We woke up, got ready, and ate breakfast at the hostel. Our plan today is to take a train up to Jungfaujoch, the “Top of Europe”.
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On our way to the train station, we stopped at the co-op and picked up some fruit and bread for lunch. Daily, we usually eat the breakfast provided by the hostel, fruit and bread for lunch, then go out to a sit-down restaurant for dinner. It has worked out pretty well.
We had to purchase separate rail tickets up to Jungfaujoch. Since private rail companies own the lines from Interlaken, our Eurail pas is not valid on those trains. We did get a discount though, but the tickets were still pretty expensive. Hopefully it will be worth it.
We took a train from Interlaken up to the town of Grindelwald. Grindelwald sits right at the base of the mountain Eiger. It is a spectacular setting! Homes are dotted up the hillside to the mountain. It is picturesque Switzerland.
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We spent about an hour in Grindelwald. We considered taking the First cable car, but it must only run during skiing season.
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Our next leg of the train ride was up to Kleine Scheidegg. For your reference, the trip from Interlaken is split into three legs: Interlaken (elevation: 1860 ft) to Grindelwald (elevation: 3393 ft) or Lauterbrunnen (elevation: 2612 ft), Grindelwald or Luterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidegg (elevation: 6762 ft), Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfaujoch (elevation: 11333 ft). The second and third legs are cogwheel railways in order to deal with the grade up the mountain.
At Kleine Scheidegg, we were above tree line and within snow territory. Darcy and I walked up a hillside for some pictures of Grindelwald and the mountains.
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We boarded our last train to the top. Almost the entire length is a tunnel within the mountain. On the way, there are two scenic stops that are basically holes punched in the side of the mountain. I understand that one of the holes is used as an emergency exit for climbers ascending the north wall of Eiger.
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When we arrived at the top, the station was completely underground. There are passages leading to the various complexes and attractions at Jungfaujoch. Everything looks very much like a James Bond movie. Speaking of James Bond, the cable car that leads up to Schilthorn Mountain is nearby. It was featured in a late 60’s James Bond movie (In Her Majesty’s Service I think). I wanted to visit that as well, but the cable car was closed this week for maintenance.
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At Jungfaujoch, we went outside and the view was simply breathtaking! We were standing at the foot of a glacier and snow-capped peaks surrounded us. Words cannot fully describe the scene.
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We also visited the ice caves, then went up to the Sphinx Observatory for some more breathtaking views. We had lunch on the Sphinx and I fed some bread to these black birds that live up there.
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By this time, Darcy’s hip was giving her some trouble from all the walking. I still wanted to hike from Jungfaujoch up to Mönchsjochhütte. It is basically a 45-minute hike up a snow path to a small complex overlooking another glacier. I went on my own and Darcy stayed back to bask in the sun at the Sphinx. I started the walk with a coat and sweatshirt on. Within ten minutes I was down to my t-shirt. On the way up, a sightseeing plane did a few circles around and landed right in front of me. It was pretty cool!
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At Mönchsjochhütte, I encountered a group of cross-country skiers and a hiker. There are dormitories right on the premises, so it looks like people use this as a base to explore the top of the mountains. The possibilities look endless up here. John, if you are reading this, I propose our next challenge be to scale the north wall of Eiger, then cross-country ski the top of the Alps. What do you think?
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On my way back down, I was able to set up a self-portrait. It didn’t turn out too bad.
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Darcy met me on the way down and we decided to head back towards Interlaken. Back at Kleine Scheidegg, I realized that you could actually see the Sphinx Observatory from there. On the way back, we took the other route down to Lauterbrunnen and walked to the base of Trümmelbach Falls. Amazing!
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We returned to Interlaken, had dinner, and went back to the hostel. We were exhausted! At the hostel, I began to realize how sun burnt I was. Because of the reflection of the sun off the snow, my neck under my chin got completely fried. I guess I am a redneck after all. :)
Click here to see all our Interlaken photos.
1 comment:
Keep up the good work.
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