This is our fourth trip to Grindelwald in the last 49 years, and the FIRST TIME that the weather was clear enough for us to pop for a ticket to ascend to Jungfrauyoch. To be fair this is the first time we planned to stay for a whole week, so we did have a better chance of at least of one clear day.
Patience and perseverance paid off ! Checking the weather when we arrived three days ago, Tuesday looked like the best weather window. Banking on the forecast we reserved seat tickets on the Jungfrauyoch train that winds its way upward through tunnels to the "Top of Europe".
The sun was shining when we woke up; there was a slight misty haze but otherwise there was not a cloud in the sky.
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| Wow! We were surprised that the Eiger was right behind the chalet flat where we are staying. It had been shrouded in clouds. Despite the clear skies, little puffs of clouds began to grow before our eyes. |
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| Kleine Schidigg Station |
We left Grindelwald Grund at 7:55 am, changed trains in Kleine Schidigg and arrived at the Top of Europe shortly after 9:00 am. There were already several tour bus groups aboard the train. When the train arrives at the top, there is a large underground complex of things to see and do (in case the weather is foul), as well as both and enclosed and outdoor observatory.
Since we knew that the crowds would grow considerably larger during the day, we opted to go up to the observatory first and then for a hike to a restaurant on the other side of the saddle. If we had time when we returned, we would see some of the other underground attractions at the train station/observatory. Words and photos cannot adequately capture the grandeur and exquiste beauty of the alps.
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| The Glacier |
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| The trail to Monchsjochhutte, 11,500 feet high |
The walk up the snow trail took us about an hour each way. The air was thin and the uphill climb was challenging. I was glad I brought my walking sticks. Most of the people on tour groups didn't even attempt the hike. We talked to one of the mountain guides and he said most of the people hwo take the hike seem to be from North America.
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| Looking back at the observatory |
Once inside, we treated ourselves to some hot chocolate and apple kuchen.
A Swiss doctor was doing a research study on altitude sickness, based at this station. Russ is chatting with him over his cup of chocolate. He was asking the handful of people who actually made it to the restaurant to participate. Most of us who made it were not the ones who suffered from altitude sickness, it were the folks who didn't make it to the restaurant. After our refreshments we headed back down the mountain to the observatory in plenty of time to see some o the exhibits and board the train back down to Kleine Schidigg.
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| Incredibly dark blue sky |
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| Despite warning signs to stay off the glacier, there are a few who risk falling in crevasses that are continually opening. There are big cracks in the ice and the glacier is melting at a fast pace. |
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| Walk through the ice palace. Slippery! |
My favorite stop was the Lindt Swiss Chocolate Store!
We boarded our train at 1:13, got back down to Kleine Schidigg about 2:00, and headed off for our second hike of the day across the saddle to Mannlichen and the gondola that would take us down the mountain to Grindelwald Gruen. The hike took about two hours. It was a steady uphill. We were really burning the calories. The scenery and the wildflowers were spectacular. We made it back to our chalet about 5:00. Took off our shoes, drank some wine, and were very excited about our day.
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| Prettiest playground for children in the world. |
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| Avalanche Fences built to prevent snow slides. |
