Extravaganza in Interlaken

Friday, June 1 – Sunday, June 3  2012

We’ve enjoyed a lot of great people in Switzerland, especially those that we met or got to know better through work.  We made special connections with a few couples that have appeared in previous blogs.  You may remember Mike & Michelle and Travers & Megan from our trip to Zermatt this past winter (among other trips), Goran & RaeAnne from our Marrakech trip last March, and also Jana from our Cologne trip this past Christmas.  With our time in Geneva drawing to a close we all decided to have one last hurrah and take a trip to Interlaken.  Why Interlaken?  Well, last year Mike, Michelle, Travers, and Megan took a trip to Interlaken and experienced canyoning for the first time – and were convinced it was the perfect way to send us off, back home.

We all left Geneva on Friday after work and once we arrived, made our way to the Balmers Tent Village.  This was another “must do” from their previous canyoning trip.  We have to admit we were skeptical when we saw the 17 CHF price per night in a country that charges about the same for a Big Mac meal.  However, upon arrival we were pleasantly surprised at the perfect setting (nestled in a valley with views of Switzerland’s best peaks), relaxing atmosphere (check out the numerous hammocks and hot tub), and fun activities (see the  odd-ball bike and basketball hoop).  We felt like kids again! 

The rooms themselves were nothing to brag about (although we did get the only tent with ‘decorations’ - the “Toronto” tent – check out that Canadian flag), but it was a comfortable sleep, which is all that matters.  Really the only complaint we had was the lack of noise control when around 3am on both nights a couple loud (drunk) idiots decided to wake up the entire campground.  I guess we should expect a little bit of that when staying at an outdoor hostel. 

That night we all went to Hooters for dinner (yep, it’s an international sensation) because it’s one of Mike & Michelle’s favorite guilty pleasures… for the wings! :)  We made it an early night because the canyoning shuttle was picking us up Saturday morning around 7am!

You’ve been very patient, waiting for us to explain exactly what canyoning is. :)  Well, it’s a little bit like it sounds.  It involves a canyon and the process of making your way through it by various means – jumping, sliding, repelling, and zip-lining.  Apparently the best way to summarize this combined effort is just to call it “canyoning.”  On last year’s trip the group did the medium difficulty course and decided that we should all try the hard course this year.  We all agreed to the plan, even though the website said this course was for thrill-seekers who like 30-foot cliff jumps and who are not faint of heart.  Not to say we are way off from fitting that mold, but Ang has always been wary of jumping off tall heights and the video clip we watched ahead of time had a few daunting moments.

It didn’t help our confidence when the instructors, noticing that our group was oversized, tried to scare a few people off through a stern welcome speech about the dangers of canyoning and if we had any second thoughts that we should “get the F&@$ out.”  He also explained that we needed to be able to jump from a 30-foot height and hit a target the size of a backpack.  Hmmm.  Less confident at this point, but not wanting to wuss out, we charged ahead.  Hopefully we made the right decision…

We gathered wet suits, helmets, boots and special socks, and loaded up in the van.  After a 2-hour drive, we arrived at our drop-off point, suited up and descended into the canyon. 

Our uneasiness was soon tested as we started off with the highest jump in the canyon.  As part of the initial cuss out / instructions, the guides told us “not to f&@$ up” and that when they say, “jump,” we need to jump without hesitation.  While this was intimidating to hear, it turned out to be best way to go—we didn’t really have the chance to over-think it.  Plus we knew there was no turning back, so we really had no choice but to jump, etc.  As a result, Ang felt she conquered some of her timidness with jumping off heights.  The guides, although very rough around the edges, were great—they were encouraging and as long as you listened carefully to their instructions for every move, you felt you were in good hands.

Their instructions really were key though—sometimes we had to jump and tuck, other times slide with arms in a certain direction, all to prevent injury.  One jump involved the guide giving us each a push as we jumped so that we could bounce off a rock wall in order to hit the water below in the right spot. (!)  Miraculously, we all made it out with only minor bumps, bruises and soreness.

We were extremely thankful for the thick wetsuits—not only for the extra padding—but also because the water was so unbelievably cold.

You may be asking how we got so many photos – well, along with the two guides that led us through the canyon there was also a photographer taking pictures of everyone and selling them at the end (for a large price).  We bit the bullet for you, faithful readers, so that you could get the whole experience. ;)  Obviously we are thrilled at how they turned out – here are some highlights. 

At one of the jumps we were told to try a flip.  Since neither of us had attempted a flip in our lives, this was going to be interesting. :)  The instructor did a great job of explaining the mechanics of a backflip.  Somehow he miraculously convinced Ang it was a good idea so we both tested it out.  As you can see below we had less than perfect outcomes. :)  While Ang made the full rotation, she forgot the whole jumping part – and while Dave soared off the ledge, he forgot the whole tucking part and landed flat on his face.  Put the two of us together and you would have one fine flip!

We jumped, climbed, waded, slid, swam, repelled, and zip-lined our way for about 4 hours through the canyon.  By the end we were weary and exhilarated all at the same time.  We ended the trip with some Swiss cheese and beer.  In a couple of hours we were back into Interlaken, still exchanging stories from an exiting day.

After canyoning we spent the afternoon and early evening relaxing and enjoying the tent village atmosphere.  Later that evening we all went out to celebrate, starting with some mediocre Mexican food (not sure why we kept trying for Mexican food in Europe) before ending the evening at a dance club (we wouldn’t expect anything less with Travers at the helm). :) 

Sunday morning we packed up our things and said goodbye to Balmers.  While it wasn’t the last time we saw everyone, it was the last trip we all took as a group and a really fun way to be sent off.   We took the train back home to Geneva and started off our last month in Europe.