Leukerbad

Today was supposedly a rest day, as two of us were not feeling, but we still ended up putting in some good 5 hours, ascending 530m and descended 1050.  We took the cable car up to the bottom of a hanging vallez on our way up to Gemmipass, one of the stops on our trip.  We ended up walking around the lake and up to the Gemmipass restaurant and lodge, when we decided just to walk down into Leukerbad, a cute town where we are now.  I think we will be taking the cable car back up to Gemmipass tomorrow to continue on to Adelboden, if the weather holds. 

Pictures and more to come.  It’s sfr15 an hour at this internet cafe, and I have run out of coins.  It’s dinner time for this clean but tired girl.

4 seasons in 1 day: Fri., June 22.

In honor of yesterday’s summer solstice, we experienced all four seasons today.  We got up late (8am), ate breakfast (hot cocoa, bread, jam and cheese, and waited to see if it would clear up so we could see the magnificent views that we worked so hard for yesterday.  We were not successful.  A gentle rain turned to snow, which blew sideways with the stiff wind.  Not wanting to make the downclimb in guaranteed misery, we ate soup for lunch at the hut’s dining room and left around 2pm in the cold fog.

It was literally freezing.  I wore my long johns, shirt, butter yippitz long sleeve shirt, fleece jacket and rain jacket, gloves and hat.  We warmed up through our work, shed layers, only to pile them back on when it started raining… then hailing.  It fluctuated between rain, fog, and sun the entire way down.  We never did get to see the peaks that we intended to see, but the valley by lake Oeschinensee was still magnificent below the cloudline.

We stopped for an apple snack break on a bench overlooking the lake.  The cow’s bells chimed as they moseyed around us.  A very outgoing donkey came by and ate our apple cores out of our hands.

We continued down to Kandersteg, an adorable town in the valley, surrounded by breathtaking peaks and waterfalls.  We are staying at the Hotel Des Alpes, and are now basking in the glory of hot showers (and shaved legs!) and an extremely full bellies.

We at dinner at a restaurant near the stream in the center of town and it was every bit the “gastronomical delight” that the guidebook claimed it to be.  I had  the veal with morel sauce, vegetables and fetuccini.  Shane had a crepe for desert that I stole bites from.

We are all pooped and are looking forward to a good night’s sleep.  My legs are tired but not achey.  And with only one blister (me) amongst the 7 of us, I’d have to say we’re doing quite well.

The up day: Thurs., June 21.

Todaz was what we like to call an “up” day.  We climbed a total of 1400m and only descended 20 m.  There were no “flats.”

We were told last night that it was supposed to rain in the morning and clear up, so we delayed our departure until just before 11.  (We were supposed to leave at 9 but it was still pouring).  Although it did not rain on us at all, we were surrounded by thick, swirling fog and the humidity was 100%.  It was like a sauna when the sun peaked through at the beginning.

We left our pension in Golderli and walked through the dripping forest, over a swollen creek (exciting!) and up over the hill on the other side of the valley from the waterfalls.

We stopped at Bergstübli Bundalp, an alpine dairy, where we purchased 250g of their homemade cheese for sfr5.60.  It was a delicious cheese that was similar to Grana Padano.  We had it for a snack before continuing… up.

The guide book describes the next part as “…then begins climbing very steeply up a badly eroding ridge of old moraines, eventually connecting with a larger rocky spur.”  Just imagine that “badly eroding” ridge after last night’s torrential downpour.  The trail had washed away and we had to navigate up the muddy scree in the dense fog.  The top part had steep stairs and ladders with ropes, which only slightly helped.

We made it to the Blüemlisalthütte hut at about 4:30 and we were welcomed by a very friendly swiss girl, an impecable 14 bed doorm room and dinner.  It’s still verz foggy outside, so we’re playing Rook, drinking hot cocoa and contemplating heading to bed pretty soon.  I’m trying not to drink too much, as it’s cold outside and the outhouse is , well, out.

Oh… we left our boots at the door in exchange for Birkenstock clogs.  I love it.

Wed., June 20

We’re in Leukerbad right now, and I’ll catch up what I wrote in my journal the last few days.

—– 

I just had the best 30 second shower I have ever had.  We’re sitting in the cozy wooden dining room at Bergghasthaus Golderli pension, awaiting our dinner.  It just stopped pouring and hailing on the surrounding green hills, alpacas and the outside patio.  It is good to be inside, warm and clean.

We woke up this morning in Mürren, ate our included breakfast (yogurt, granola, croissants, warm bread and tea), and caught the 8:10 funicular up to Birg, where we started today’s “medium” day hike.  Our total ascent was 670m and our total descent was 1900m.  It took us 8 hours, and we luckily made it to the destination before the storm.  The main ascent was up the Sefinenfurgge pass, which was made up of steep, muddy snow covered scree.  I had obtained the use of one of Aunika’s trekking poles, and I still took several unintentional slides.  With the reinforced (by the two other passing parties) threat of thunder storm, we were happy to be at least over the top of the pass. 

The way down was only marginally better than the way up.  A thick fog rolled in and we could only see 30 meters ahead.  Luckily there were narrow stairs, cables and ropes to assist our descent, which took us through a grassy valley, past a rustic goat farm (you can sleep on hay in the barn for sfr8), and on down to Griesalp, 3.5 hours later.

The rain has picked up again, and from the sound of it, the lightning is less than 1/4 mile awaz.  The bread is on the table now.  Dinner time.

—–

Dinner was tasty.  Bread, vegetable soup, green salad with corn and cucumbers (with a dressing that tasted like deviled eggs), spaghetti with three sauces and fruit salad with whipped cream.  After dinner, we played Rook and went to bed early in our 10 bed dorm in the basement.

Best quote of the evening:

Mitzi: …well, I was 18 when I got married.
Aunika: Why?!?
Mitzi: Well, he had a car.
Aunika (to her dad): Then why did you get married?  You HAD a car!