Tag fünf (Day five): Alpine Adventures
"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop." -- Confucius
E: Bright sunshine greeted us as we set out early and headed to buy tickets to reach the Schilthorn (a mountain peak of the Swiss Alps.) Twenty minutes and a phone call to the credit card agency later, we found ourselves sprinting through a picturesque mountain town trying to catch our ride to the top. Looking back, it was a shame that we were in such a hurry, because I could have watched the locals tend their tiny flower-filled gardens all day. Luckily, we reached the gondola just in the knick of time. We stepped off of the gondola onto a platform that stands 2970 meters tall, surrounded on all sides by white peaks and clouds. We felt as if we were on top of the world, and emotionally, we were. When you get tired of standing outside (ha!), you can enter the revolving 007 themed restaurant.
K: If you think the Swiss are shy about reminding visitors that a James Bond movie was filmed at the Schilthorn summit, no way! “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” was the only Bond movie starring George Lazenby, we learned, as we sipped tea in the revolving restaurant. As we saw clouds starting to roll in, we hurried outside to take as many photos as possible, to capture the stunning views. Retracing our steps, we returned to the Lauterbrunnen valley for a quick café lunch, striking out on foot for the Trummelbach Falls. The pathway took us through pastoral meadows with sheep and cows, complete with cowbells! We were startled by a “whooshing” sound, and looked up to find a paraglider landing nearby. Upon further inspection, there were half a dozen following him down from the cliffs. We stopped to visit with him briefly, and he explained that he was the leader of the group. We finished our trek to Trummelbach Falls, appreciating the cool mist on our faces as climbed the steps to the top of the falls inside the mountain. Retracing our steps back to the hotel, we got directions to the trailhead to Wengen, prounounced “vang-in” – now it was time to try out a steep trail. I remember thinking we might hike to Wengen and back, but we made a decision very shortly after starting up to take the train back down!
E: What we failed to calculate was the grade of the hike. The way seemed innocent at first, we could handle a few hills right? Wrong. A few hills turned into an upward battle as the path transformed into a series of narrow, steep switchbacks. Half way up, my thighs, calves, and feet were on fire and I watched in despair as an old man with a walking stick scurried past us. Three quarters of the way up, I was on my hands and knees while my fit mother was jogging in place waiting on me. And just when I thought I couldn’t take one more step up, we had made it. We were so exhausted when we arrived in Wengen, that we really did not stay to enjoy the village. I struggled into the cogwheel train and promised my body that I would never punish it that extremely again. It was a perfect evening to sit outside, enjoy a dinner prepared by Brigita, and marvel at our action-packed day.
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Our FavoriteS:
K: Viewing the world from the top of the Schilthorn and marveling at the natural beauty of the Alps.
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E: Sitting in the revolving restaurant at the top of the world sipping tea. I felt so incredibly alive and blessed.
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