Lauterbrunnen

Tuesday: I always wanted to hike around to the other side of the mountain valley near Lauterbrunnen and today was the day but it was strictly hiking so I hung out at the hotel. I spent most of the morning working on my junk journal but this was the only time I did that. Just never got back to it.

I also checked out the main mountaineering store in Grindelwald and picked up a couple of maps, one of the Jungfrau Region and another of Zermatt, showing roads, trams, and hiking trails in the area.

I made one more stop at the local grocery store to pick up some fruit and a sandwich for lunch. I probably walked a total of three blocks and for someone who has spent the last several months meandering around inside the house, this was a big deal.

The afternoon was spent reading on the balcony and watching the occasional paraglider float across the valley. Pink sail against the Eiger.

So what did everyone else do. They hiked a total of six fairly flat miles on a combination of pavement, gravel, and dirt, with a stop at the Trümmelbach Falls. First they took a train to Lauterbrunnen, changing trains once in Zweilütschinen.

Arriving in Lauterbrunnen, they saw two different wedding parties on the walk through town. Seems like we have seen a lot of those including up at Jungfraujoch.

At the edge of town at what was termed the tourism center, they stopped at a waterfall for a photo op.

The hike then went through a valley with steep walls where they saw a lot of paragliders jumping off the cliffs.

Continuing on through the canyon.

Saw lots of dairy farms that sold cheese by the honor system plus this vending machine.

Louis bought the group a cup of mango-flavored whey that Ross said was like drinking mango skim milk. Somehow does not look too tasty.

They crossed the river a few times.

Then continued along a gravel path near the river.

The main target today was Trümmelbach Falls, a series of ten glacier-fed waterfalls inside the mountain which are accessible by funicular and stairs. These falls are fed by runoff from the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau glaciers and are the only glacier waterfalls in Europe which can be viewed underground. They supposedly carry up to 20,000 liters of water per second and 20,000 pounds of boulders and scree per year and the strength of these falls causes the mountain to thunder and shudder.

Our group took a funicular to the 7th level of the falls and from there walked up to see the last three chutes.

More views from inside looking down.

Seeing their breath in the cold air of the tunnel.

Continuing down the 389 steps to the bottom. Ross counted.

Back at the valley floor they hiked about another half hour before lunch.

Lunch was in a picnic area with tables and benches with a big waterfall coming off the canyon wall.

Then they caught a cable car that took them up to the top of the canyon to Gimmelwald which is supposedly Rick Steves’ favorite place in the Alps. It’s a tiny hamlet with a couple of honesty shops. But Ross thought a lot of other villages were equally interesting.

The last part of the hike was nearly straight up so Ross took the cable car to Mürren skipping about a mile and a half of the hike. The group reconvened in Mürren.

On the walk to the train station in Mürren, they saw some chamois in the valley, then caught the train back to Grindelwald with a change again at Zweilütschinen totaling about a 40-minute trip.

Dinner that night was special. We went to the other end of Grindelwald to the restaurant in the Hotel Fiescherblick. In an old building which has been totally remodeled, it has been open about 18 months. Each course was a good and beautiful surprise.