Switzerland had been a place I had wanted to visit as my grandmother had always spoken so highly of it. Sadly she passed away last year. With this extra week of vacation time it was a perfect reason to visit this country she had spoken so highly of. In many ways this trip is because of her.
Today is all about the Alps. My grandma had a Polaroid photo of her daughter taken in Interlocken. Let's see if the fondness of the area is decades she spoke about it.
The high pressure system that has been parked atop all of Europe the last week may be ending tomorrow with rain expected. Today has to be about the mountains while we have good weather.
Well that's not confusing or anything. Train RC61 is on both track 3 and 4. Couldn't give one train a new number?
If this is what breakfast looked like at McD at home I might start drinking coffee too
I love how the arrival boards tells you the class of cars and where the food is
This is why Bern is my first home base - all the main lines come here.
6am and our train is here. You must leave early it's 2+ hours to the base, it closes at 4pm and lots of tour groups show up late-morning. Beat the lines and be at the mountain when it opens at 8am.
First train that isn't double decker
Looking a little cheaper then the previous one
Getting out into the countryside doesn't take long but wow is it pretty.
Interlocken
Our destination is there in the distance
Where we're headed
Quick transfer and up we go
Welcome to the small town of Stechelberg.
I'm now sold on the Swiss Pass. The ticket that takes you from the valley floor of Stechelberg to the top of the Schilthorn is $105. Just getting from Bern to the base would run you $51 each way (1 swiss dollar is currently 1 US dollar).
Why is this one ticket over $100? To get to the top of Schilthorn you need to take four different gondolas, taking you up 4000'.
An idea of our assent plan
Oh we're coming back to the below staircase, it's a big part of why here.. just ignore it for now.
The view from 8780'
We're coming back to this
One more car to ascend
You might be wondering what's with all the 007 advertising? In 1963 the producers of the film were looking for shooting locations. They loved this location and bankrolled the building.
The views really are stunning
If you're feeling daring you can venture out to the ridge of the mountain
Even here that are pretty wild flowers
People still come up and ski down
No mistake which door you're to enter to go to the bathroom
Downstairs you'll find a fairly large exhibit of the movie on the mountain.
Poster from the movie
Same movie but for a different county
In the movie the building was suppose to be a health spa for the very wealthy
The views there are spectacular. After an hour it's time for why I really wanted to visit. Last year someone had posted a single insane photo on social media of a person playing in a jungle-gym, playground tube, high above the Alps. I needed to find it and do it for myself.
A quick decent down one peak
This way to the 007 Skyline Thrill Walk
What a pretty view to enjoy some stairs
The steel grates is kind of insane to realize it's 1000' down
The glass is far worse, though the dots make it less freaky
Straight out of the Sound of Music
A quick turn of a corner and we find out first thrill walk. Yes that's a 30' long tightrope walk between platforms.
Of course I sat down mid-span for a photo opportunity
I really did lay down for a photo op
Um, pure glass?
Do you remember how I mentioned previously the tiny dots on the glass made it less terrifying? Oh yeah, this is much worse.
Glad I didn't see the cracked glass earlier. Birds hit it at full speed
A few more twists and the photo I had seen, adult jungle-gym at 8500'
It's only mesh wire hold you mid-air. It was terrifying and exhilarating.
What a view
Quick walk is over, time to enjoy the view and some food
Down one more tram to enjoy the village.
Welcome to Murren - the largest town that doesn't allow cars.
I understand now why my grandma spoke so highly of this area's beauty
It's moo-cows!
I probably spent as long in Murren as atop the Schlithorn. It's stunning here.
An idea of where we came from
I wish I had found this map when planning the day. This valley has a number of stunning mountain peaks. The other big peak here is Jungfraujoch. I was thinking of doing it after Schlithorn but those dotted lines in the photo below represent three segments where you're in a 30-minute tunnel (1.5hrs each way in the dark). It's late, not happening today as the last tram on both of the peaks is 4pm.
It really is this pretty
6pm. 12-hours since leaving. I've earned tonight's dessert.
Tomorrow - a bit slower pace enjoying chocolate and cheese.
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