Up the Alps - right up them!

We did not have to get up so early today, so the alarm was set for 7:30 am. Trouble was that neither of us slept too well. Today dawned clear and cool – no, hang on a second, it is raining. Hang on, no its not – oh bugger, yes it is! This set the pattern for the day! We pack up the gear before we head up to the main building for a later breakfast at about 8:45 am. At least it is not raining as we go up for a repeat of yesterday’s breakfast. We see a different crowd at breakfast – guess these are the non-early risers! I give the muesli a pass today (can’t swallow cardboard!) and opt instead for the hodge-podge that is a mix of lots (even some muesli kicked in for good measure) but there are enough Coco Pops or similar and something with some honey in it that makes it quite palatable. And yes, Michael’s ‘snow-burn’ IS brown!

We sign on and check emails, read a bit and finally get away from the Youth Hostel at Grindelwald about 11 am. Then it is over to Lauterbrunnan as today we are going to take the gondola all the way to the Schilthorn from where you can see the trio mountain peaks of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau as well as Mont Blanc and on a clear day, as far as the Black Forest in Germany. Well, that is the plan at least. We are amazed at the dates of some of the houses that we pass, although I am less so as I remember this from my earlier trip here. The oldest one we see today dates back to 1688 but there are many we see dating back to the early 1800s.

Once at Lauterbrunnan, we stop at the Tourist Information Centre to check the weather up the mountains because when we looked on the webcam from the internet at the YH it looked pretty dismal. The lass serving Michael told him that her information was that it was a full whiteout and that the forecast predicted it remaining that way for the rest of the day – damn! But low and behold, as he gets back to the car, the weather is lifting and there is even a ray of sunlight, so we head down past the waterfall where we took the photos the other day. Today it is a raging monster pouring over the cliff face with much more vengeance than the other day. The rain has obviously been feeding the stream that in turn, feeds it.

We drive around to Stechelberg where the gondola departs from and there is that clearing sky again! The thing is that the weather can be so instantly changeable here in the high Alps. But we figure that as we won’t be back this way, we may as well go up to see what we can see! There are plenty of cars in the car park, in fact we only see two empty spaces, so others are doing as us and damning the weather to follow their plans.

The ticket seller however shows us live camera footage from the summit. It is not looking good. In fact, there is total white through which two lonely figures emerge. “It has been like this since about 9 am” she tells us “and the weather people say it will remain clouded in. Why don’t you just go as far as Mürren and then if it is looking clearer you can buy another ticket through to Schilthorn.” “That way, you do not waste all that money.” Good advice from a knowledgeable local, which we gladly accept. So at this point we just buy tickets for Mürren – still expensive at 20.40 CHF each for a 10 minute ride. There are still plenty of others going this far as well and our gondola heads up mountain with about 30 people aboard.

Now when I say we headed up mountain, that is exactly what I mean. No sooner do we set off from the landing platform than we are heading sharply upwards and it is not long before we are almost going vertically up the side of the cliff – OK, OK maybe not 90°, more like 75-80°! We pass lots of waterfalls, up close and personal to their crevices in the cliff face. We top the cliff and stop at the stop of Gimmelwald where we all have to get off and change to the next gondola for Mürren. You see, these things can’t do U turns, so instead they do one leg each. So once we are in the next gondola, we head further up mountain, but almost doubling back on the route we have just come. This ride is not quite so steep, but still every bit as spectacular. Even today with the low cloud and intermittent rain, the views down to and across the valley are stupendous. Valleys and hills (read mountains here, even though the locals refer to them as hills!), waterfalls and streams, amazing examples of upthrust and contorted rock. On a clear it must be magic! Indescribable magic!, but today – well the clouds continue to muster!

Once at Mürren we take a stroll through town. There are a good number of local dwellings and also lots of accommodation houses. This is no doubt to serve the skiing / walking fraternities dependent on the season. The local butcher cum general store stocks local delicacies and there is a cheese house for tastings as well as a photo lab (wonder how much business they get these days with the popularity of digital cameras?) and a couple of souvenir shops. The cloud is descending again and we can’t see any value in spending the extra 55CHF each to go to the summit to see nothing – so the advice of that first ticket seller was spot on. But, there is a funicular railway up to Allmendhubel – another vantage point, so up the steep paths we go to catch it – at least to get up to there!

Well, now fancy having the whole funicular rail system as your personal and private mode of transport – well, today we did. There was no-one else on it for the trip up, or back! Again this conquers a very steep climb with ease. We are surprised at the speed and smoothness of the ride – none of that clunking, jerky ride that we remember from our childhoods! Very schmick. In a matter of a couple of minutes we have been transported from Mürren that is sited on a wide ledge in the mountains back up mountainside to the next level spot.

There’s not much here – just a restaurant that claims to have a panoramic spot. Their advertising photo (taken some summer) actually shows a packed terrace and adjoining picnic area with amazing vistas behind. Today, we will just have to take their word for it as the cloud cover has increased with our higher elevation. Turns out that this is the starting point for many mountain walking paths in summer and the jump off point of a T-bar in winter. And even though the weather is shit, the walkers ignore it and continue to – walk!

But we are hungry and as the original plan was to have lunch at the restaurant atop the Schilthorn (made famous in the 007 movie ‘From Russia with Love’ with that Aussie 007 – George Lazenby) and that also featured in The Eiger Sanction, we decide now to stop and have lunch at Allmendhubel (www.schilthorn.ch) at 1,907 m.

We’re not even sure if they are still open as there is only the staff seated, but yes, the waitress quickly assures us that we can have a meal. We choose a table that overlooks the valley (ha ha, as if today!) and take menu in hand. They have a good choice of foods that include soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas and meat meals. We finally decide on Schweinbratwurst mit Zwiebelsauce und Pommes Frites (Pork sausage with onion sauce and french fries) Michael and Pilz-Schnitte und grüner salat (Toasted bread with creamy mushroom sauce and green salad) Maria, both of us have a Schweppes Bitter Lemon followed by a Doppel Expresso (Michael) and eine Apfel Punch (hot, apple punch out of a sachet packet!) Maria. Nice and hearty and warm with lovely warm service by our waitress (we forget to get her name!) who stays and chats for a while. And it is not long before the family St Bernard wants to get to know us as well, although her owner hurries her away – “She knows she is not allowed to come to the tables!”

After lunch there is little else to do but take the funicular back down to Mürren and the gondola back to Stechelberg. And again we come across a Japanese lass with the strangest footwear for the terrain – high heeled sandals worn over a puppy dog slipper! She is certainly the topic of much comment at the Mürren gondola station and on the way down in the gondola. What is it with the Japanese girls and their shoes? The weather has worsened considerably while we have been up at Allmendhubel and our return journey is predominantly through thick cloud or fog or both. We can hardly believe our eyes when we see tandem para-gliders up in this weather – guess it takes all sorts. And as we leave Stechelberg, the River is an angry boiling mess, rushing down it’s path with the extra load of water.

And so we program Kate and head for Engelberg and another Youth Hostel. Our trip takes us through Brienze and along Brienzersee (the lake). This is another amazing example of the colour of the alpine lakes. And with a fairy-tale castle situated on its far shore, it is a real picture. The weather varies along the length of the trip – clear one minute, rain the next. By programming Kate to avoid the motorways and tolls, we get to see more of the ‘real’ Switzerland (and also to further experience the smell that we will never forget!). There is even a covered bridge – still in use over a small stream.

The closer we get to Engelberg, the closer the weather again gets. And although it is school holidays, we wonder at the wisdom of a scout camp in this weather – guess they would need a REAL good wet weather program Helen and Kevin! Amazingly, this could be picked up quite nicely and plonked into Australia and it would still be recongised for what it is. For all weathers – be prepared!

And finally I can answer the $64,000 question – where the inspiration for Pac Man came from! Switzerland of course, where it appears that the cheese chases the chicken!!! We travel up into the mountains yet again, hairpin bend after hairpin until we are in Engelberg and after a confusing ten minutes trying to convince Kate that no, I cannot go up that road that goes nowhere, we find the Youth Hostel right under our noses. It’s a real rabbit warren of a building but we must be ‘special’ people, because we have been allocated the ‘special’ room – a spacious family room complete with table and chairs and our own bathroom. Spartan but clean with 3 sets of bunks – oh joy! And the sheeting arrangements are – different! Seersucker ‘bags’ (think sleeping bag) that you place the mattress in. Let you know what we think of them after a night’s sleep! Oh, and the Youth Hostels’ internet is ‘down’ so I hope to get this blog posted tomorrow…..

The Iceman Commeth...?

It was nice to have a good night's sleep at the Grindelwald Youth Hostel - it is definitely worth paying the extra to have a room to ourselves and our own bathroom (my days of sharing are definitley over!!) This morning was dull and dank. It had rained quite a bit during the night and while the rain had stopped, there was an incredible heaviness to the low clouds that hung in the valley. We were up at sparrow fart (6 am) as we knew we needed to be in for breakfast early to beat the crowds. Breakfast is served from 7:15 am and we had tickets for the 8:25 am train from Gründ, a few kilometres down the road.

After last night's introduction to a Youth Hostel 'dixie-bashing' dinner, then breakfast was an equally illuminating experience as well. However, as with last night's fare - there was plenty of including muesli (but not Alpen) that tasted like cardboard, bread, butter, jams or nutella (the backpackers staple!) ‘ham’ and cheese, yoghurt and a mix of tinned and fresh fruit; all of which was wholesome and the coffee was FREE (whereas last night it cost CHF3 per cup!) and is probably the most popular item! A Canadian asked if they had a toaster and was told no, sorry.

So that over, off we head. There is still plenty of parking right near the station at this hour of the day, and it is so much cheaper (6 CHF for the day) than in Grindelwald town as well. There are a few other people waiting for the train and when it pulls in, we discover that almost ¾ of the train has been reserved for groups. Still, we get seats without a problem – very cramped though – must be the Swiss way to encourage people to get to know one another – you have to rub knees with the person opposite you! Heaven help the winter skiers with all the extra clothing on – must be extra squeezy!

The Swiss certainly know how to construct a railway system, and the Jungfraubahnen (a UNESCO World Heritage listing) is just amazing. Construction commenced in 1890 and throughout the years, and gradual upgrades has not altered the railway as being the oldest 'rack-and-pinion' rail system still in operation. To ride this conveyence is an experience in itself. Anyhow, we board the train at 8:20 for the 8:25 Jungfraubahnen to the destined snowdomia, in the interim a special 'reserved' two car set arrives at the station bulging with Japanese tourists. Well, this contingent either spent the night at the summit or had an exceptionally early start.

The first leg of our trip is overland in a 2 carriage yellow train. As soon as we leave the station the climb begins and it is not long before we are traversing grades of between 30° and 45°! I kid you not!! The train has a regular wheel system to which has been fitted a pinion or cog mechanism that turns in a rack for extra purchase and passenger peace of mind!

It takes 25 minutes to travel up out of the valley floor to the change point at Kleine Scheidegg. All the while we watch (through the clouds as they part, then clear a little) as the township of Grindelwald shrinks to even less than dolls house size. And looking heavenwards, we marvel with awe at the alps' manufacturing clouds - truly, these mountains are 'cloud nurseries'.

The grass is green up in the pastures and although the majority of the spring melt is well and truly over, there are still plenty of small rivulets and waterfalls streaming water down the hills into the valleys. This, together with the obvious hooven animal tracks wreak havoc on this fragile environment and there are many spots where you can see erosion - and in some parts quite bad erosion devastating this landform. Still enough of that.

As we climb higher the clouds stay with us. When we get as far as Alpiglen when you can usually get your first glimps of that famous north face of the Eiger Mountain, all we see is cloud with just a little part of the lower wall visible. Still, as we get higher we will be up above the clouds and our views will improve! We reach Kleine Scheidegg and change for the train up to Jungfraujoch. This is the junction for the line we are on, and another from Lauterbrunnen, so there are more people around. There is the same St Bernard Dog with his barrel of rum around his neck that was here when we were here three years ago. And he does not look like he has had a wash in that time either! Still, the Japanese tourists love him and there are lots of them crowded around having a group photo! The handler looked positively bored!!

So from Kleine Scheidegg we board another 2 carriage train for the ascent through the mountains to the peaks. We travel up through a series of galleries (half tunnels) that are cut into the side of the slope before entering into the bowels of the mountains - a tunnel that travels through the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau Mountains. There are two scenic observation windows that have been cut into the mountain face - the first at Eigerwand on the face of the Eiger Mountain (looks out to the north west) and the second at Eismeer on the eastern face of the Eiger. Today, both are fully immersed in dense cloud and all we can see from either station is a glaring, blinding white! However, the five minute stop gives Michael the chance to check out the train (as he would!!).

And then we are there. We have reached the summit and are now at 11,333 feet above sea level. The actual summit of the Jungfrau Mountain is still a further 2,309 feet above us, but this is as far as we can get by train. The carriages disgorge their contents and there is a rush to be at the head of the pack - gosh, don't know why - there really is plenty of space for everyone! We make our way into the tunnels that carry millions of tourists each year to a number of viewing and activity areas. We decide to head down the quieter tunnel and will first go to have a look at the Ice Palace. I did not go into this icy, slick cavern when we came up last time as I was worried about slipping and hurting my leg BUT this time I have come prepared - I have my walking sticks with me! So into the ice we go. Gosh, it is cold here - and slippery. But it is amazing to see the ice up so close. The ice 'faces' have gone though Mum and Donna, replaced by a little ledge that we squeeze through a small tunnel to lean on - same effect though - you can be photographed looking out from the ice ledge. Many of the scupltures down here are the same ones that we here three years ago - and looking just as pristine.

From here we go out on the Plateau where we are still cloud bound and the snow is starting to fall. We are here with a million Japanese, some of whom are so inadequately clad so as to have peddle pushers and thongs on - NO KIDDING! I mean it is 0.8° and with a wind chill that is taking is well south of that. You would think that as Japan has high mountains as well, that they would be better prepared - but I guess if you are a Tokyo girl, maybe not! All I can say is that even warmly dressed, I was not hot and with my boots on and poles firmly in hand, the going was still pretty slippery - especially around the entrance areas where traffic is very high, the snow melts and then freezes over. Still can't believe that anyone would be so stupid as to come up in bare feet with thongs! (And while I am having a gripe, why oh why don't I have a program that will make me looker slimmer!)

So, the first mountain top snow experience out of the way, we head up to the Sphinx where we make our first stop at the restaurant. It is early for lunch (11:45 am), but I can't stomach the thought of being there with the crowds that are up here today. In memory of Mum, I have a schnitzel and pommes frites (french fries) and we get one of the meat and cheese plates to share. Michael however can't come at Spag Bol (for my brother Michael) and instead has a huge Bratwurst Sausage (that didn't need flushing until much, much later!) with pommes frites. We get a window seat and watch the clouds forming patterns on the glacier and snow below us. We don't get to see much blue sky yet, and there are times of total whiteout with a combination of snow and cloud obscuring everything!

Still, at times like these, there is still plenty to look at inside, like the middle aged Japanese woman in heeled court shoes, or the Indian lady in high wedged thongs, or the brash, loud American girl in open sandals and shorts!

As we get ready to leave, the hordes are arriving for lunch (yes, ours was a wise decision) including the groups. We start to see the lots of Indians that I remember from last time as well. We leave and go up to the Sphinx Observation Tower. Up a lift that travels the 108 m at a stomach grabbing 3m/second! We walk out into blinding brillance - the clouds still have not fully lifted and the glare is magnified by the huge plate glass windows. A walk around to the stairwell entrance and some other tourists happily oblige by taking a photo of us together under the sign - no cutting and pasting me into the shot this time!!

They have the whole foyer area out on to the observation deck heated - so much so that we can't wait to get out into the cool! Part of the walkway around the edge of the deck is closed due to falling icicles and snow - no need this time for the men with the chainsaws and shovel sleds to be clearing the snow - but we are a month later than when I was last here in 2006. The clouds are now beginning to break, burned away by the midday sun in the cool, high mountain air. And yet, as we continue to gaze with wonder at the amazing scenery all around us, still the snow falls. Michael enjoys trying to catch some on his tongue! We watch a flock of birds landing and casting off the rock ledge below us. It's amazing these little creatures don't suffer from frostbite; as they leave their claw impressions in the small ice rifts. They land on the ledge and despite teh multitude of signs in a myriad of languages about not feeding the birds, plenty do - predominantly the Indians. They are so tame that I am even lucky enough to get a series of photos of one of them preening - standing less than a foot away from it!

We walk around the observation deck snapping away. While it is snowing, it is not heavy and at the moment there is amazingly little wind, so it is not too cold at all. And the clouds play hide and seek with our views! From time to time we can see the people on the snow below us, while at other times the are obscured by that whiteout. Michael however is champing at the bit to get down there. There are a huge array of activities on offer - from skiing and snowboarding, to dish skimming (their version of cardboard sliding!) to husky rides, to a thrill-seekers flying fox line) to walking either independently or with a guided group to the head of the glacier or beyond. So down stairs we go. But my hip is really starting to ache now - a combination of some more strenous walking and the cold I think, so I will stay and have a look at the art exhibition currently showing while Michael takes a walk.

So off he heads - Glacier Head bound. He is in for quite a treat. Not only does he get to look down on the glacier from near its head, he also manages to capture a series of small avalanches falling (though I am not sure how clear the photo will be once it is reduced for the blog) and finally the sun shines through - giving him a true impression of just how blue and clear the sky can be up here in the heavens. But looking back on the impressive Sphinx Meteorological Station, he can only get a shot of it with a heavy grey background - unlike that amazing photo that I got with the clear summer sky behind it last time. And he should have out more sunblock on - but didn't, so now his face glows, even though we was wearing his hat, the reflected gare off the snow has given him quite a bit of a burning. No doubt it will be brown by morning!

So, a full day almost done, we are ready to head off mountain and back to the valley floor. The train trip down is slightly amusing as most of the people aboard just go to sleep. In their defence, I will admit that the heating was on and it is somewhat stifling. One of the Japanese tour group guides is also amused and busily takes photos of her sleeping charges - no doubt to embarrass them with later! Michael also gets a good shot. It is amazing how many people don't look good with their mouths open, and also amazing at just how many people do sleep with their mouths open when they are sitting up!
We again marvel at the changing scenery on the trip back down and as we near Kleine Scheidegg see a couple of walkers trudging across the landscape. When we actually get to the station, they are already there and I ask them how fay they have walked.
"Oh just from Schiltorn today"
"How long did it take you?"
"Not too long - 6 hours"
Not too long? Not too far? Who are they kidding???? There is a perfectly good train that they could have got from Lauterbrunnen and not have even needed to go up to Schiltorn - still, whatever rocks your boat!!!

At Kleine Scheidegg we decided to get cups of coffee and cake for afternoon tea. The Apfelkuchen looked wonderful, so that will do us. When it is delivered to our table, I can hardly believe my eyes! The slices are H U G E. And the German fellow at the table behind us just laughs and laughs and laughs. When they order the same, I notice that they only order one between two! Too bad they did not order first! I mean that cake was delicious - light cake base covered with heaps of grated apple mixed (I think) with some of the cake mix to hold it together and then a crumble like top. Actually, it was very light. And wholesome food insists Michael, no junk, as her polished off his piece and almost ⅔of mine as well! Yeah, right, whatever makes you feel good darling!!!!

Then it is back on to the yellow train for the valley and Grindelwald. Back through the galleries and with a bit better a view of the Eiger north face as we journey through. The clouds have still not lifted. The trip down in uneventful and I get chatting to some other travellers who have also come over from France. But they are not staying up mountain and have to travel back down to Interlaken when we get down. We make comparisons re the differences we see in the Swiss and French Alps. With the exception of the Mont Blanc range, the Swiss Alps are 'high mountains' compared to most of the French Alps. Mind you, they are all connected and what in fact we experienced in Manigod was the lower slopes on the other side of these Alps. Michael however, is taking more photos at the carriage door, so his hat has a seat all to itself. Comes in handy, does his Akubra - most people pick us for Australians straight away - although the questions about the corks are starting to wear a little thin!

And so back on the valley floor we arrive about 6 pm, tired but thrilled with our day up in the big mountains. As I had expected, Michael was really stunned by the experience and I suspect I'll never again hear the words, "Alps, not more b***** alps!" And diner tonight? Who the hell needs dinner after that Apfelkuchen! We are happy not to have anything. We have a nap, and then while Michael heads up to the main building, I begin the blog, downloading and resizing the photos and then watch 'Twilight' a movie that Michael really wanted to see that I have downloaded through iTunes. Good plot, pretty good movie. Bit too girly though for Michael I suspect. So now I am off to bed.