprise that this country is incredibly well geared towards the hiking experience.  What has been particularly pleasurable is that apart from Grindelwald, (undoubtedly an international mecca with its unsurpassed views of the Eiger), our co-travellers in our hotels and on our hikes have been 95% Swiss.  Hiking is for all ages, stages, shapes and sizes, and the infrastructure to allow it to happen across this staggeringly beautiful country is immaculately organised.  That said, I read the there are approximately 9,000 hiking accidents every year in Switzerland, 40 of which end as fatalities.  Be beguiled by the lush pastures, the chiming bells of the cows and the picture postcard beauty, but make no mistake, show disregard for the mountain code and the price is high.

Now, what of Mars and Venus - well the bottles of whiskey and gin stood us in extremely good stead, conveniently lasting until our penultimate evening, and always a welcome treat at the end of each day.  The Swiss franc to pound exchange rate is awful, and alcohol is frighteningly expensive (a very ordinary bottle of Swiss red is Cf 40 - around £28!).  The goose-poo green trekking trousers are now thankfully resting in peace, having been abandoned in a wastepaper bin in Adelboden, (unworn)!  The selection of sleeveless shirts which I hurriedly packed last minute and which caused Anthony so much mirth as the snow fell in Griesalp, have come into their own with temperatures hovering near the twenties for the last week. The first aid kit has been remarkably (and thankfully) under utilised, with our boots being our saviours, and the endless pampering with anti-blister spray and the drying off of feet and socks at every opportunity paying off without a single blister in twelve days.

Perhaps the most dangerous thing we will take away with us from Switzerland is a tiny seed of an idea which was planted at Griesalp as we passed away the evening in the Golderli mountain hut with our two Swiss companions who had summited the Sefinenfurgge Pass ahead of us.  We learnt from them about the Via Alpina - a network of five long distance hiking trails which run across the alpine regions of Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechenstein, Switzerland, Italy, France and Monaco.  Altogether the route covers 5,000 kms.  Unwittingly, during this holiday we have already covered several stages in the Swiss section.  Another bite of the Via Alpina September 2014 - any takers??!

ADELBODEN TO LENK / LENK TO LAUENEN

ADELBODEN TO LENK - Sunday, 22nd September

All was quiet on a sleepy Sunday morning as we made our early exit from Adelboden for our 14 km hike to Lenk, via the summit of Sillerebuel at 1,972 metres and the Hahnenmoospass at 1,950 metres.  We were soon descending from the top the of the village into the shaded valley bottom, where the bite of the morning air was soon nibbling at our fingertips, encouraging us to quicken our pace in an effort to warm up.  We wound our way down over a wooden bridge and then followed the course of the river.  No respectful Sunday silence here as the incessant clamour of the river made normal conversation impossible, and it was with relief we crossed over once again and climbed up into the peace and quiet of dewy pastures just being kissed with the first of the morning sun.  As we had experienced on other mornings, a stiff climb was required to get us out of the valley, and we gained height, gently at first past farmhouses and fields, and then more sharply as the path veered upwards through the forest.  Behind us we could look back into the Simmental Valley and just see in the far distance the cup shaped Bunderchrinde through which we had entered just a couple of days before.

Nearing Sillerebuel after the first pipe opener of the day

"Admiring the view" - always a good way to catch your breath!

From the Sillerbuel cable car station we could see our next landmark, the Hahnenmoospass, marked by a scattering of buildlings in the col at the end of the valley.  The valley itself is a very popular skiing destination, connecting the skiing regions of Adelboden and Lenk, and host to the World Downhill Skiing Championships  in 2014.  There was plenty of building works and earth moving going on to suggest that preparations for this world class event were well under way.

After some of our remote hikes in the past week, the walk towards Hahnenmoospass felt oddly pedestrian. A sunny Sunday had brought the Swiss out to enjoy their wonderful mountains, and a lot has been cleverly invested to ensure that this wonderful heritage is used in all seasons.  From Sillerbuel you could hire extraordinary scooters to ride down the steep winding descent towards Hahnenmoospass before catching the cable car up to repeat the experience, all day if you so desired, for the very reasonable sum of just 16 Swiss francs!  Anthony, forever the "Boy Racer", was impressed and sorely tempted, but the thought of returning the scooter to Sillerbuel, to then turn around and hike back down to Hahnenmoospass took the
edge of it!

Just trying one for size - but very tempted!

To Hahnenmoospass - the easy way down

After some of our remote hikes in the past week, the walk towards towards Hahnenmoospass felt strangely pedestrian.   Gradually ascending and then contouring around the valley sides, we passed groups of Swiss families, some walking their dogs, others just enjoying the mountain air and the glorious sunshine.   We decided not to stop at Hahnenmoospass cable car station, but walked a little further on and found a bench looking out over the valley below for our picnic lunch.  We have now perfected a very good system of changing our shirts as soon as we stop.  Exerting ourselves uphill and with our back packs pressed against our backs, our shirts are soon soaked , and then we quickly become very cold when we stop.  The solution is to carry a dry shirt, and another layer, and to change as soon as you stop so you are warm, dry and comfortable.  We must have made a queer sight as we munched on our sandwiches like Darby and Joan, our shirts drying on our makeshift clothes line of a dead tree branch behind us.

Heading on, we began to descend slowly, passing many other groups of walkers making their way up to Hahnenmoospass for their Sunday outing.  We stopped briefly at the Buelberg mountain restaurant, again, heaving with Swiss out to enjoy the September sunshine, and enjoyed the far reaching views down into the valley and towards Lenk, our final destination and a hiking haven being a gateway to a 600 km network of signposted hiking trails.

Our final destination of Lenk

As we started our descent through the tree line below the Buelberg Restaurant, we could hear what can only be described as the banging of dustbin lids together.  From our birds eye view of the town, we could see a large area of motor homes and cars parked in fields beside the village, and as we came nearer still, tiny figures could be seen moving in formation up the streets.  Our anticipation grew as we continued our descent, the clanging noise growing louder as we approached.  It certainly wasn't music - but what on earth could it be?  As we came into the high street of Lenk, we were greeted with the wonderful sight of a Trychler festival - bell ringing Swiss style!  Different regions were competing against each other, with well over fifty different groups represented, with ages ranging from 8 to 80.  It continued on for a good four or five hours - and we spent a couple of bemused and amused hours watching this strange spectacle and following the parade.

National dress ..... and ear defenders!

We enjoyed a peaceful night in Lenk, although I am sure that down in the fields around the village the bell ringers were painting the town red!  

LENK TO LAUENEN - Monday, 23 September

It was an early start again this morning, and there is a definite pattern emerging to the start of each day.  The pre-requisite for spending the day on a mountain side is the inevitable ascent from the valley bottom, and once again we found ourselves winding our way alongside a fast flowing river which formed the pretty Wallbach Gorge, and climbing up the valley sides towards the morning sunshine above.  However, this morning we were lucky.   The way up was made easier by the use of several flights of metal ladders which climbed up beside a waterfall, so we were very pleased to gain hundreds of metres in height by simply walking up stairs!  The waterfall itself was extraordinary to see at such close quarters, each torrent of water falling in to a stone "mixing bowl", made ceramic smooth from years of swirling water, then as that overflowed, down it plunged to the next "bowl" and so on, until it reached the tumble of boulders beneath.  

Stairway to heaven?  The easy way to gain height.

From here it was very easy walking through peaceful wooded areas, breaking out into open pasture land, then, almost with relief, returning to the shaded forests.  The sky was an unbroken Wedgewood blue, and the sun was already warmer than on previous days.  Eventually we were above the tree line and began our ascent, climbing steadily across high alpine pastures towards the Truttlisberg pass at 2,038 metres.  

Not a scree slope in sight - the easy ascent to Truttlisberg Pass on a perfect morning

Not a scree slope in sight!  The pretty mountain pastures of the Ronewald beguiled us all the way to the top, and after an initially steep descent over rough hummocky ground, we were descending towards Luanenen, a good hour ahead of schedule now that we are walking fit and able to eat up the miles on easy ground.

Snow capped mountains, waterfalls ...... and cows!  The perfect view of the head of the Luanental Valley

Luanenen sits at the head of the very beautiful Lauenental Valley.  A small and wonderfully unspoilt village within striking distance of the much more cosmopolitan Gstaad - our destination for tomorrow.  Descending towards the village, this fairy story that is Switzerland continued to unfold.  Just a few chapters ago, we were in the land of snow and ice, a real Narnia.   Now we are in Shangri-La once again - the temperature feels like mid-summer, crickets fill the air with their chirruping, farmers are at work cutting their hay.  A strange contrast appears from one field to the next, where a small tractor turns the cut grass in one field, while just metres away a man and his wife toil away in the hot sun turning the grass in the old fashioned way - with just a rake.  This wonderfully beautiful and strangely surreal country casts such a spell - I half expected one of the drivers of these hand held grass cutting machines to be an Oompa-Loompa!  Such is the spell that Switzerland casts - all is unreal, and yet quite believable all at the same time.  

Turning the grass - the timeless way

Forever summer? - a wonderful display of  flowers surround a farmhouse

Our hotel is wonderfully situated beneath the mountains, the cow bells are ringing in the evening air, and all is quiet now that the agricultural bustle has ended for the day.  People are digging their potatoes, the farmers are gathering in their hay - whilst today holds such promise of an endless summer, the inevitability of autumn is also in the air.  

Another fantastic view from our hotel balcony

AROUND ADELBODEN

Adelboden is enchanting, and made even more so this morning when the sound of what seemed like half a dozen churches ringing their bells all at once had me rushing to our balcony.  As the cacophany of bell ringing grew ever closer, finally the wonderful sight appeared on the road below of cows being driven down from the mountain sides to a local "Alpler-Markt" - a kind of fete at the end of the season where the farmers show off their wonderful beasts and sell their cheese and produce.  Each cow, apart from being the bearer of a collar and bell of all different shapes and sizes, wore a decorated brow band of alpine flowers.  It was a glorious sight and a great start to the day.

We had decided on an easy day and made our way by bus and cable car up to Engstligenfalle.  This is one of Switzerland's largest mountain plateaus and on a sunny Saturday, a veritable playground for the Swiss.   We had a view of the soaring Engstligenfalle Waterfall as we left the cable car, before taking an easy one and a half hour walk around this extraordinary plateau, marvelling at the jewelled crown of mountain peaks she was proudly wearing, shown off to perfection on this day of perfect September sunshine.

The impressive Engstligenfalle Waterfall

Anthony had brought his binoculars, and when he wasn't "spying" for chamois, enjoyed watching the ant-like progress of hikers, tackling various slopes and ridges which towered over us.  However, the most extraordinary thing about Engstligenfalle is that for certain months of the year it is the home to what must be one of the world's most unusual golf courses!

Golf anyone?  At 2,000 metres the Engstligenfalle plateau is the most extraordinary setting for a golf course.

Milk churns have many uses in Switzerland!

The view down the fairway!

It was a day of surreal experiences, and we were to have another as we re-boarded the cable car for the return journey to Adelboden to share it with two dead chamois!  A truly rugged looking Swiss huntsman was returning to the valley with his trophies, transported in a hand card, carefully laid together under his coat with their heads entwined together as if sleeping, and their mouths full of herbs and flowers, which I can only assume is some sort of mountain custom.  One of the other passengers in the cable car translated that this man had been stalking for a week to finally gain his prize.  Looking at the terrain over which this stalk must have taken place, he was fully deserving of his bounty.

A truly restful day will stand us in good stead for the hiking ahead - two 7 hour days in succession, the first being our hike south-west from Adelboden towards Lenk tomorrow, via the summit of Sillerebuel (1,972 metres) and Hahnenmoospass at  1,950 metres.  We have both vowed to return to Adelboden one day and explore the web of wonderful hiking paths which are on her doorstep.

KANDERSTEG TO ADELBODEN

We couldn't believe our good fortune as we made an early departure from Kandersteg under the blessing of a clear blue sky.  It has been touch and go whether the Bunderchrinde Pass at 2,385 metres would be open after the snow earlier in the week, but the previous two days had been mild, with no further snow, and we were good to go.  Kandersteg boasts 40 kms of cross country skiing trails, a huge drawcard in the winter, and it was on one of these meandering paths that we left the town, winding our way alongside a fast flowing river Kander towards the base of the Grosser Lohner cliffs which loom over the valley like stern sentinels.   The sun had yet to reach the valley bottom, and my fingers were already being bitten with cold, but I knew that in a short while we would become warm enough tackling the inevitable ascent out of the Kander Valley.

Our route cut a straight line across a series of switchbacks in the road, heading straight up through woods and eventually following beside a rowdy cascade before peeling off and heading across more peaceful alpine meadows.  With a cumulative 1,350 metre ascent, there was little respite from climbing, although the reward was wonderful views across the classic glacial valley of Gasterntal, and towards the beautiful lake of Oeschinensee where we had enjoyed our sun drenched lunch just a couple of day's before.

The beautiful blue Oeschinensee in the distance

Check and double check - with a day of constantly climbing we didn't want to get it wrong!

Anthony was in top form, and heading up the slopes like a mountain goat!  I just couldn't get into the rhythm of climbing the rocky and in some places boulder strewn path, and reached a small section where the path contoured around the side of the mountain with relief.  Finally I could pick up my pace and get into my stride. We found a sun-facing boulder on which to perch and enjoy our sandwich, refuelling for what we could see was going to be an arduous climb ahead.

Finally the grassy saddle on a ridge above came into view, which looked harmless enough, until we realised that this wasn't our destination.  Instead we had to switch back and cross for 500 metres across a large area of scree rising steeply towards a narrow gap in a craggy ridge.  The path on the scree was barely discernible, our reassuring red/white daubs of paint which mark the way suddenly not visible.  The only tell tale sign of a path existing at all across this inhospitable slope was the tell tale ribbon of white left behind by the recent snow.  Walking on scree is exhausting - like walking on a shingly beach but on a 1:3 slope!  It was a huge relief to finally reach the summit and even the prospect of the unavoidable descent couldn't take away from the joy of reaching our goal, and the enjoyment of the stunning views back towards Kandersteg on one side and down to our destination of Adelboden on the other.

Made it!  Reaching the Bunderchrinde Pass after an arduous morning of constantly climbing

The Bunderchrinde Pass - only a 3 hour descent to go!

The view from the Pass down to Adelboden

Unlike the Seffinenfurgge Pass, the descent from Bunderchrinde didn't offer the assistance of steps cut into the scree, and I will have to be very honest and admit that I absolutely hated it!  Taking tiny mincing steps, my knee raging in protest at every slip and slide, all I could do was manage each little section a piece at a time, and try not to think about Anthony disappearing down the slope ahead of me with irritating ease!

Two other hikers just visible descending the scree slope behind us

The cup shape pass visible from the meadows below

Finally the gradient began to ease, and then at last the scree turned into alpine meadow, and the path way ahead became clearer and easier.  Sensing an imminent sense of humour failure (!), very sensibly Anthony realised a pit-stop was in order and we stopped at a mountain hut in the nick of time!  Boots and socks off, a drink and some good mountain food, and soon all was well again as we sat outside with the beautiful mountains above us and the green meadows around us bathed in sunshine.

A lucky break - a well timed rest stop!

It was a real effort to drag ourselves away, but we still had over an hour of descending ahead to reach Adelboden.  As always the last leg is often the most tedious.  You have seen where you are heading, and yet you never seem to be able to reach it!  We zigzagged down to Adelboden on a combination of woodland paths and farm roads, with a final sting in the tail of arriving in Adelboden at the bottom of the town, and of course where was our hotel? At the top!  Another half hour of solidly climbing up a road and finally we were there.  The Adler Hotel was a real treat, our room opening out onto a balcony with stunning views up to the mountain tops, austere but beautiful in the late afternoon sunshine.

Through the fringe of trees and back amongst green meadows above Adelboden

Stunning views in very direction from our hotel balcony .........

and the perfect home for smelly boots!!

IN AND AROUND KANDERSTEG

WEDNESDAY, 18^TH SEPTEMBER, THE LOTSCHBERGER SUDRAMPE

Kandersteg has the slightly odd ambience of a tourist town just out of season – like an ageing beauty, the signs of past glory are there, but now looking slightly faded around the edges.  The large terraces outside the hotels are empty, their umbrellas furled, and the town sits rather sullenly under a permanently grey sky.  However, the reason behind our itinerary’s three day stay here is immediately apparent when you look at what lies on Kandersteg’s doorstep.  The topography of the town would suggest that it is an isolated town surrounded by mountains and disconnected from the world around it, but not at all.  By the ingeniousness of Swiss engineering at its best, Kandersteg is linked to its neighbouring valley, and indeed countries,  by a rail system which simply goes through the mountains.  The Swiss are understandably proud of this huge achievement, and our first walking tour from Kandersteg gave us an opportunity to fully appreciate the enormous imagination, tenacity and skill of the railway designers and builders. 

Travelling by train from Kandersteg through the Lotschberg Tunnel reminded me of a film I had seen as a teenager.  A plane crashes and several people are lost on a snow covered mountain side.  When they crawl through a tiny opening in the wall of the mountain they enter a world that is permanently in summer and where no-one ever ages – a true “Shangri-La”.    Sadly I can’t vouch for the anti-ageing benefits, but arriving on the other side of the mountain from Kandersteg into the “Lotschberger-Sudrampe” was not dissimilar.  The grey drizzle we had left behind was replaced with sunshine which grew steadily stronger as the day progressed.  The south facing mountain sides were covered with vineyards and orchards, and in the valley below the fast flowing river was an artery which united a valley full of industrial activity and busy townships. 

The busy valley below the Lotschberger Sudrampe walk

Our original plan was to get off the train at Hohtenn and then take a walk which follows the railway line around the side of the mountain to Eggerberg which lies further up the valley, from where we would catch a train back to Kandersteg.  Neither Anthony nor I are linguists, and certainly neither of us have any German between us, so our first mistake was assuming that the train would stop at every station, as they do in England.  Not so!  The Swiss have a far more efficient system whereby the train will only stop at the smaller stations on request.  This we discovered after Hohtenn whizzed by without the train stopping!  Once we realised our mistake we had to quickly get up to speed and reschedule our walk to go in the opposite direction!  We left the train at Eggerberg and began our 5 hour hike back towards Hohtenn, contouring around the mountain sides, and gaining a wonderful insight into human determination and ingenuity at its very best.  Vast bridges and viaducts spanned the deep gorges which were gouged into the mountain sides, and tunnel after tunnel appeared, not only for the train running around the mountain side below us,  but also on our hiking trail, with sometimes up to 7 or 8 tunnels in quick succession.  We were able to experience the quite extraordinary sensation of literally walking through the sides of a mountain.

Tunnels for trains, and on the left, for trekkers, each as remarkable as the other

We came across a mountain hut at Ranerchumma and drank in the sunshine over a delicious lunch of Rosti, before hurrying on to reach Hohtenn within the hour to catch the next train for Kandersteg.

My first ever Rosti - I'm sorry but the English breakfast isn't a patch on this!

The path was a wonderful variation of tiny track which literally clung limpet like to the mountain side under overhanging rocks, to slippery earth trails under the trees with fast flowing channels of water running beside them.  In some places, the “path” was actually the edge of one of these channels, on one side water and rock face, and on the other – a very long fall!  Luckily metal hand rails on the rock face provided much needed reassurance!   In one place, the channel was actually made out of interlocking halves of huge logs which had been dug out to form a gutter, which made an interesting juxtaposition between the modern day engineering we were witnessing with the railway line and an ancient but equally effective form of engineering in wood. 

Coming through yet another of the many tunnels on our path, we caught a glimpse of our first chamois.  Sadly I wasn’t fast enough to reach my camera before this lithe creature made mockery of our need for paths and tunnels by leaping around a protruding outcrop on the mountain face and swiftly disappearing from view.

The path suddenly descended and we crossed a deep gorge on a metal suspension bridge, which then turned into a series of steep metal steps which followed the rock face of the gorge down towards the water crashing below.  I couldn’t quite believe what was happening, as the metal steps actually took us virtually behind a cascade, with the bottom step flooded by the rushing waters.  Behind this step was a large plank, which appeared to be blocking our way.  I was just starting to think we must have gone horribly wrong when Anthony pointed out a switch in the rock face above me, which I pushed and suddenly the way forward was revealed.  Stepping gingerly onto the flooding metal step and over the plank, a lit tunnel led us through the mountain from behind the waterfall.  It really was like something out of “Boy’s Own” and great fun!

Finally we reached Hohtenn, with ten minutes to spare before the next hourly train, and so were feeling very pleased with ourselves and quite elated by what had been an incredible walk.  Suddenly the air of elation evaporated as we searched for the railway station, and saw a sign for “Hohtenn Station – 55 minutes”.  How could this be?  We asked a local man, and my heart sank when he pointed to a large cross on the skyline high above the village – that was Hohtenn Station, where we stood was Hohtenn Village.  Somewhere we had lost too much height on our walk and taken the wrong trail, leading us well short of our destination.  There was nothing for it but to begin the long, hot climb up a very stony mountain side to the station above, made even more frustrating by the sound of our train whistling by over our heads without us.

Hoftenn Station at last  - time to cool down and reflect - "Act in haste - repent at leisure!"

However, this small setback didn’t detract from what had been a fantastic day in the sun, marvelling at how man has overcome the natural obstacle of mountains, and connected a country that could be so easily isolated and locked in by its natural topography to the world around it.

THE GEMMI PASS - THURSDAY, 19^TH SEPTEMBER

The weather conditions which deteriorated so quickly at the beginning of the week have slightly been preoccupying our thoughts and determining our plans, but fortunately things are improving, so much so that we were able to make this walk up to the Gemmi Pass at 2,346 metres.  This ancient and popular pathway between the Bernese Oberland and the Valais region has been a trading route for hundreds of years.   It is set amidst glorious alpine scenery with far reaching views from the Pass itself towards the Weisshorn and Matterhorn.   Once again our day began in mist and cloud and as we headed down to the bus station to catch a bus to the cable car station at Sunnbuel we could only hope that the day would brighten.  The cable car ride did little to allay our fears, as far from punching through the overlying cloud as we ascended, we could see very little as the thick wet cloud enveloped our little bubble.  Perhaps luck wasn’t going to be on our side today as it had been yesterday.

We decided to sit it out at the top, and I made the waiter’s day by ordering the house special, coffee with a good slug of grog!  I think he was well impressed that I could drink this at 9.00am!!  We drank our coffee, poured over our maps and waited for the miraculous unveiling of promised scenic delights, but it just wasn’t going to happen.  Eventually, we decided to set out and just make our way gently towards to first stop en route to the Pass, the Schwarenbach Hotel, the oldest mountain hotel in Switzerland, and a destination for many famous names.  Conan Doyle has Sherlock Holmes spend a night here in one of his novels, and Pablo Picasso, Mark Twain, Lenin and Alexandre Dumas were also once visitors to this isolated but beautiful hotel.  Our walk, although cloaked in cloud, was still beautiful in its mystery.  One could sense that around and above us, there was a magical world just waiting to be revealed, and sure enough, an hour and a half later as we sat enjoying a late breakfast of Rosti at the Schwarenbach, the long awaited sun began to burn through, and the mountain tops with which we had been playing hide and seek all morning began to reveal themselves in their pristine white glory, flurries of snow billowing gracefully from their peaks.  But the game wasn’t over yet – as we scurried to be back out on the path and appreciating the sun, another veil of cloud descended.  Before I had time to photograph this wonderfully historic hotel, she was evaporating before my eyes behind a veil of cloud, like the vapours of a dream not quite remembered in the light of morning.

Playing hard to get - the views on the ascent to Gemmi

We pushed on regardless, and as we climbed slowly, more and more blue sky appeared above us.  Then, the highlight of the day – a vast bird gliding along the mountainsides – a huge eagle gave us the most wonderfully graceful display and flew by so closely it was almost unnerving.  We stood watching in awe for a good 15 minutes, hoping it was going to treat us to another close encounter.  We felt so lucky to have seen this, and so now we have black squirrels, marmots, chamois and an eagle to tick off our list of Swiss wildlife!

The sighting of this majestic eagle will remain a highlight of the trip

The path towards the Pass skirts alongside the Daubansee – a beautiful mountain lake, before rising up again to the Pass.  Conditions were steadily improving, and we were now able to enjoy walking in shirtsleeves in bright sunshine, with a light breeze.  Above us, more and more peaks filled the skyline, whilst behind us towards the Schwarenbach, the cloud sat low, like a stubborn child, arms folded and refusing to budge.  At last we were able to appreciate the much awaited glory of this alpine haven, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

After a celebratory hot chocolate at the Gemmi Pass, all that was required was the descent!  Feeling on top form with the sun on my back, and fantastic views all around, I had toyed with the idea of simply walking down to the thermal springs at Leukerbad, and hour and a half away.  Fortunately Anthony stuck to the original plan, and booked our tickets on the cable car down.  As we descended I was hugely grateful that we were travelling by cable car.  The path to descent from Gemmi was carved into the rocky face of the mountain side below us, a treacherous combination of zig-zagging path, vertical steps and sheer knee-jarring horror.    How they managed this centuries ago, with mules and sedan chairs as transport, beggars belief.  As Mark Twain wrote: “We met a few men and a great many ladies in litters; it seems to me that most of the ladies looked pale and nauseated; their general aspect gave me the idea that they were patiently enduring a horrible suffering.  As a rule, they looked at their laps and left the scenery to take care of itself.”  I can see why!

Not knowing quite what to expect at Leukerbad, we were pleasantly surprised by this quaint town, its lovely timber houses meandering down the main street, the fast flowing river at its heart, and the coffee shops and restaurants full of people sitting out and basking in the warm September sunshine.    We made our way to the thermal baths, and enjoyed the strange sensation of swimming in bath temperature water under an open sky rimmed with snow capped mountains.  Even Anthony (never knowingly gets wet!), couldn’t help but appreciate the attraction of this peculiarly European idea of therapeutic bathing. 

Leukerbad with its spectacular backdrop

 

Thermal baths at Leukerbad - a peculiarly European past time

We made our bus out of Leukerbad with minutes to spare, and then marvelled at the Swiss transport system as we seamlessly connected bus with train to Leuk, and the train from Leuk to Brig and finally connecting train to Kandersteg, each scheduled within a minute or two of each other, but each one 100% punctual and each connection made seamlessly. 

It has been another wonderful day.  The weather is now much improved and our proposed high alpine trek tomorrow to Adelboden is looking more hopeful.   As much as I have enjoyed exploring in and around Kandersteg, I am excited at the prospect of arriving somewhere new tomorrow.