Grindelwald (and above!)

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Today dawned sunny and clear and we decided to head for Grindelwald, a village close to our home base; it’s situated at the foot of  the Eiger, and the center of many winter and summer activities.  Grindelwald is chock full of hotels, B and Bs, restaurants, shops and concessionaires – everything a visitor could want, including a Japanese information center! 

 

We wanted to gain some altitude and decided on a combination of a hike to Bort, a spot where we could pick up a cable car to First (“Feerst”), a popular summit.  However, after due (brief!) consideration of the angle of the trail’s ascent, we came up with a much more reasonable Plan B.  Accordingly, we booked a ticket for the cable car all the way up to First, then back down to Bort; we figured we could manage the walk down from Bort to Grindelwald a whole lot more easily than the hike up.

 

The cable car ascent was fabulous; as the green valley receded, the views of the snowy peaks became evermore spectacular.  We were also entertained by paragliders (aka: crazy people) overhead, and kart and scooter riders below.  Once atop First, we walked out on the Cliff Walk to enjoy the views of Grindelwald in the valley far below and the Eiger and other peaks appearing and disappearing among the clouds above.

 

 

On our decent to Bort, the cable car system came to a halt, so we had a ten-minute interlude where we remained calm until the “continuation of the journey” – just as the printed sign inside our car instructed us!  We did consider the fact that we had our lunch with us, should our state of suspended animation continue for an extended period of time.

 

Luckily, before long we were on our way again to Bort, where we left our high perch and headed down the mountainside on foot.  This was easier said than done, especially for Tom, who was having some significant trouble with his legs as our “time on task” grew.  Nevertheless, the scenery was spectacular, and there’s no way we would have appreciated its great beauty had we been trudging upward!  Fields of dandelions, vibrant yellow against deep green, were spread out like carpets all around; we were led to wonder why they’re so often disdained as weeds!  Between them, the many other wildflowers, the peaks above, the green valley dotted with huts and chalets below us, alpacas grazing on a couple of farms, and the occasional sound of cow bells, it was a wonderful walk.  As we approached Grindelwald, the homes we passed were almost stereotypically Swiss – wooden chalets with intricately detailed trim, well-swept patios, and meticulously maintained gardens. 

Back in Grindelwald, we drove to its road’s end, and then headed back toward Interlaken.  We’ve skirted and seen from above both of the lakes that Interlaken bridges and before we headed up to Beatenburg, we took a closer look at Lake Biernz, one of Switzerland’s cleanest lakes. We drove on the narrow south shore road from Bonigen to Iseltwald, a quiet town situated on a peninsula.  After a short walk around, we headed to the north shore of Biernzee and the town of Biernz, with its church and clock tower perched above the town and the lake.

Shortly after we returned to our mountainside digs, we had a brief rain, then bright sun, then some fog, then sun, then clouds…  We’re learning the ways of weather up here!