"Too Much Cows"
Aug 6th, 2017, 07:36 AM
#41
Indeed annhig - thank goodness for translation programs>>
ah, but that removes all the fun! and do they have one for Schwyzerdütsch? [ if that's what the dialect was on the Hängelahütte website - Ingo may know]
[and of course I know that Schwyzerdütsch is not a dialect but a proper separate language].
In fact I could get some it by saying it a few times and working out what german words it was most like, but other words were a complete mystery.
ah, but that removes all the fun! and do they have one for Schwyzerdütsch? [ if that's what the dialect was on the Hängelahütte website - Ingo may know]
[and of course I know that Schwyzerdütsch is not a dialect but a proper separate language].
In fact I could get some it by saying it a few times and working out what german words it was most like, but other words were a complete mystery.
Aug 6th, 2017, 08:21 AM
#43
(I saw Salsiz, Speck and Bündner Fleisch - and a piece of goat cheese also, right?)
No idea Ingo, but it was good.
You're very welcome KTravel, hope it helps.
annhig - I think it's Romanche
No idea Ingo, but it was good.
You're very welcome KTravel, hope it helps.
annhig - I think it's Romanche
Aug 6th, 2017, 08:40 AM
#44
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The cheese that was almost white colour most likely was goat cheese.
annhig - it's proper Schwiizerdütsch on the Hängelahütte's website. The reason is that Vals is a "German" enclave in mostly Rumantsch speaking Grisons. It was settled by the (medieval) "German" speaking Walser (see the similarity to the name of the village?), originally from Valais. They were (still are) experts for the cultivation of the really high Alps, while the Rumantsch speaking locals mostly inhabited the (relatively) lower regions. These Walser folks trekked from Valais east, settled in Bosco-Gurin in Ticino, some Grisons regions (like Vals, Davos/Klosters region) as far as Groß- and Kleinwalsertal in nowadays Austria. Their Walser dialect hasn't changed much from the medieval times, thus is hard to understand by (Swiss-)German speaking folks now.
annhig - it's proper Schwiizerdütsch on the Hängelahütte's website. The reason is that Vals is a "German" enclave in mostly Rumantsch speaking Grisons. It was settled by the (medieval) "German" speaking Walser (see the similarity to the name of the village?), originally from Valais. They were (still are) experts for the cultivation of the really high Alps, while the Rumantsch speaking locals mostly inhabited the (relatively) lower regions. These Walser folks trekked from Valais east, settled in Bosco-Gurin in Ticino, some Grisons regions (like Vals, Davos/Klosters region) as far as Groß- and Kleinwalsertal in nowadays Austria. Their Walser dialect hasn't changed much from the medieval times, thus is hard to understand by (Swiss-)German speaking folks now.
Aug 6th, 2017, 11:50 AM
#45
Thanks, Ingo - I thought you would know the answer.
I can understand some Schwiizerdütsch when I've heard it for a while but it's hard work, though I suspect that my biggest problem will be to stop people speaking english to me!
I can understand some Schwiizerdütsch when I've heard it for a while but it's hard work, though I suspect that my biggest problem will be to stop people speaking english to me!
Aug 7th, 2017, 02:10 AM
#46
Ingo, on that Hängela-Hütte website I can read the German, are the parts above and below that both Schwiizerdütsch? Or is one Romansch?
All those umlauts and double u's...., Hängelafrüünda and schnuufa..don't think I'll be picking up any phrases in a hurry.
All those umlauts and double u's...., Hängelafrüünda and schnuufa..don't think I'll be picking up any phrases in a hurry.
Aug 7th, 2017, 08:07 AM
#47
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Adelaidean, on their website frontpage the text in larger font is Schwiizerdütsch. The smaller font (in the middle) is plain German. No Romansch. Yep, I know, these double "u" and "a" and whatnot are difficult to read/understand for German speakers, too. Quite funny, though, and cute!
annhig, better don't get me started on this kind of subjects ;-) Schwiizerdütsch is definitely hard work, and they have different dialects in different cantons, even neighbouring valleys often have different dialects! Oh yes, the Swiss are too polite and quickly switch to English.
Have a great trip, all of you!
annhig, better don't get me started on this kind of subjects ;-) Schwiizerdütsch is definitely hard work, and they have different dialects in different cantons, even neighbouring valleys often have different dialects! Oh yes, the Swiss are too polite and quickly switch to English.
Have a great trip, all of you!
Aug 8th, 2017, 10:41 AM
#48
Day 6 –
We’d enjoyed our stay and were in no hurry to leave, so Bill walked and I hobbled through Old Town and down to the Bahnhof to discuss our route options with our new friend. That morning’s internet search seemed to indicate that we needed reservations to travel between Disentis and Brig on the train we’d hoped to leave on – and of course we had none, we never do – but our SBB friend pecked away on his keyboard and found an alternate with limited train changes (42.50 CHF each with ½ fare card), leaving a bit earlier.
Note: It was a timing issue – reservations are required on Glacier Express trains – the ones with the panoramic windows. We just happened to select a departure time that coincided with a GE train. No reservations are needed for regional trains along the same route.
So it was back up the hill one last time. We collected our luggage, sent a revised ETA e-mail to our Kandersteg apartment owner, and bid adieu to Mrs. Heiligensetzer (giving her fair warning that we might revisit).
And so began our 5.5 hour journey to Kandersteg via Disentis, Andermatt and Brig, aboard the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn narrow gauge railway.
https://www.matterhorngotthardbahn.ch/en/summer/
We meandered through several long tunnels, alongside a partially frozen lake and over the treeless and foggy Oberalppass (2,033 meters) which connects the cantons of Graubünden and Uri between Disentis and Andermatt.
The landscape up here was seriously barren, with quite a bit of grey snow, and plentiful ‘dirt bergs’ floating in the lake. The Panoramic trains that passed us – the ones requiring reservations – all looked like dining cars. Shame the weather wasn’t more cooperative for those aboard.
A construction project was underway at the Andermatt-Sedrun Ski Arena and also at the Andermatt Bahnhof. Our carriage was fairly empty, and, with the exception of a very chatty French man, quiet.
We passed a huge empty car park at Betten – I’m guessing it was parking for a ski area above us - (Aletsch Ski Arena?). A guy with skis boarded the train. Yes, in June. There’s year round skiing in Zermatt, and evidently here too. Which begs the question, is Bettenalp the same as Bettmeralp and is Betten the access point? We’d considered Bettmerlap as a base for an upcoming trip; now I’m thoroughly confused.
With an hour between trains in Brig, we located our departure platform up the hill from the Bahnhofplatz, then crossed the street and settled in for some Johannisberg Riesling and people-watching on the terrace of Augenblick Restaurant at Hotel Victoria (19 CHF), where we tried not to asphyxiate from the cigarette smoke coming from a neighboring table.
The final stretch of our journey took us through the Lötschberg Tunnel between Goppenstein and Kandersteg, where we arrived some four hours and three easy train changes later; always welcome when traveling with luggage and an angry knee.
Walter, the owner of the apartment we’d booked, met us at the Bahnhof with a luggage wagon, bless him, and walked us to our home for the next five nights.
http://www.chaletbaergli.ch/firstfloor.htm
Our apartment was on the top floor of a three floor chalet, up a steep flight of stairs. It was a bit of a labyrinth, spacious, with two bedrooms, a large living room with log fireplace, large bathroom, separate water closet and huge kitchen. And I’ve just this minute discovered, access to a washing machine! Our five nights came to 410 CHF, inclusive of linens, internet, final cleaning and tourist tax; we paid in cash upon arrival.
As an added bonus, the apartment is located a short, flat walk from the train station. There was ongoing road work while we were in town, which made the walk a bit of an obstacle course, but it’ll be nice once done.
After getting settled, we moseyed over to Chalet Hotel Adler - we’d stayed in one of their apartments during our last Kandersteg visit, and remembered the food in their restaurant being pretty good. When our Portuguese waiter saw us swatting flies, he nodded knowingly, and said “Too much cows”, and then went on to explain that they’d just purchased a high tech device in an effort to keep the flies at bay. After seven fly-infested summers in Australia, a few measly Swiss flies weren’t a bother.
Our meal was pretty good – we shared a salami pizza washed down with an Andechs Weisenbier for the beer drinker and 2 dl of white wine for me, followed by a shared dish of very limey lime and apple sorbet – 41.50 CHF. The English on the menu reminded us that we were back in tourist country, the Bernese Oberland.
The evening was cool, the skies overcast; the miserable heat from the beginning of our trip was long gone. We bought breakfast provisions and snacks at Volg - there’s also a Coop in town, but it was closed for several days due to Pentecost Monday.
Photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...57684647657923
To be continued...
We’d enjoyed our stay and were in no hurry to leave, so Bill walked and I hobbled through Old Town and down to the Bahnhof to discuss our route options with our new friend. That morning’s internet search seemed to indicate that we needed reservations to travel between Disentis and Brig on the train we’d hoped to leave on – and of course we had none, we never do – but our SBB friend pecked away on his keyboard and found an alternate with limited train changes (42.50 CHF each with ½ fare card), leaving a bit earlier.
Note: It was a timing issue – reservations are required on Glacier Express trains – the ones with the panoramic windows. We just happened to select a departure time that coincided with a GE train. No reservations are needed for regional trains along the same route.
So it was back up the hill one last time. We collected our luggage, sent a revised ETA e-mail to our Kandersteg apartment owner, and bid adieu to Mrs. Heiligensetzer (giving her fair warning that we might revisit).
And so began our 5.5 hour journey to Kandersteg via Disentis, Andermatt and Brig, aboard the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn narrow gauge railway.
https://www.matterhorngotthardbahn.ch/en/summer/
We meandered through several long tunnels, alongside a partially frozen lake and over the treeless and foggy Oberalppass (2,033 meters) which connects the cantons of Graubünden and Uri between Disentis and Andermatt.
The landscape up here was seriously barren, with quite a bit of grey snow, and plentiful ‘dirt bergs’ floating in the lake. The Panoramic trains that passed us – the ones requiring reservations – all looked like dining cars. Shame the weather wasn’t more cooperative for those aboard.
A construction project was underway at the Andermatt-Sedrun Ski Arena and also at the Andermatt Bahnhof. Our carriage was fairly empty, and, with the exception of a very chatty French man, quiet.
We passed a huge empty car park at Betten – I’m guessing it was parking for a ski area above us - (Aletsch Ski Arena?). A guy with skis boarded the train. Yes, in June. There’s year round skiing in Zermatt, and evidently here too. Which begs the question, is Bettenalp the same as Bettmeralp and is Betten the access point? We’d considered Bettmerlap as a base for an upcoming trip; now I’m thoroughly confused.
With an hour between trains in Brig, we located our departure platform up the hill from the Bahnhofplatz, then crossed the street and settled in for some Johannisberg Riesling and people-watching on the terrace of Augenblick Restaurant at Hotel Victoria (19 CHF), where we tried not to asphyxiate from the cigarette smoke coming from a neighboring table.
The final stretch of our journey took us through the Lötschberg Tunnel between Goppenstein and Kandersteg, where we arrived some four hours and three easy train changes later; always welcome when traveling with luggage and an angry knee.
Walter, the owner of the apartment we’d booked, met us at the Bahnhof with a luggage wagon, bless him, and walked us to our home for the next five nights.
http://www.chaletbaergli.ch/firstfloor.htm
Our apartment was on the top floor of a three floor chalet, up a steep flight of stairs. It was a bit of a labyrinth, spacious, with two bedrooms, a large living room with log fireplace, large bathroom, separate water closet and huge kitchen. And I’ve just this minute discovered, access to a washing machine! Our five nights came to 410 CHF, inclusive of linens, internet, final cleaning and tourist tax; we paid in cash upon arrival.
As an added bonus, the apartment is located a short, flat walk from the train station. There was ongoing road work while we were in town, which made the walk a bit of an obstacle course, but it’ll be nice once done.
After getting settled, we moseyed over to Chalet Hotel Adler - we’d stayed in one of their apartments during our last Kandersteg visit, and remembered the food in their restaurant being pretty good. When our Portuguese waiter saw us swatting flies, he nodded knowingly, and said “Too much cows”, and then went on to explain that they’d just purchased a high tech device in an effort to keep the flies at bay. After seven fly-infested summers in Australia, a few measly Swiss flies weren’t a bother.
Our meal was pretty good – we shared a salami pizza washed down with an Andechs Weisenbier for the beer drinker and 2 dl of white wine for me, followed by a shared dish of very limey lime and apple sorbet – 41.50 CHF. The English on the menu reminded us that we were back in tourist country, the Bernese Oberland.
The evening was cool, the skies overcast; the miserable heat from the beginning of our trip was long gone. We bought breakfast provisions and snacks at Volg - there’s also a Coop in town, but it was closed for several days due to Pentecost Monday.
Photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...57684647657923
To be continued...
Aug 9th, 2017, 10:45 AM
#49
Day 7 –
We woke to rain and fog, the mountains surrounding Kandersteg completely obscured; so out came the rain gear.
We walked to Allenalp Luftseilbahn, hoping that by going up we could get above the clouds, but the TV monitor and the woman manning the station told us that wouldn’t be happening. She suggested we walk to a nearby waterfall and alongside the Kander River, so we did, meandering aimlessly, passing the International Scout Center on our return to town, logging four soggy miles.
http://www.allmenalp.ch/home/
We called into the Chalet Hotel Adler to warm up with tepid caffé macchiatos and a croissant (12.30 CHF).
The weather was a complete bummer, not at all conducive to outdoor pursuits, so we retreated to the apartment to wait it out.
We eventually ventured out for a late lunch, walking down to Hotel Des Alpes, which we’d passed earlier in the day. Wow, what a menu. This place has something for everyone. We shared a Pizza Bernese - raclette cheese, onion and bacon - followed by a shared dish of Crème brûlée, which was excellent (41 CHF with drinks).
http://desalpes-kandersteg.ch/web/
The clouds had cleared a bit so we walked over to the Oeschinen cable car station thinking the weather might be cooperative enough to make the trip up to the Oeschinensee worthwhile. We didn’t realize until we got there that the last car down left the top at 5 pm; it was already 4 so we gave it a pass.
On to Plan B - we settled into a booth at the Ermitage Hotel next to the cable car station to drown our sorrows (12.90 CHF). Still feeling guilty from the Crème brûlée, I managed to resist the ice cream/sorbet menu this time.
It’d been an unproductive, moody weather day. We returned to the apartment to read and water the geraniums.
Photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...57684690336643
To be continued...
We woke to rain and fog, the mountains surrounding Kandersteg completely obscured; so out came the rain gear.
We walked to Allenalp Luftseilbahn, hoping that by going up we could get above the clouds, but the TV monitor and the woman manning the station told us that wouldn’t be happening. She suggested we walk to a nearby waterfall and alongside the Kander River, so we did, meandering aimlessly, passing the International Scout Center on our return to town, logging four soggy miles.
http://www.allmenalp.ch/home/
We called into the Chalet Hotel Adler to warm up with tepid caffé macchiatos and a croissant (12.30 CHF).
The weather was a complete bummer, not at all conducive to outdoor pursuits, so we retreated to the apartment to wait it out.
We eventually ventured out for a late lunch, walking down to Hotel Des Alpes, which we’d passed earlier in the day. Wow, what a menu. This place has something for everyone. We shared a Pizza Bernese - raclette cheese, onion and bacon - followed by a shared dish of Crème brûlée, which was excellent (41 CHF with drinks).
http://desalpes-kandersteg.ch/web/
The clouds had cleared a bit so we walked over to the Oeschinen cable car station thinking the weather might be cooperative enough to make the trip up to the Oeschinensee worthwhile. We didn’t realize until we got there that the last car down left the top at 5 pm; it was already 4 so we gave it a pass.
On to Plan B - we settled into a booth at the Ermitage Hotel next to the cable car station to drown our sorrows (12.90 CHF). Still feeling guilty from the Crème brûlée, I managed to resist the ice cream/sorbet menu this time.
It’d been an unproductive, moody weather day. We returned to the apartment to read and water the geraniums.
Photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...57684690336643
To be continued...
Aug 9th, 2017, 12:38 PM
#50
Oh my, so lovely, even in the dreariness.
We hope to have a daytrip to Kandersteg next month, no doubt will love it, so will save that apartment link. What a find!
I have been on TA (am 'ozzie2010' over there) trying to work out my Engadin itinerary and of course, trying to pack in too much. I hope I can eventually do as you do, pick an area and revisit with a few add ons each time. And slow down
We hope to have a daytrip to Kandersteg next month, no doubt will love it, so will save that apartment link. What a find!
I have been on TA (am 'ozzie2010' over there) trying to work out my Engadin itinerary and of course, trying to pack in too much. I hope I can eventually do as you do, pick an area and revisit with a few add ons each time. And slow down
Aug 9th, 2017, 01:50 PM
#51
Adelaidean -
Slowing down is always a good thing. Do you like to walk? If so, you might like the Gemmipass walk, a 3.5 hour trek from above Kandersteg to Leukerbad. I'm finishing up that chapter right now and will post soon. The views up there are incredible.
Slowing down is always a good thing. Do you like to walk? If so, you might like the Gemmipass walk, a 3.5 hour trek from above Kandersteg to Leukerbad. I'm finishing up that chapter right now and will post soon. The views up there are incredible.
Aug 11th, 2017, 12:46 PM
#53
Adelaidean - Kandersteg is beautiful, no need to go far to enjoy those wonderful views. Do try to go up to the lake if you can though.
-------------------
Day 8 –
The day was slightly more promising, with fleeting snatches of sunshine. We walked to the Bahnhof and boarded a bus to Adelboden via Frutigen (20.40 CHF each return with ½ fare card). We could have taken a train, but we’d have had to change to the bus in Fruitigen anyway, so we just saved that step. The trip took a little over an hour, and was quite pretty, although low clouds were still hanging about and obscuring the views.
We’d never been to Adelboden, an alpine village situated at the base of the Wildstrubel, straddling the border between the cantons of Bern and Valais.
Upon arrival we consulted with a very helpful woman in the information office who provided several walk suggestions. We briefly considered taking the cable car to Sillerenbuhl and walking to Hanhnermoos for lunch, but the skies looked ominous; we didn’t want to spend 30 CHF each and risk seeing nothing but a blanket of white when we got to the top.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/sillerenbuehl.html
http://www.hahnenmoos.ch/
We walked through Adelboden, looking for a café and not finding much open until we stumbled upon a small, busy coffee shop, where we contemplated our walk options over cappuccinos and a mandel croissant (12.90 CHF, very good).
We finally decided to walk from Adelboden to Engstligen Wasserfalle, the second highest waterfall in Switzerland, hoping the riverside trail would be kind to my furious knee. It was, eventually, but accessing the trail from town involved walking down a hillside and numerous steps, and walking downhill was exactly what my knee didn’t want.
The wind kicked up and the skies opened – we took cover under a bridge while we pulled on our rain gear, thankful we’d not gone up to Sillerenbuhl. The sun made an appearance about the time we reached the waterfall, giving us some nice views of the surrounding mountains.
Our walk ended at the Unter den Birg bus stop (4.5 miles, three hours) where we were surprised to also find a gondola to Engstligenalp (not yet open) and a restaurant, but their terrace was closed, so we decided to return to Adelboden and have lunch there (3.40 CHF each with ½ fare card).
http://infosnow.ch/~apgmontagne/?id=...b=map-su&res=1
Back in Adelboden we randomly selected the cozy and welcoming Adler restaurant for our 35th wedding anniversary lunch. Bill went for Caprese au mozzarella, house smoked buffalo mozzarella, tomato carpaccio and balsamic vinegar – rather disappointing after those we’d had in Segnas. I chose the red curry coconut soup, which came topped with flowers – it was very good (48.40 CHF with drinks). We also had a nice chat with our Portuguese waiter – we were beginning to see a theme with restaurant staff in this area.
http://www.adleradelboden.ch/
The bus back to Kandersteg was full of cute giggling kids; the ride was much prettier than that morning; the clouds had parted, revealing blue skies, green hills and a light layer of new snow on the peaks; it was freshly scrubbed and beautiful; I found myself falling in love with Switzerland all over again. We’d really enjoyed our time in Adelboden.
The Alps surrounding Kandersteg were now on full display. We poked through town, soaked up the incredible scenery, had a leisurely drink in the Chalet Hotel Adler’s bar, and then walked back down to Hotel Des Alpes for a dinner of Rosti, the first of the trip; very good, but entirely too filling; we should have shared (56.50 CHF with 5dl of Pinot Noir).
Photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...57684698743353
To be continued...
-------------------
Day 8 –
The day was slightly more promising, with fleeting snatches of sunshine. We walked to the Bahnhof and boarded a bus to Adelboden via Frutigen (20.40 CHF each return with ½ fare card). We could have taken a train, but we’d have had to change to the bus in Fruitigen anyway, so we just saved that step. The trip took a little over an hour, and was quite pretty, although low clouds were still hanging about and obscuring the views.
We’d never been to Adelboden, an alpine village situated at the base of the Wildstrubel, straddling the border between the cantons of Bern and Valais.
Upon arrival we consulted with a very helpful woman in the information office who provided several walk suggestions. We briefly considered taking the cable car to Sillerenbuhl and walking to Hanhnermoos for lunch, but the skies looked ominous; we didn’t want to spend 30 CHF each and risk seeing nothing but a blanket of white when we got to the top.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/sillerenbuehl.html
http://www.hahnenmoos.ch/
We walked through Adelboden, looking for a café and not finding much open until we stumbled upon a small, busy coffee shop, where we contemplated our walk options over cappuccinos and a mandel croissant (12.90 CHF, very good).
We finally decided to walk from Adelboden to Engstligen Wasserfalle, the second highest waterfall in Switzerland, hoping the riverside trail would be kind to my furious knee. It was, eventually, but accessing the trail from town involved walking down a hillside and numerous steps, and walking downhill was exactly what my knee didn’t want.
The wind kicked up and the skies opened – we took cover under a bridge while we pulled on our rain gear, thankful we’d not gone up to Sillerenbuhl. The sun made an appearance about the time we reached the waterfall, giving us some nice views of the surrounding mountains.
Our walk ended at the Unter den Birg bus stop (4.5 miles, three hours) where we were surprised to also find a gondola to Engstligenalp (not yet open) and a restaurant, but their terrace was closed, so we decided to return to Adelboden and have lunch there (3.40 CHF each with ½ fare card).
http://infosnow.ch/~apgmontagne/?id=...b=map-su&res=1
Back in Adelboden we randomly selected the cozy and welcoming Adler restaurant for our 35th wedding anniversary lunch. Bill went for Caprese au mozzarella, house smoked buffalo mozzarella, tomato carpaccio and balsamic vinegar – rather disappointing after those we’d had in Segnas. I chose the red curry coconut soup, which came topped with flowers – it was very good (48.40 CHF with drinks). We also had a nice chat with our Portuguese waiter – we were beginning to see a theme with restaurant staff in this area.
http://www.adleradelboden.ch/
The bus back to Kandersteg was full of cute giggling kids; the ride was much prettier than that morning; the clouds had parted, revealing blue skies, green hills and a light layer of new snow on the peaks; it was freshly scrubbed and beautiful; I found myself falling in love with Switzerland all over again. We’d really enjoyed our time in Adelboden.
The Alps surrounding Kandersteg were now on full display. We poked through town, soaked up the incredible scenery, had a leisurely drink in the Chalet Hotel Adler’s bar, and then walked back down to Hotel Des Alpes for a dinner of Rosti, the first of the trip; very good, but entirely too filling; we should have shared (56.50 CHF with 5dl of Pinot Noir).
Photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...57684698743353
To be continued...
Aug 12th, 2017, 12:40 AM
#55
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The plus of dreary weather is that it makes you slow down, take a rest. The apartment in Kandersteg looks cosy, very nice.
I spent a week in Adelboden some years ago. Very good hikes there. Did the bus to the Engstligen falls not run? Or at least down to the valley? Beautiful pictures again!
I spent a week in Adelboden some years ago. Very good hikes there. Did the bus to the Engstligen falls not run? Or at least down to the valley? Beautiful pictures again!
Aug 12th, 2017, 04:57 AM
#56
Adelaidean - hence all those walks!
Ingo - I'm not sure about the bus, we didn't look, we were after a walk. BTW - we booked an apartment in Lenzerheide this week, so our December trip is set - five nights each in Scoul, Ilanz and Lenzerheide, plus a few nights in Munich on either side.
Ingo - I'm not sure about the bus, we didn't look, we were after a walk. BTW - we booked an apartment in Lenzerheide this week, so our December trip is set - five nights each in Scoul, Ilanz and Lenzerheide, plus a few nights in Munich on either side.
Too busy at the moment!
Aug 13th, 2017, 04:49 AM
#59
Day 9 -
Finally, a fabulous sunny day! Despite my ongoing knee issues, I was bound and determined to walk the entire Gemmipass trail; a high mountain pass that crosses the Bernese Alps and connects Kandersteg in the canton of Bern with Leukerbad in the Valais. This historic route was used by traders to transport their goods and is believed to date back to 1252.
During our April visit several years ago, we’d enjoyed walking the section from Sunnbuel to the historic mountain Hotel Schwarenbach (and return), yet we still wanted to walk the entire route. It was one of the main reasons for our repeat visit to Kandersteg.
It was time to go UP.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/...-classics.html
The guest card we’d been given by Walter (apartment owner) covered local buses, so we decided to save our legs for the main event. We caught the bus to the Sunnbüel Luftseilbahn, where we bought a ticket that covered both the cable car up to Sunnbüel (1936 meters) and the cable car from Gemmipass down to Leukerbad (23.50 CHF each with ½ fare card).
http://www.kandersteg.ch/en/s/transport-fares
Arriving at Sunnbüel we set out on the walk to historic Hotel Schwarenbach, which began as a customs station in 1742, and later became an inn. We couldn’t have asked for a prettier day for this six mile trek – the views were incredible. I had to stop every two minutes to take photographs.
It took us 90 minutes to reach the Berghotel, where we settled in at a table on the terrace for an alfresco lunch, surrounded by gobsmacking scenery; just us, the wait staff and another couple.
We shared a plate of Schwarenzbach Magronen, which I correctly guessed was their version of Älplermagronen, a delicious pile of calories - pasta with potatoes in a creamy seasoned cheese sauce, topped with roasted onions. We could have easily demolished a full order each, but we were trying to show a bit of restraint (41 CHF with 5 dl wine).
http://www.schwarenbach.ch/home/
Then we were back on the trail, working our way uphill and through the breathtaking landscape, surrounded by snow covered Alps. We eventually came upon Daubensee, which I’ve since learned is the site of the annual Shepherd Festival held in July, when approximately 800 sheep gather on the shore, a tradition meant to maintain the friendship between the people of the Bernese Oberland and the Valais.
The trail between Hotel Schwarenbach and Gemmipass was marked at 1:15, but it took us closer to two hours. Sections of it were covered in deep drifts of slushy snow, infuriating my poor knee and making me question my sanity. Just as I was thinking I’d never make it, we walked through a passage with walls of snow on either side, and our destination came into view – the Hotel Wildstrubel and the Gemmipass Cable Car. Woo-hoo!
http://gemmi.ch/highlights/gemmibahn...car-gemmi/?L=2
We climbed up the last hill and were immediately rewarded with panoramic views of the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, Weisshorn and the Jungfrau. We walked out to the glass floored viewing deck, which precariously dangles over the edge of the cliff, nothing but glass and air between us and a very, very long drop. Leukerbad, the largest thermal spa resort in the Alps was directly below us...waaaay down.
We took a much needed break in the restaurant, soaked up the spectacular views, then boarded the cable car to Leukerbad, the initial drop bringing several gasps as we began our very steep descent.
Upon arrival in Leukerbad we asked an employee how to get to the bus station (Leukerbad doesn’t have a train station); he pointed down the hill (Oh no!), and said ’10 minutes’. So, we strolled through the pretty little town of Leukerbad, and gazed back up at the very steep mountain we’d just come down. It was quite the drop.
At the bus station we enquired about transport back to Kandersteg (LLB bus system, we left Kandersteg via the AFA bus system), an employee pecked at his keyboard and produced two tickets (16.90 CHF each with ½ fare card). We were surprised to learn that to get back to Kandersteg would involve two buses and two trains!
The drive to Leuk was stunning; it took us along narrow winding roads through gorgeous steep cliffs with a spectacular descent. In Leuk we connected to a train to Gampel Steg, a town we’d never heard of, where we boarded our second bus, this one to Goppenstein, where we then connected to a train via the Lötschberg Tunnel to Kandersteg. We thoroughly enjoyed the return trip, which took about 1:15. I don’t know what surprised us more, the routing, or the spectacular scenery in this country full of spectacular scenery.
Dinner that evening was at Hotel Zur Post, situated right next to our apartment. We both tucked into big plates of Älpermagronen, but it paled in comparison to Hotel Schwarenbach’s version. It should come as no surprise that our waitress was Portuguese (59 CHF with 5 dl of Dole – Pinot Noir).
http://www.hotel-zur-post.ch/
It’d be a long, tiring day packed with stunning scenery.
Photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...57684780968534
Winding down...
Finally, a fabulous sunny day! Despite my ongoing knee issues, I was bound and determined to walk the entire Gemmipass trail; a high mountain pass that crosses the Bernese Alps and connects Kandersteg in the canton of Bern with Leukerbad in the Valais. This historic route was used by traders to transport their goods and is believed to date back to 1252.
During our April visit several years ago, we’d enjoyed walking the section from Sunnbuel to the historic mountain Hotel Schwarenbach (and return), yet we still wanted to walk the entire route. It was one of the main reasons for our repeat visit to Kandersteg.
It was time to go UP.
https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/...-classics.html
The guest card we’d been given by Walter (apartment owner) covered local buses, so we decided to save our legs for the main event. We caught the bus to the Sunnbüel Luftseilbahn, where we bought a ticket that covered both the cable car up to Sunnbüel (1936 meters) and the cable car from Gemmipass down to Leukerbad (23.50 CHF each with ½ fare card).
http://www.kandersteg.ch/en/s/transport-fares
Arriving at Sunnbüel we set out on the walk to historic Hotel Schwarenbach, which began as a customs station in 1742, and later became an inn. We couldn’t have asked for a prettier day for this six mile trek – the views were incredible. I had to stop every two minutes to take photographs.
It took us 90 minutes to reach the Berghotel, where we settled in at a table on the terrace for an alfresco lunch, surrounded by gobsmacking scenery; just us, the wait staff and another couple.
We shared a plate of Schwarenzbach Magronen, which I correctly guessed was their version of Älplermagronen, a delicious pile of calories - pasta with potatoes in a creamy seasoned cheese sauce, topped with roasted onions. We could have easily demolished a full order each, but we were trying to show a bit of restraint (41 CHF with 5 dl wine).
http://www.schwarenbach.ch/home/
Then we were back on the trail, working our way uphill and through the breathtaking landscape, surrounded by snow covered Alps. We eventually came upon Daubensee, which I’ve since learned is the site of the annual Shepherd Festival held in July, when approximately 800 sheep gather on the shore, a tradition meant to maintain the friendship between the people of the Bernese Oberland and the Valais.
The trail between Hotel Schwarenbach and Gemmipass was marked at 1:15, but it took us closer to two hours. Sections of it were covered in deep drifts of slushy snow, infuriating my poor knee and making me question my sanity. Just as I was thinking I’d never make it, we walked through a passage with walls of snow on either side, and our destination came into view – the Hotel Wildstrubel and the Gemmipass Cable Car. Woo-hoo!
http://gemmi.ch/highlights/gemmibahn...car-gemmi/?L=2
We climbed up the last hill and were immediately rewarded with panoramic views of the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, Weisshorn and the Jungfrau. We walked out to the glass floored viewing deck, which precariously dangles over the edge of the cliff, nothing but glass and air between us and a very, very long drop. Leukerbad, the largest thermal spa resort in the Alps was directly below us...waaaay down.
We took a much needed break in the restaurant, soaked up the spectacular views, then boarded the cable car to Leukerbad, the initial drop bringing several gasps as we began our very steep descent.
Upon arrival in Leukerbad we asked an employee how to get to the bus station (Leukerbad doesn’t have a train station); he pointed down the hill (Oh no!), and said ’10 minutes’. So, we strolled through the pretty little town of Leukerbad, and gazed back up at the very steep mountain we’d just come down. It was quite the drop.
At the bus station we enquired about transport back to Kandersteg (LLB bus system, we left Kandersteg via the AFA bus system), an employee pecked at his keyboard and produced two tickets (16.90 CHF each with ½ fare card). We were surprised to learn that to get back to Kandersteg would involve two buses and two trains!
The drive to Leuk was stunning; it took us along narrow winding roads through gorgeous steep cliffs with a spectacular descent. In Leuk we connected to a train to Gampel Steg, a town we’d never heard of, where we boarded our second bus, this one to Goppenstein, where we then connected to a train via the Lötschberg Tunnel to Kandersteg. We thoroughly enjoyed the return trip, which took about 1:15. I don’t know what surprised us more, the routing, or the spectacular scenery in this country full of spectacular scenery.
Dinner that evening was at Hotel Zur Post, situated right next to our apartment. We both tucked into big plates of Älpermagronen, but it paled in comparison to Hotel Schwarenbach’s version. It should come as no surprise that our waitress was Portuguese (59 CHF with 5 dl of Dole – Pinot Noir).
http://www.hotel-zur-post.ch/
It’d be a long, tiring day packed with stunning scenery.
Photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/melnq8...57684780968534
Winding down...
Aug 13th, 2017, 08:55 AM
#60
Join Date: Jan 2003
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Perfect weather for this hike! Stunning scenery ... the snow covered Pennine Alps all in front of you.
I'm still shocked at the prices for food. The picture of the menu at Schwarenbach ... can get that for half price here in Germany.
I'm still shocked at the prices for food. The picture of the menu at Schwarenbach ... can get that for half price here in Germany.
