It can get quite chilly overnight when you are up a mountain - especially when you are in a flimsy tent! Me and Mad had to layer up and cuddle up to keep warm but at least the sun was out when we got up. Mad managed to not kill breakfast then it was time to pack up for the ride to Interlaken. We started the day dropping down the Jaun Pass which was quite fun before dropping for another 30km to Spiez and our first views of Thunersee. After a short stop we pressed on to Thun and then followed the lakeside road down to Interlaken where we were soon installed for our three night stop.
We spent the afternoon in the town, Mad bought the tickets for tomorrows trip then after tea we had an early night. I was glad of it as we had to be on the first train out of the station to Grindelwald at six am, bleh! Still it was worth it as we arrived best part of three hours and a further two trains later at the Top of Europe, the Jungfraujoch at some 3400m. We did all the exhibitions, went up to the Spinx viewing platform in Switzerlands fastest lift, saw the ice sculptures inside the Aletsch glacier and had some time out on the snow too! Then it was time to head back down, it was like 3c at the top and 30c at the bottom! Back in Interlaken we had dinner on Harder Kulm and i talked Mad into some chips for supper!
Next day Mad dragged me out on the bike first to see the Trummelbach falls which frightened me witless and then we foolishly climbed the 1900m plus Gr.Scheidegg road on our way to Meiringen and the road back to our beds along Brienzersee. It was a long day, not all dry which we finished off with some spaghetti in a restaurant up in the town.
We had a long way to go today but at least we have a couple of nights in a real bed to look forward to. In the way however are two high passes, the 2200m Grimsel and the 2400m Furka but first we needed to lose some weight. There is a left luggage facility at Meiringen so we left all the camping kit there before starting what turned into a very damp climb of 1500m up the Grimsel. Then after a stop for soup and hot chocolate we made a brief drop before we tackled the even higher Furka pass. it wasn't very pleasant at the top and it remained dampish all the way to Andermatt and a very welcome hot shower at our hotel. I'm watching my figure but Mad pigged out after all that effort.
The following day was appalling, we did ride up to the top of the St Gotthard pass but the weather meant we cut short the ride and ended up hanging around Andermatt, drinking coffee, watching the trains, eating and later boozing. We left Andermatt next morning under blue skies, just as well as i didn't fancy climbing another pass in the wet. Today its the 2200m Susten which we went up slowly and down very quickly! Mad reckoned we clocked over 75kph but it felt even faster. We had made good time so before collecting the camping gear we took a shufti at the Aareschluct, a narrow gorge walk. Afterwards we had a bit of a picnic before reclaiming our kit and riding on to our camp ground at Brienz ready for tomorrows visit to Ballenberg.
to be continued...
Nena Ziegler