July 28, 2012


Wengen-Obstersteinberg-Murren


We have reached Murren, a small town perched right at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Lauterbrunn Valley, a flat green valley that narrows gradually over a few kilometers south of Wengen, which sits directly below the Eiger.

Thursday morning we left Grinderalwald and took the train partway up a pass, detraining a couple of hours below at Alpinglen.  A pleasant two hour uphill brought us to Kleine Sheidegg, a transfer area for those going up to Jungfraujoch (billed "The Top of Europe") via cog train.  We did not go up that day but it would be a great, albeit expensive ($200+) excursion.  The train runs directly through the Eiger and ends just below the top of Jungfrau, one of the several mountains over 4,000 meters.  As with many stopping points in Switzerland, this area had a couple of restaurant featuring Swiss specialties, Swiss beer and wine and lots of cheesy souvenirs.  It is also semi-famous as the spot where George Kennedy watched Clint Eastwood in the movie "The Eiger Sanction," a now 30 year-old thriller that I'll now have to rent.

An hour later, we came to Biglinalp, a bowl-shaped meadow filled with small boulders, wild flowers and surrounded by the imposing Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau peaks, whose glaciers gave off many waterfalls.  We enjoyed our lunches there, contentedly taking in the natural beauty of this unique spot.  Late in the afternoon, the group got to our hotel in Wengen, a small town known for its great views of the Eiger.  We had a fabulous dinner on the hotel's veranda, taking the long sunset and the mountains.  Dinner was capped off by an out of this world apple torte -- note the bear's paw, the signature of the Hotel Berren.

Friday we trained to Lauterbrunnen to begin one of our longer days.  Brilliant sunshine and temperatures in the low 80's made for a hot walk up the Lauterbrunnen valley, lushly green and punctuated by numerous waterfalls.  A couple of shots do not do this special place justice.

The highlight of our walk through the valley, though, was without a doubt Trummelbach Falls, which to me was like the Eighth Wonder of the World.  Unlike most other falls, Trummelbach is situated in a fault in the high ridge below Jungfrau peak.  Over eons, glacial water falling through this crack has worn a twisting, curving path through the rock before finally thrusting out onto the valley floor.  This remarkable natural place is perhaps equalled only by the human ingenuity -- and gumption -- of the Swiss, who blasted and carved into the twisting falls 10 different viewing platforms, reached by elevator cut into the middle of the rock.  You walk down from platform to platform inside the mountain with the angry rumbling of the falls surrounding you as it roars down.  Its a little like walking inside Niagara Falls, although small and completely surrounded by rock.  A bit frightening and a reminder that water is a force that will not be denied.

After a brief lunch in the shade of a hotel in Stechelberg, we headed out for the tough part of the day, made far harder by the heat and our extra-heavy loads -- we were carrying additional clothing and personal items because our bags could not be transported to the remote inn where we would spend the night.  So up we marched on the steepest trails encountered so far, over 3,000 vertical feet.  I do not ever remember sweating more; with every steep, sweat dripped off the brim of my cap.  Our group became elongated as everyone settled into a pace they felt could be sustained on the long, hot way up.  I tried to stop very little, convinced that if I stopped to long the old bones would seize up.  I was not the first up, though, because a few minutes ahead of me was the indefatigable Bill, six years older but in great shape, a veteran hiker who bounced up the trail like someone half his age.  Reaching the top and our destination -- the Obersteinberg Inn -- felt like a true accomplishment on that day.

We settled in, tired but elated at having overcome the conditions and ravenously hungry.  The Obersteinberg is a small hotel and working farm with cows, pigs and one underutilized donkey.  It has no electricity, no showers and no locks.  Dinner is by candlelight and served family-style.  We had seconds of everything from the vegetable soup (perhaps the better I have ever had) to salad to veal stroganoff.  Sadly, there were no seconds on the ethereal vanilla and apricot mousse for dessert.  Sleep came quickly in my room under the eaves.

The next day we were greeted by showers and after a simple breakfast of bread, butter, preserves and cheese (alpinkase, from 2011, made right at the farm), the group headed off for Murren.  Although the trip was not challenging in terms of terrain, the rain eventually became quite steady and everyone was pretty wet, even in rain pants and rain coats.  The rain eventually gave way to some sun, though, as we climbed up the shelf above Lauterbrunn Valley and Murren.

We've had a great couple of days here, with a short day hike today.  At a farm above this town, which sits below Shillthorne, a beautiful peak, I bought local sausage (from made from wild sheep meat) and their alpinkase, to take with me on my trip to the Dolomites (if I can resist that long!)

Walking the town of Murren, I came across an unusual store, Exile on Main Street, which had an array of knit hats, t-shirts and carefully curated high end items, mostly manufactured by the owner, Andy, who lives in Frankfurt but opened up the store in his favorite ski town, Murren.  Many of the hat, sweaters and t-shirts have a "Piz Gloria" logo, derived from the Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," set in a town below the mythical peak "Piz Gloria."  While the movie Piz Gloria was meant to be something like St. Moritz, it was actually shot in and around Murren, set against Shilthorn Mountain.  An avid skier and snowboarder, the shop includes the first (and perhaps only) snowboard museum.  Here is a shot of the "museum" and Andy with his first snowboard.

We leave in the morning for two hard days, the first some 4,000 feet up and then 4,000 down, followed by a second day with 5,000 up and about the same down.  Internet may be lacking until at least Tuesday night so no posting until mid-week or whenever my extremities are functioning again.