What a day

Too tired to write a long story today, but here are some highlights:

- watching base jumpers from our balcony
- a perfect day in the mountains
- climbed the Rotstock Via Ferrata....this is right beside the North Face of the Eiger...it was AMAZING!
- got to pet some friendly goats
- was serenaded by cow bells
- laid on the grass and listened to Alpenhorns while overlooking the lush green valleys and the snow covered mountains

Ho hum......LOL

North Face of the Eiger on the left
The Rotstock is above the chimney
of the hotel on the right

Jo walking towards the Eiger

Top of the Rotstock

Another up and down day

We hopped on the train first thing this morning and headed down the valley to Interlaken to explore. There were a few showers so it was a good time to wander and do some shopping. Jo bought a ski jacket and some pants...I think she forgot that it's July. OK, well they were a really good deal. After lunch we hopped back on the train and headed back up into our valley. This place truly is magical....if you have just one thing on your bucket list, make sure it's a visit to the Lauterbrunnen Valley. It really is an incredible place where time stands still and the power of nature is totally restoring.

We woke from a short nap to see that the clouds had vanished and the sun was out so we geared up and decided to head up again....up the hills. We took the trail to Wengen, a town which perches on top of the plateau which forms the east side of the valley. The sign said it would take 1 hour and 30 mins, but we reached the top in exactly 1 hour. We rewarded ourselves with a nice cold beer at the top. I sure wish you could walk into a store in Canada, buy a cold beer, and enjoy it while sitting on a bench with a view....cause you can here!

We explored Wengen a bit - there are a lot of very posche hotels up there. I suspect it's a bit of an out of the way escape for some of the worlds jet setters and well to do people. Then we decided to take the train back down to the valley floor - our 6 day passes are turning out to be a great investment.

Then it was out for another fabulous meal, and an amazing sunset on the snow covered mountains. Jo made friends with two Swiss cats today. They are just as sucky as Canadian cats are. And we discovered that there are some new born chicks (sparrows I think) in a nest which is hiding in one of the trees on our balcony. Another great day in paradise. Tomorrow we are heading even higher and will be doing some climbing on part of the Eiger.

Sunset in the mountains

Here kitty kitty

We started on the valley floor

Standing guard over the chicks

An easy day

OK, so maybe we overdid it just a bit yesterday, but the weather forecast wasn't great for today, so we had a chance to relax and recover a bit. After breakfast we hiked down the valley about 45 minutes to Trummelbachfalle. All of the glacier run-off and melt from the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau funnel down into this narrow gorge. Years ago it was a waterfall, but now it has carved it's way inside of the mountain. The water has carved an amazing series of passageways through the rock. A funicular takes you part way up inside the mountain and then you climb a series of stairs to the top. From the top you can see a sliver of daylight overhead, but you can't even hear yourself think as millions of gallons of water thunder past you. You slowly make your way down a series of steps and tunnels carved into the mountain, with viewing ports and platforms placed every so often. I took a number of pictures and some video, but I'm sure they won't do it justice. It's something you have to see in person!

After hiking back into town we walked down to the train station and picked up some regional passes. Good for unlimited travel on the local train, bus and cablecar systems for 6 days. As it was raining we decided to ride the rails. We headed up the next valley to explore Grindewald. It's a bigger town than Lauterbrunnen, but it's much more touristy and doesn't have the same feel that it does here. We grabbed a bite to eat, and then stopped at the Bakerei for some treats. From there we decided to head up, up to the Eiger that is. We rode the train from Gridewald up to Kleine Scheidegg which sits at the base of the North Face of the Eiger. Anyone who has ever seen the old Clint Eastwood movie The Eiger Sanction, will be familiar with this place.

We got out and had a quick look around. The weather wasn't great and we couldn't see the entire North Face....but it did clear long enough for us to make out the Rotstock, which we will be climbing in the coming days. From there we took the train back down the mountain to Wengen and then back to Lauterbrunnen. The train ride is amazing, and the views are spectacular.

At dinner we ended up sitting beside a couple who are both school teachers in England. We were sharing stories about what we'd done and what there was to do in the area. It turns out that he had seen the Eiger Sanction years ago and wanted to come and see the Eiger for that very reason....just as I had.

Our legs are feeling rested up and the forecast looks to be improving for tomorrow......hmm, which hike/climb to do? So many choices, and so little time!

Near the bottom of Trunnelbachfalle where the
water emerges to daylight once again

Flower growing from the rock

Looking down into the falls with another
viewing gallery in the distance

The Lauterbrunnen Valley must be the closest place to heaven on earth that there is. Apparently it was J.R.R. Tolkien's inspiration for the Valley of Rivendell in Lord of the Rings....LINKY and I can see why. Our room, complete with 15 x 25 foot balcony, overlooks the length of the valley, with Staubbach Falls in perfect view. I read somewhere that it is the 12th highest waterfall in the world.

Today was our first day in the Swiss mountains and it was a big one. After filling up on breakfast at the hotel we geared up and hit the trail. From the town of Lauterbrunnen (bottom of the valley) we hiked up for two hours, gaining close to 1,000 meters in elevation. Once we reached the top of the ridge we walked a nice easy path to the town of Murren. It is perched high above the valley, a quaint little town with no access by car. If you want to go there your only options are foot or gondola then train, well unless you have a helicopter.

After exploring Murren we began a steep descent into Gimmewald - a very sleepy village with a guest house where you can sleep in the barn with the goats. From there an even steeper descent all the way back to the valley floor, and then an hours hike along the river and back to our hotel. We passed over and under at least 20 of the 72 waterfalls that line the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Many of them are spectacular, and water it deliscious!

We were hiking for a total of 6.5 hours today. 2 hours up, about 2 hours of steep descent, 2 hours of flat, and about 30 minutes of sitting along the way. And talk about hospitality....as we walked in the front door of our hotel, we were handed two cold bottles of local beer, before we even walked past the check in desk. I could get used to this lifestyle!

After enjoying our beer and a short nap we headed out and had a spectacular dinner in a very suprizing place...the small restaurant in the local campground. We will be going back for sure. An amazing day, but we might be a bit stiff in the morning. However, many more mountain adventures await.

Will post some pics soon, they take forever to upload so eventually we will also post an album on Facebook.

P.S. As I post this, they just lit up Staubbach Falls, they do it with huge floodlights for a few hours every night.

View from hotel

One of many falls on the hike today

Looking down into the valley

Typical Swiss Mountain chalet - no chicken here!

Your guess is as good as mine!

The reward after 6.5 hours of hiking!

Staubbach Falls by day

If this is Tuesday, it must be Switzerland

Was sad to leave France today, but we know what lies ahead. After breakfast and some more shopping (at the best store on the planet), we did an amazing drive from Chamonix, up over a number of Cols and down into Martingny, Switzerland. From there some more amazing back roads to Interlaken, and then up into the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Tomorrow the real mountain adventures begin. More to follow...

Chamonix, France

Today we went for a morning walk around the town and shopped at the best outdoors store on the planet. It puts MEC to shame! Then we picked up some picnic supplies.....baguette, cheese, sausage, fruit and wine. After loading up we headed for a gondolla ride up to the Aguille du Midi. Amazing ascent with a spectacular view of Mont Blanc. You can actually take a gondola down the other side to Courmayer, Italy, but we decided to stay in France today. We ate out lunch at the summit before heading back down in the gondola.

Once back down, we found a trail that we had spotted from the gondolla and decided to stretch our legs a bit in preparation for the mountains of Switzerland. Part way through out hike we discovered and old ski jump...possibly a remnant from the winter Olympics which took place in Chamonix a number of years ago.

Then it was back to the hotel to relax for a bit before wondering out for an authentic French dinner. Salad, escargot, fondue, chocolate mousse, and some local wine....a great way to end the day.

Here are a few pics from our journey so far:

Hotel in Chamonix

View of Mont Blanc from balcony

Typical scenery

I think they went that way!

Aguille du Midi - we took a gondola up there

Aguille du Midi top left - Mont Blanc on right

Relatives?

The adventure begins

We've arrived safe and sound. We flew from Ottawa to Boston, then the Frankfurt (that is a HUGE airport), and then on to Lyon, France where we picked up our rental car. A short drive and we are now sipping wine on our balcony overlooking the river l'Arve in Chamonix. What an incredible place to start this journey! We napped for a bit and then wandered the streets....tomorrow pictures and excitement!

Hiking in the Jungfrau

This is a great video of the area we will be spending most of our time in