August

Switzerland 2008

We left Haslemere at 2pm on Thursday 21st August and travelled overnight to Switzerland, the coach arrived in Grindelwald at 10.30am on Friday 22nd and they had free time looking around Grindelwald as we could not get into the Mountain hostel until 4pm.

 

Saturday 23rd

When we arose from our beds after a good nights sleep and looked out the window hoping for blue skies and sunshine, but we were greeted with low clouds. So after breakfast it was on with our walking boots, off up the nearest mountain for a day’s hard walking or maybe not, it was more like this on with the walking boots for a short walk to the Mannlichen gondola and then up the mountain to the top of Mannlichen for a walk to Kleine Scheidegg where you normally have wonderful views of the Eiger, Monk and Jungfrau  but not today as the clouds had come down. From there it was a train ride to Lauterbrunnen and then a bus ride to Trummelbach Falls, it was then decided to head back to Grindelwald as the rain had set in for the day.

 

 

 

Sunday 24th

Woke up to blue skies and the sunshine, so back on  with the walking boots for a train ride to Interlaken for Paragliding, after an exhilaration flight down it was a gentle walk around part of lake Brienz to a cafe where we had ice cream and then it was back to Grindelwald and swimming for some of the explorers.

 

 

 

Monday 25th

Another great day, the sun is shining and today we are off white water rafting, so on with the wetsuits, life jackets and helmets, it was time to get on Alpine Raft’s bus for a trip to the start of the white water rafting. After a short safety briefing it was into the rafts for a trip down the river to lake Brienz and yes the water is very cold.

Video of the rafting coming soon on DVD

 

 

 

 

Tuesday 26th

Today were all off up the Jungfrau 11,782 feet or 3571 meters and the air is a bit thin up there. After a train trip through the Eiger and two stops to get used to the thinning air and look out the viewing windows the 1st one overlooks Grindelwald  and the 2nd has a view of the mountain covered in snow. We’re now at the top standing in snow and ready to enrol  some of the new explorers. After the enrolments they had 2.5 hours to explorer the Jungfrau’s ice caves, the husky ‘s and the snow discs, some even had time for a snow ball fight. At 2.30 it was time for a ride down to Eigergletscher for the start of the Eiger trail, we walked to Alpiglen Station and caught the train back to Grindelwald.

 

 

Wednesday 27th

Today we are off to Brienz, for a trip up the Rothorn by steam train, but when we arrived it was fully booked, so after lunch it was onto the paddle Steamer for a relaxed trip back to Interlaken. The Explorers then had free time and some went back to Grindelwald for swimming