The Summer of Switzerland

Sunday, June 26 2011 

We’ve seen our share of other countries this year but arguably the greatest in Europe is just under our nose!  It would be a crime not to fully explore this beautiful country and that’s what we are setting out to do this summer.

What better way to start this exploration than an amazing alpine hike?  Last summer we made a friend named Andre – hiker, explorer, and all around outdoorsman (he’s the one who let us borrow the hiking book which informed us of the Hornli Hut hike we did last September).  Through each of our busy schedules, it took us nearly a year to connect again, but one day he sent out an email asking if we’d like to join him in a segment of his goal to complete the Via Alpina “green” hiking trail.  Of course, that sounds amazing! 

You’re probably not familiar with Via Alpina (we weren’t either).  From our research, we’ve learned that the Via Alpina is a network of European hiking trails that spans over 3,000 miles, runs through eight countries, and is considered the best hiking in Europe, if not the entire world.  There are five different color-coded trails which outline logical beginning-to-end points across the network of trails, and Andre is set on completing the green trail that practically spans across the length of Switzerland.  We were more than happy to help him check off another one of the 19 stages of the trail. 

Along with Andre and us, Dave’s director from Expedia, also named David, (who is also a friend of Andre’s) was able to join us as well.  The four of us got an early start from Geneva on Sunday morning, taking the 7am train east toward Gstaad, the start of the trail.  You can always tell when it’s going to be a clear day based on the visibility of the lower Alps across the east shore of lake Geneva.  As we relaxed on the train, seeing nothing but blue skies, we knew we were in for a good day.

We arrived in Gstaad and got our bearings straight (more accurately, Andre got his bearings straight, we followed), and got ready to set out.  One of the best things about hiking in Switzerland is that they make it so easy (aside from the strenuous walking part).  As you can see in the yellow sign below, every trail is well-marked (we were taking the "1" trail) and towns are clocked out with estimated ETAs (the times are clocked by volunteer senior citizens… which makes for a pretty humbling experience when you finish slower than the suggested time).  Additionally you never have to take more than one or two liters capacity of water with you because there are water spouts like the one you see below, every few of miles on the trail (even in remote locations). 

 

Enough logistics – time to hike.  Honestly, the best way to describe what we did is to just show the pictures.  It’s truly like no other hikes we’ve ever experienced – picturesque peaks and valleys that just seem too perfect.  In addition to all the magical scenery, one of the best parts about hiking in Switzerland is the taste of traditional Swiss culture.  The most recognizable form of this is the random cow spottings (actually, because of the bells you usually hear them before you see them).  There isn’t much that can bring a quicker smile to your face than to be seemingly in the middle of nowhere and all of a sudden hear the clambering bells of some Alp cows who are roaming virtually free, thousands of feet above the valleys below.  What a life!

If the scenery and the cows weren’t enough, how about stumbling across an old-fashioned fromagerie (cheese maker)?  This is something we had hoped we would come across while living in Switzerland.  We. Love. Cheese.  In fact, we may or may not have 9 different types of cheese in our fridge right this second (yes, we have a problem).  We won’t pretend to know a lot about the cheese making process, but we don’t think many cheese makers do it like this place anymore, with a giant old-fashioned caldron of fresh milk boiling above a wood fireplace and cows waiting to be milked in the next room.  Luckily for us there was one person who spoke English (and she was super friendly) so we were able to learn all about their cheese-making process.  What an experience to see.  We also were able to do some taste tests and purchased some to take home with us!  How often does one come across an authentic cheese-hut in the mountains?  Such an unexpected treat. 

   

The rest of the hike was more classic Switzerland.  When we were almost to the highest point of the hike we ran across another fromagerie (although this one was more modern and didn’t appear to be in operation that day) with a dog friend for Ang, ice cold water for a quick dip, and a “trophy case” of bells from their cows’ greatest hits hanging on the porch.  

The very peak of the hike brought us to the border between the German-speaking canton Bern, and French-speaking canton Vaud.  We stuck with English on both sides.  :)

Almost eight hours after the beginning of our journey we reached L’Etivaz, the end of the segment, and Andre worked his navigational magic to get us on the next train home.  

In the end, here are the stats of the hike: 2,700 feet in elevation gain (and loss) over the course of 10 miles.  We officially completed 5% of the Via Alpina green trail, just a taste of what we hope to continue this summer!