It all started with a call from my daughter Jenny VanWinkle, asking me what was on my bucket list. I replied two of my “big” ones were Iceland and Switzerland. After a bit of back and forth, we chose Switzerland. Accommodations were made and flights booked — yay, Switzerland here I come.
The plan was for me to fly to Idaho and stay with her family for a week, and then we would together fly to Europe. After an early morning drive to the airport in Vermont, I took off on a 6 a.m. flight. A half hour into it, I was chatting with my seat mate, and a moment later, I heard pop, pop, pop as all the oxygen masks dropped. A recording came on telling everyone to put the masks on, fasten seat belts and don’t panic. Yeah, right! You could hear a pin drop as the lone stewardess went along helping passengers with their masks and replying to the questions, which she answered that she didn’t know anything yet. Finally, 15 minutes later, the pilot came on saying there was a cabin air pressure issue; we were going to descend quickly and return to Burlington. To say I was scared is an understatement. We did land safely in Burlington, and I was rebooked; although, I was not crazy about getting on a plane again. There were some folks who just said, “Not today.”
The plan was to have no checked luggage. We would have our backpacks as a carry on and a small, lightweight backpack would be our second piece. Originally, the weather forecast was in the 60s and 70s but cooler in the higher elevations. As our departure day closed in, Smartwool long underwear was replaced with a bathing suit as Europe was in a heat wave.
We took off from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with a layover in Chicago and landed in Zurich at 7:30 a.m., which is 11:30 p.m. in Idaho. From there, we went through security and on to the train station. They have a great traveling system in Europe. The station was basically attached to the airport as you just had to follow the signs. We looked for a train that would give us just one change, which we found.
Upon entering the train, we were glad of our backpacks, which fit on a small shelf above our heads. It looked like a nightmare with people with multiple suitcases, many large, as they dragged them on and tried to find a place to store them. The scenery was farmland and towns for quite a while, but as we got close to the Lauterbrunnen Valley, where we would stay, it changed drastically. In the distance, we could see those huge, snow covered alps just calling our names.
The news was not kidding when they reported a heat wave in Europe; it was in the 90s. From the train station, we had about a 10-minute walk, partly uphill with full packs. Whew, I was glad when we spotted the sign for Staubbach Hotel. When searching for a place to stay, I looked in Rick Steve’s book on Switzerland, where he recommended this hotel, and figured if it was good enough for him, it’s good enough for us. The book suggested choosing a room with a balcony with panoramic views of Staubbach Falls and Lauterbrunnen Valley. The hotel was built in the 1890s and was one of the first in Lauterbrunnen. During check-in, I chuckled when they handed us a skeleton key for our room.
After a few tries, we got the hang of using the key, and when we stepped onto our balcony, we were blown away with the view. Rocky cliffs jutted down on both sides with the dramatic Staubbauch Falls dropping 974 feet off the rugged, rocky wall. We could hear the lovely sounds of church bells ringing below us. As we would discover, the bells would ring, as it seemed to me, on the hour and on the half hour.
After a good night’s sleep, we decided our first full day in Lauterbrunnen would be an easy one. After an amazing, hearty breakfast from our hotel, we walked down the street to catch a bus to Trummelbach Falls. Research ahead of time indicated good traction for footwear and possibly a rain jacket. We passed on the jacket as with the heat, the water would feel good. Trummelbach Falls are Europe’s largest underground waterfalls. They lie deep inside a mountain, carved over thousands of years by the Trummelbach River. The roar of the water is deafening, and the misty spray is cool and damp. Just what the doctor ordered for a hot day. The falls can be accessed by secured paths, stairs and a cool tunnel lift inside the mountain.
For the rest of the day, we took a train on a steep ride up to Wengen, a car-free village. We explored and had a delicious supper there. The weather had cooled off, so we took a walk to Stabbauch Falls, the one we could see from our balcony. These are the highest free-falling waterfalls in Switzerland. We definitely enjoyed the cool spray, and it was a nice break to get out of the hot sun. Back in town, we couldn’t help but notice each home and business had stunning flowers, many with bright red geraniums in their window boxes. The streets and trails were almost 100% free of trash.
After a good night’s sleep, we decided to do the North Face Trail. This is a classic route from Allmendhubel to Murren, which boasts a little bit of everything. It may not be the longest or most technical hike in the area, but it is touted as one of the most spectacular and popular as there is a lot of gradual downhill. We hopped the train to Wengen. From here, we took the Allmendhubel funicular, a type of railway designed to carry passengers up and down steep slopes using a pair of cars connected by a cable. I will tell you, this was definitely steep, fast and waved back and forth a bit. Once off, there is a restaurant, a unique playground and amazing views of the Eiger, Monarch, Jungrau and all the other Bernese alps with their glaciers.
After snapping a few photos, we were off. We were in the land of mountains and meadows. The wide trail was gravel with a gentle descent. The meadows were exploding with a multitude of wild flowers. To name a few, daisies, thistles, purple bell flowers and buttercups carpeted the landscape with a mosaic of color. Our bellies were letting us know it was time to eat, so we stopped at an icy, crystal clear mountain stream that trickled down the hillside. Jenny took out her Befree water purifier and scooped up some cold water to filter. I took off my socks and boots and gave my feet a soak. I think she was glad I waited until she scooped her water. It was chilly, but it felt great. Here, we rested and ate our lunch. The trails are well marked, but you have to know which you are following and keep an eye out at intersections.
After a bit of hiking, we could hear some clinging and clanging up above us. At first, I thought it was cow bells as I had seen videos and photos of the cows high on the mountain. I told Jenny, “I need to see those cows with bells with the alps behind them. That is THE photo I want to take.” Low and behold, there, on the mountainside, was a herd of sheep with their owners leading them along the hiking path.
As we continued on, there were a couple of huts you could stop at and get a drink or buy fresh cheese. Finally, I heard it. The most beautiful melody I have ever heard while hiking: It was the cow bells. I was grinning from ear to ear. I wanted to burst out with, “The hills are alive with the sound of music,” but my daughter was so kind as to want to go to Switzerland with her mom, I had to draw the line. There they were, just posing for me with those humungous alps as a backdrop. Now, I was raised next to my grandmother’s farm, and my father-in-law had cows, but when you hike along and hear these musical notes floating amongst the mountains, it is just magical.
As we continued on, soaring high in front of the peaks were many hand gliders. It must be breathtaking to be way up there just floating along. This activity is very popular, and daily, we would be treated to these daring athletes.
Only too soon, we had made our way back to Murren, where we stopped at a cafe for a cold drink. We sat and watched visitors from every corner of the world go by, speaking many languages. We were lucky most of the locals also spoke English. There are many hikes you can access from the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and we did a different one each day.
We made such great memories during our week in the alps. The people of Switzerland are kind, quiet and so helpful. I do have to mention, again, those beautiful church bells, and I have to say, they are not so beautiful in the wee hours of the morning. To visit Switzerland was a dream come true, but to have my daughter by my side was the icing on the cake.