DAY 51
God bless this little guest house in Leukerbad. At breakfast, we get full run on the espresso maker, so that means unlimited coffee, cappuccino, espresso and whatever from 7:45 to 10:30. I have been experimenting, and have developed my own custom blend, the Espresso-and-a-half macchiato. Three of those and I can’t sit still until about 18:00.
Yesterday we packed most of our stuff up into Gail’s suitcase and the nylon laundry bag, and took it to the SBB Bus/Train station. We had to fill out little name tags with our home address, and destination address, and then for a mere CHF12 per bag, we sent them off ahead of us to Kandersteg, where we will pick them up on Wednesday at the train station when we hike in. What a great service. You can ship from anywhere, to anywhere in Switzerland, and they will hold your luggage for you until you arrive.
Supposedly, this system works in Italy, France and Austria as well; we are testing it out this trip.
We left Leukerbad in the sun. The town is at 1402 meters (4602 feet). Straight ahead of us, the Gemmi Pass towers almost 900 meters above us. Believe it or not, at 2270 meters (7448 feet) this was once the easiest way through the Alps, connecting Italy with Germany and Northern Europe.
We rode the gondola up, sparing ourselves a 2KM, two-to-four hour slog. We used the saved time wisely, walking around Hotel/Restaurant/Visitor area.
The clouds roll over, then dissipate, then gather again.
We set off around the Daubensee, a beautiful glacial lake surrounded by high peaks. The trail was wide, bordered by carpets of wild flowers. We walked level, now slightly downhill, then past the lake down further until we finally came around a corner.
There, in front of us, over a small green lake, with snow-covered mountains behind, stands the Berghotel Schwarenbach. It is a hotel and restaurant, and it is where we are staying the night.
Peter greeted us by name as if he knew us already. Perhaps my German has a Californian accent?
So we sat outside to pass the time, overlooking the lake, and I had probably the best vegetable soup I have ever had. It has to be the Swiss air and snow capped mountains, the red and white flag snapping against the blue sky.
Gail had abricotkuchen and herb tea, and she said it filled the craving she has had for several days. It was warm in the sun, and so we read a little, then explored a little, and I stacked some rocks for fun. Some kids were watching me, and the boy came over and started stacking rocks himself! I was pretty surprised by his ability.
It is down from the pass, a stern stone building set against the mountainside at 2060 meters (6759 feet), with a great commanding view back up towards the Gemmi Pass.
One more fact: Mark Twain passed through here.
We went down to the basement where everyone places their hiking boots on shelves, and changes into “house shoes.” These are Crocs (yuck! I know now why I never bought these…) and everyone wears them, or slippers, to keep the hotel clean. If you could see the dirt tracked around by the boots, it makes perfect sense.
Then we clunked up to our room on the top floor. We have a private double room, and share two showers and toilets across the hall.There are other double rooms, several four bunk and six bunk rooms, and then the regular hostel beds in shared 14 bed dorms. Dinner and breakfast is included in the price of the room. We look out over the lake, back up the valley from were we came.
We were cozy in the room, and after a while moved to the dining room where we sat by the window and read.
At 3:30 the clouds dropped, the temperature plunged and it started to rain. All the hikers cleared out leaving the hut and cafe to those of us staying.
The rain poured down, and a few other soggy hikers staggered in for hot coffee or tea before continuing on.
It is a very cozy, snug feeling to be in a cabin, hut or warm cafe out of the rain, sipping a glass of wine or cup of coffee watching the clouds move in and out of the peaks.
The conversations are muted, everything is peaceful.
We are told that dinner is served promptly at 18:30, and so we are not late, and we are not sorry. The food was great. Hot hot tomato soup. Imagine a cool night high in the Swiss Alps, and you get hot tomato soup.
Can you imagine the delight on my face when they brought out a full crock of soup for seconds?
Then we had a very simple salad of fresh green lettuce, shredded carrots and sprouts with a citrus dressing and slice of orange.
The main course was chicken curry with rice. The chicken was tender, and the sauce really great. Imagine the joy when they brought out seconds.
For dessert we had strawberry ice cream with whipped cream, mint leaf, and kiwi.
I had a cup of espresso to top it all off.
Inside the espresso cup was a saying: “Genuss hat einen namen."
That means, "Pleasure has a name.”
The name is Switzerland.
DAY 52
It was very dark at night, and quiet, like camping but with none of the animal noise, and very little people noise. It wasn’t cold, just cool enough to sleep really well, half under the down comforter.
Sharing the shower and bathroom was no problem, as everyone on the floor had different shower times they preferred and everyone understood that they had to be left clean. The owners came by occasionally to make sure it was perfect as well.
Breakfast was served early, and was good; unlimited strong coffee, cheese and breads, and I had granola with yogurt.
Then we set out for the final 10KM push into Kandersteg.
We walked around the corner from the Berghotel, and around a twist or two to where a large valley opened up before us.
Altels and Balmhorn loomed huge over us on the right, and a long grey ridge boxed us in on the left. The gravel trail went down the slope into the valley, where it straightened out. We were walking along green hills, with rocks. streams tumbled out of the side valleys to join the main river, and a large barn with magnificent old stone house came into view. Sheep were grazing right by the trail, and a herd of cows were moving up into the hills, grazing about a kilometer away. You could hear the echo of the bells in the still air.
A sign out in front of the farm advertised Alpenkäse (Alp’s Cheese) for sale, and we were tempted to go in a buy some.
The morning sun was warm, making long shadows as we walked slowly down the valley. The fields are not carpeted with flowers, but there are so many different kinds, scattered in clumps here and there, clumps of yellow and white, or vibrant purple and electric blue, of feathery reds and subtle pink. It is a virtual cornucopia of flowering madness.
The hills rise up to the ridge and mountain walls, and on the right there is a remnant of a glacier; slowly melting it feeds a waterfall.
A large boulder beside the trail marks the border of the Valais and Berner Oberland Cantons. Now we are walking into the midst of the highest Alpen peaks.
At the end of this valley the canyon narrowed again, and became deep, then deeper. We were walking a narrow track now in the pine woods, staying almost level. The flowers change again, and as the side of the trail drops and plunges into the valley below we can see giant, looming cliffs with waterfalls gushing, literally shooting straight out of what looks like solid rock. It is like Yosemite, just as high, but more narrow, with a grey river rushing along the bottom.
This valley is the Gasteretal, the river is the Kander River. It is fed from the Kanderfirn glacier on Blüemlisalp Massif, as well as water flowing off Altels, Doldenhorn, and Balmhorn. The giant snow covered peaks stand tall over the cliffs, way back, and it looks like something out of a science fiction movie. Except I am walking here, looking at it. I try to take photos, but fail to capture the immensity of it, so I give up and just walk, slowly, taking it all in.
It is so overwhelming that we add probably an hour to our hike, just lingering in this area.
This what I think Switzerland should be like, in my dreams.
We eventually come around a curve in the trail, and through the trees, far below in the valley ahead of us, I catch sight of roofs. It is out first glimpse of Kandersteg, and it will be another hour and half before we come down into the village.
The Sunnbüel Gondola runs directly over our heads now, into Kandersteg, but we elect to walk in and enjoy the views. We are walking steep switchbacks down the headwall of the valley now, and there is a mountain bike track that runs along the same course. Our trails cross, then cross again, and we have to look out for bikes flying down. We watch as one biker biffs it on a curve after a steep downhill, and his friend comes down and flips over him.
On one of the switchbacks, near the top, there s a house, with about six kids running around. They stop and call out, "Wollen Sie Kaffee zu kaufen?” Do we want to buy a cup of coffee? Like kids running a lemonade stand, only for hikers. “Nein, danke.” I reply.
“Tee?” They call out.
We are tempted but shake our heads and continue on.
The trail steepens again and winds back and forth on itself. We are right along a cliff, and water drips and leaks down the moss. A waterfall follows us; we walk to it, then switch back away from it, then head to it again.
The valley is coming up to us, and we can see Kadersteg laid out in front of us now, narrow and long, laid out along the rushing grey Kander River. Down down we hike, the trail wet and slick in some areas, sandy or gravelly in others, until we finally level out onto the valley floor and start the walk into town.
There is a little cafe at the bottom station for the Sunnbüel Gondola, and we stop for a beer.
It is about noon:thirty when we get to our hotel in the center of the village, and we retrieve our luggage at the train station by 13:00. Nothing is missing, nothing ripped or jostled. You really can trust the Swiss to get your things where you want.
By 15:00 it is dark and cloudy, and by 16:00 it is pouring down, the wind blowing hard, thunder and lightning providing a little excitement. Though we wanted to get the cheese and visit the farm up on the pass, or perhaps stop for a coffee at the isolated house, we are glad we beat the storm.
For us, this is practice.
Systems practice.
Practice moving luggage ahead and traveling even lighter.
It turns out to be easy and cheap, sending the extra luggage on.
They hold it at the station for you for four days.
You have to send it two days before you want to pick it up; for instance we sent it out Monday afternoon, picked it up Wednesday morning. If we had sent it Tuesday, wanting it Wednesday, it costs about CHF40 instead of 12.
Practice in seeing what the huts are like, what the shared rooms vs. private rooms are like, and if beds would be available if we were just wandering in, as opposed to setting it up ahead of time. Speaking with Anna this morning, I learned that it was good that we reserved the room ahead. July and August they can be filled with reservations, for sure on weekends. Often they don’t even have any bunk beds available in the dorm rooms.
Good to know.
Practice in see what the food is like, are drinks included and do you get enough to eat?
Figuring out the weather patterns (better be in shelter by 15:00) and how many kilometers a day can we do (10 to 15 to finish the day on time).
Maybe next year we will do an extended hut-to-hut hike? Looking at the hut map I picked up in Kandersteg, it is two days hike over to the next village Griesalp, then two days to Mürren.
This is above Interlaken, we were here a couple years ago and this is our favorite, most spectacular area. LINK LINK LINK
This would be a fun, spectacular and very doable walk.
Like learning to read bus and train schedules, there is a way to read the hut maps, figure out the connections.
Yes, we are thinking this could be a really fun thing, this hut-to-hut walking.
We have another opportunity to practice coming up in a few days, when we are in Appenzell.