Jon

So I'm going to Switzerland for a weekend and headed to the Oberland. I've heard Muerren is the place to be, but I definitely want to go rafting while I'm there. It seems like all the rafting places are in Interlaken. Does anyone know of any rafting places in Interlaken? Would it be a pain for me to stay in Muerren and travel to Interlaken for a half day or so?

Bob Brown

Is it a pain to travel from Mürren to Interlaken?<BR>Depends on you I guess.<BR>There are two ways to get there in the first place: train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen, funicular Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp, little train Grutschalpo to Mürren. Reverse the process to get to Interlaken. <BR>Or, take the bus from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg and ride up on the cable contraption. The bus pulls right in to the valley station. About the same time either way; and two changes are required.<BR><BR>I do not know where you go from Interlaken Ost to find a raft.<BR><BR>The only hang up I see is that if your raft trip runs late in the day and you return to Lauterbrunnen after 19:05, the next car up the hill is not until 20:00.<BR><BR>The schedule goes hourly after 19:00.<BR>That thing is too steep to walk easily.<BR>The trains from Interlaken Ost are timed to be there at the right times, however. Trains are hourly from Interlaken Ost starting with the 19:35 departure. Last train is at 22:35 except on Fridays and Saturdays when there is a later train during the summer months that gets in at midnight. It operates from June 28 to 30 September if I read that schedule correctly.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

Ursula

Jon: I just want to add the site of the Berner Oberland:<BR>www.berneroberland.ch (look for the English flag).<BR><BR>And be careful whom you choose for your raftings. Two years ago, there was a horrible accident close to Interlaken, when it started pourring heavily and about 10-15 young Australians came to death in a small river that turned into a terrible powerful torrent within minutes. The organizers had just underestimated how quickly weather conditions can change in the Alps.

Bob Brown

I remember the incident that Ursula mentions. I was in Lauterbrunnen that summer shortly after it happened.<BR>Some of the victims were staying in Lauterbrunnen, according to the story I heard. Those glacial valleys are steep and water collects in them very quickly.<BR>

Chris

The company Adventureworld referred to above is now out of business due to a terrible bungy jumping accident last May in Stechelberg that I unfortunately happened to witness.<BR><BR>It is true that I would be wary of Canyoning, but Rafting is quite safe in Switzerland. I don't know if you have experienced whitewater in the US but Swiss rapids are quite tame by comparison. Most rivers run are usually only a 3.<BR><BR>All the companies are based in Interlaken and you would have to travel there to meet and gear up, but they usually start at about 9-10am so if you're an early riser and don't mind a bit of traveling, Muerren is an okay place to stay. But I don't agree with Bob's assessment that Muerren is the most spectacular place to base yourself. I could easily list a dozen other places in Switzerland I find more charming. For such a short stay I would stay in Lauterbrunnen for more ease in getting around. I also gather that you are a young person and will be seeking out other young people. Not many young people stay in Muerren (they stay in Interlaken or Gimmelwald). But by all means do make a trip up to Muerren.<BR><BR>If you're into some mountain biking there are some nice trails up around Muerren. Easy to rent a bike and bikes are free on the Stechelberg cablecar. <BR><BR>

Sue

Chris - you mentioned this accident once before, I am so sorry, it must have been quite a traumatic thing for you to have witnessed it.<BR><BR>I can understand your not wanting to go into details, but is there anything about the incident that would point to safety features that one should look for when choosing a bungy jumping operator? In other words, what did the company fail to do that caused such a disaster, and how can we all learn from the event?

Ursula

Sue: If I remember well, the wrong length of the rope was chosen for that particular jump, i.e. the rope was too long.<BR>One really wonders, how this can happen. Apparently, they have different colours depending on the length and the organizer *must * know which length is the good one.<BR><BR>And Chris: I cannot remember, was it is both cases, river-rafting and bungy-jump Adventureworld?<BR><BR>One thing is sure, no one over here, especially now in summer season, will forget about these incidents.

Bob Brown

I would be most interested in seeing a list of the places that offer more spectacular views of the peaks of the Berner Oberland than Mürren.<BR>(The discussion was confined to the region south of Interlaken as I recall and not to the whole of Switzerland.)<BR>So if Mürren is not the place to obtain the most spectacular views of the Berner Oberland, which one is? And, which one comes in second, third, etc?<BR><BR>Also, I believe the dimension for this particular contest is based on the adjective spectacular and not on charming. You are switching the logical base because the two terms are not synonymous.<BR><BR>For example, I thought Zinal was more charming, but hardly in the same league as Mürren if you want to measure spectacular views. <BR><BR>So trot out the competition and lets have a look. Wengen, Isenfluh, Grindelwald, Kleine Scheidegg, Grosse Scheidegg, Stechelberg, Alpiglenn, Kandersteg, Adelboden, Kiental, Griesalp, Goppenstein, Fafleralp, Blatten? Isolated mountain hotels, such as the Schwarenbach or the Faulhorn are not fair game. <BR><BR>For the record, I base my self in Lauterbrunnen because I can get most anywhere in the area from there and I still get views and the charm of a small mountain village. Plenty of college age folks around too. I have talked to quite a few of them.<BR>