Switzerland at its best - the Berner Oberland
Written: Nov 02 '01
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Pros: the best scenery in the world
Cons: the most expensive viewpoints in the world, if not physically fit for prolonged hikes
The Bottom Line: A brilliant holiday destination for anyone. I can't believe I took it for granted in my 9 years of residence here.
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| Marechal_Ney's Full Review: Switzerland |
Definitely the best stop on my recently completed European tour, the Berner Oberland region can probably be labeled among the best that Switzerland has to offer. Having lived in the country for some nine years, I reserve the right to fully justify this (seemingly rash) elevation of the region to among Switzerland’s finest holiday destinations.
We had originally planned to visit Interlaken, 1.5 hours from Bern by train. However, Interlaken is famous for its adventure activities, and was thus packed with tourists on the day we arrived there, July 12, 2001. Our desire for a more isolated destination, after having toured principal cities in France, Spain, and Italy, brought us instead to Lauterbrunnen, smaller and quieter than Interlaken, and only 20 minutes away by train. Another factor in Lauterbrunnen’s favor was its higher altitude (800 meters above sea level), which, if anything, would bring us closer in touch with Switzerland’s prominent selling point: its mountains.
Lauterbrunnen is a small village, situated in a valley overshadowed by snow-capped peaks and sheer rock cliffs. To be fair, the place was still very touristy, but it was more relaxed than Interlaken could ever have been at this time of the year. Calling ahead early that morning assured us a place at the Valley Hostel, a stone’s throw away from the train station, and offering doubles for 26 SFr ($15.96) each – very affordable for Swiss standards. This hostel deserves much praise, with clean rooms, kitchens, Internet and launderette facilities, and a gorgeous view if you’re lucky. I was one of the fortunate ones: the balcony outside my double room faced an awe-inspiring group of snow-capped peaks, flanked on either side by ominous rock faces, with a marvelous waterfall streaming down from the cliffs to the right.
We swiftly extended our planned stay to three nights, and treated ourselves to a hearty meal at the nearby Schutzen restaurant, before beginning the hiking excursions that made our time here so memorable. Day One’s hike took us along the valley floor, among isolated farm houses, past (and briefly inside) the Trummelbach Falls, and a little way along a rapid stream, for a round trip of a mere three hours. On Day Two, our ever-growing ambitions for a true mountain-conquering expedition were quenched only by a very late start (emphasized by the helpful hostel owner, Alfred), and the desire for a pleasant “training hike” before reaching a mountain summit the next day. With Alfred’s advice, and an invaluable hiking map provided free of charge, we decided that on the final day of our stay we would tackle the Schilthorn (2971 meters), starting from Murren (1638 meters). We were anything but experienced hikers, and were initially unsure of our ability to tackle the routes up to the summit, all of which would take many hours to traverse, and all of which were unmistakably labeled “trails for experienced hikers” on the map. Even the trails on our designated training hike were, incidentally, also marked with this worrying descriptor.
It had just rained, which did not help matters, and two out of four of us had woefully flat shoe soles. Nevertheless, we pushed ahead, taking a cable train to Grutschalp (1486 meters). From here, we began our six-hour hike, which took us through forests on steep hillsides, serene alpine meadows, deserted(!) farm settlements, and tiny streams of water flowing from high above. The day was cloudy, which spoiled the view – and, to make it worse, we actually walked through the cloud cover on our way up – but occasionally, we could spot mountains or alpine villages through the mist, which made our labors more than worth it.
The trail was narrow and almost invisible in places and, contrary to our preconceptions, we hardly saw a soul during the entire six-hour hike. We passed through the Sprissenwald area, Sauslager farm (1698 meters), and eventually Chuebodmi (2000 meters). Here, amongst cows and a beautiful stream, in the rapidly fading light, we decided to head back to Lauterbrunnen, via Isenfluh. This still took a good two and a half hours – for obvious reasons, slips are more likely when descending steep trails than when going up them, which made caution imperative. Eventually, we found ourselves back at the Valley Hostel. We had hiked 500 meters higher than our starting point, with the distance hiked forward exceeding that number many times.
We had not initially realized that this hike had taken place on Friday the 13th. Though we had avoided serious mishap, one member of our party could not count himself overly lucky. The hiking boots he had insisted on renting, to stave off disaster, had proved his downfall, for they did not fit – and, astonishingly, he had also failed to make sure that his toenails were cut short enough beforehand. These dual factors decisively excluded him from our more difficult endeavors the next day.
Day Three was clear enough to assure us of unobstructed alpine views. The cable train to Grutschalp, followed by a conventional train to Murren (1638 meters), brought us to the starting point of our hike. We had started much earlier this time (8 am), and had carefully stocked backpacks with food and drink from Lauterbrunnen’s supermarket. Our party, dwindled now to three, progressed to Spielbodenalp farm (1793 meters). The scenery appeared even more pleasant than yesterday, especially with the sun shining. Picture after picture was taken. The trails, unfortunately, soon got steeper and more difficult. Our hike among glorious snow-capped peaks took us at last to a cow pasture at 2051 meters. The trail transfigured into a row of posts going through the pasture, and up the steep hillside. Eventually, after cresting Wasenegg ridge (2280 meters), we came to the first snow patch. We had reached the Schilttal, and the first sign of difficulty. The trail, continuing up along the side of a steep ridge, often vanished into a mass of loose rocks. At one stage, we were forced to traverse a very narrow ledge, with only a limp cord on the left rock-face to cling on to. One member of our party, who suffered from vertigo, certainly took his time – a major slip would have meant certain death.
Cresting another ridge brought us to a mountain lake called the Grauseeli (literally, the “little gray lake”), at 2315 meters. The revolving restaurant (Piz Gloria) on Schilthorn’s peak, our original target, was now clearly visible. Nevertheless, it was here, at the lake’s calm, snow-flanked shores, that we surrendered to inevitable defeat. The top of the Schilthorn was another hour and a half away, and we were all quite spent after three days of hiking. We headed for Birg instead, which happened to be the cable car stop just below the Schilthorn summit. Unfortunately, our ascent to Birg was cut short by two very large patches of snow (with each perilous stretch over 30 meters in length) that had been allowed to encroach upon the path, and sloped treacherously down towards the bottom of a rocky valley. We proceeded at a snail’s pace. At one point, one of my companions (leading the way) slipped, and plunged his hands into the snow to save himself, thus thoroughly numbing them for the duration of the crossing. In the end, we emerged unscathed, and soon arrived at Birg cable car station, some 2677 meters above sea level (300 meters, in height, short of our original objective). It had been another six hours of hiking, and we had traveled 1039 meters upwards. Quite satisfied with our achievement, we took the cable car back down to Murren. Luckily for us, though a journey up from Murren to the Schilthorn cost a hefty 89 SFr ($54.63), the journey downwards was free!
The Berner Oberland region left us all with lasting memories, which were destined to be fortified by our irrepressible urge to take pictures at every opportunity. Some are especially prone to this temptation, and I am certainly not one of these, having taken absolutely no pictures in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Barcelona, Rome, Vienna, Krakow, Copenhagen, or Stockholm this year. I ended up, nevertheless, taking an overwhelming 40 pictures in a brief three days in Switzerland, which just goes to show what a deep impression my former country of residence had recently made upon my senses. Perhaps this was affected by years of “exile” in flat, featureless Dutch countryside.
My insistent advice to would-be visitors to the region would be to hike whenever and wherever possible, if in reasonable physical condition, since the myriad viewpoints en route to mountaintops are, taken together, more impressive than the view from the summit itself. Such a strategy also saves money, since one may hereby avoid the upward cable car journey - the only leg of the ride that actually costs anything, it seems.
One final pearl of wisdom I feel obliged to divulge has to do with the surprising power of the sun at Switzerland’s higher altitudes. I had survived France, Spain, and Italy at the height of summer, without a hint of sunburn. This record was, however, shattered after only a few hours within the altitude range of 1600-2600 meters above sea level. This befell me almost without warning, for the fact that I never actually felt hot at all, coupled with frequent sightings of snow patches only a few feet away, lulled me into a false, and ultimately disastrous, sense of security.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
Marechal_Ney
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Location: Leamington Spa, UK
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 9 members
About Me:
I am a third-year Computer and Business Studies student at Warwick University, in England.
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