Glass Half Full: Day 8, Switzerland
My alarm was set for 6:30 this morning. I had a lot I wanted to accomplish today, as it was my last day in the Jungfrau region exploring Switzerland, and I wanted to make the most of it. My first goal was to go further up the mountain to the Birg Skyline and Thrill Walk for sunrise, where the mountain peaks were eye-level. I packed up my things, stored my bags, and checked out of my mountain hostel before purchasing a very expensive gondola ride up where my fear of heights tingled. If I thought the world stood still in Gimmelwald, this was a stillness only Heaven could match. I had stepped into another climate as a thin layer of frost and snow covered the ground, and I saw my breath form in front of me. With no wind and no one else around as I stepped onto the deck, the silence was deafening. The only sounds were my shoes crunching in the frosted snow, my steadied breaths, and my own thoughts, as crystal clear as the air I was breathing.
The thrill walk was closed off, and I found a worker to inquire about it. He opened it up for me but told me the glass would be slippery. I heeded his caution and happily avoided the glass as I slowly and carefully stepped down the grated stairs and across the thin bridge situated on the side of the cliff, a deadly drop below, mentally hurdling the fear building up inside of me. I was lowkey relieved when I reached another locked gate blocking off the rest of the path, which looked even more terrifying than the parts I already conquered. I braved a few photos, clutching my phone like my life depended on it, and headed back up to the deck.
I grabbed a to-go coffee from the restaurant there and took in the views and the silence as long as I could until I had to catch the gondola back down to Gimmelwald to grab my bags and head to Wengen, where I would try again to hike the panorama trail from Männlichen. I already checked the trail status online that told me it was open, and I wanted to make it to the hike before afternoon to beat the overcast.
I had a half an hour after I grabbed my bags before the next gondola ride, and I was more than happy to park myself on one of the cushioned benches outside the hostel to soak in the last view of the mountains that engulfed us here in Gimmelwald.
When I got to Lauterbrunnen, I snagged the last luggage locker at the train station for 10 CHF. It was my only shot at storing my bags for the hike, so I got really lucky. It was deja vu when I took the train up to Wengen, but this time I successfully boarded the much larger cable car up to Männlichen.
Despite the clouds already creeping in, the view didn’t disappoint. The 2.9 mi hike would start from Männlichen and lead me to Kleine Scheidegg, a 1-1.5 hr easy walk across the mountain tops. I was looking forward to an introspective solo hike, so I was glad the trail was mostly empty. Until, I wanted a photo and I had to pretend to take in the view until the guy behind me approached, so I could ask him to snap my pic. He happily obliged and then asked me to get one of him as well. We started walking and talking and I was torn; I was enjoying the conversation, but was also looking forward to my solo hike and wasn’t sure if he wanted to be left alone as well. I was a bit relieved when he let me drift ahead and told me to enjoy my hike. We ended up hiking together but seperate after that, meeting up now and then for breaks and photos. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was my “P.S. I Love You” meet-cute, but unfortunately, we didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye when we reached the end of the trail. The hike itself was cloudy, not being able to see 10 feet in front of me at times, but in a mystical kind of way. The sun started to peek through towards the end, however, as I battled my layers once again.
There was a restaurant at the end of the trail in Kleine Scheidegg where I stopped for a light lunch and debated taking the train back to Wengen or hiking back in hopes that the clouds will have cleared out if I waited long enough. But with the last cable car in Mannlichen being at 5pm, I didn’t have a lot of time to waste. After taking time with my soup and cappecino, I decided, cloudy or not, I would enjoy the walk back to Mannlichen. With most people only hiking the one way, my walk back included more smiles, nods, and greetings as I passed many soloists, couples, and families. For the most part, the mountains held the clouds hostage, but it did clear up on my way back, and I was able to get a different perspective of the rocky landscape before me.
I was pretty wiped out by the time I got back to Mannchilen, but there was one more viewpoint I needed to check out before descending — the Crown, via the Royal Walk. It’s a steep 20-30 minute hike up to a crown-shaped viewing platform, named for its “triumphal procession” to the summit, a “royal” journey to a “kingdom” of mountains. It was certainly a view dedicated to making you feel like you were on top of the world, and the steep hike certainly made you work for it. I wasn’t prepared for the amount of energy it took to hike up what seemed like such a family-friendly paved path. I didn’t linger too long and hurried down the Royal Walk just in time to catch the cable car down, exhausted, hungry, and ready to set foot on lower ground.
I was on my way to the train station when an older fellow asked me if this was the way to the station, and we got to talking — more so him, as I mustered what little energy I had left to converse. He told me about his wife who passed away, and how they had always wanted to travel. He had always wanted to go to Switzerland, since he was a boy and had been traveling in Switzerland for a few weeks now. I sensed his need for connection. I wished I could have given him more, but I devoted what time and energy I could for him.
I retrieved my luggage back in Lauterbrunnen and hopped back on the train, this time to Interlaken, where I very much intended to do nothing, especially spend money, unless I happened to run into a traditional Swiss street dance with cheese and chocolate.
The walk to my hostel in Interlaken from the train station had me questioning my suitcase. The debate is still up between backpacks and suitcases — both have their advantages and disadvantages. I was grateful for the elevator up to my room.
Terrified of my phone dying, I went to plug in my charger before beelineing it to a much-needed shower. Coming from the Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald where showers were short and cold, the hot water felt like a luxury. I felt even better getting into fresh comfortable clothes, the feeling equivalent to spending a day at the spa.
By this time I still hadn’t eaten and was starving as I (im)patiently waited for the girls to message me about dinner. We ended up meeting at a joint next to their hostel where we grabbed some surprisingly very delicious to-go food. If my stomach hadn’t shrank I would have happily gobbled down the entire veggie pasta I got, and Maddie’s fries. After finishing up our dinner on the picnic tables outside, we all decided we needed a drink and shared a bottle of wine at the outdoor bar next door. We didn’t talk much as we all spent the rest of the night making plans for the upcoming week. I would be traveling to Barcelona as the girls figured out what they would do next before meeting up again in Mallorca. By 10:30 p.m. I was lying in bed, ready for a well-deserved rest.
Travel tips I learned today:
Don’t snooze your alarm if you don’t want to regret getting up for a one-in-a-lifetime mountaintop sunrise.
Look for luggage lockers at train stations to store your belongings when between accommodations, but have a backup plan as they can fill up fast.
Accept the company when it’s presented to you. There is always time for yourself, and I’m always looking forward to charging my battery with alone time, but you don’t always get the opportunity to connect with others. Take advantage of it when the opportunity arises.
Don’t judge a restaurant by its cover. I would have never guessed the tiny run-down building next to a hostel would host the best meal in Switzerland.
