His Royal Orangeness Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit wait for the train to Kleine Scheidegg.
Today HRO Karl Willem, PA/PR Gromit, and The Nashman went for a leisurely down mountain walk from Kleine Scheidegg (2061m) to the valley village of Lauterbrunnen (796m). This is an easy walk that even Stephen Hawking can do with a regular wheelchair and it took us 4 hours to get to Stechelberg (922m) where we rode a hair raising cable car all the way to the top of Schilthorn (2971m). On the peak of Schilthorn is a revolving restaurant which was used as the shagedelic set of the Lazenby Bond Movie "In her majesty's secret service". It's also the starting point for the aptly named Inferno downhill ski race. As if the main pistes weren't scary enough, I saw two skiers gliding off piste on the very steep south-western face. Ah, 'tis is the life.......
Guten morgen HRO Karl Willem und PA/PR Gromit. We take our mandatory morning coffee at Kleine Scheiddeg with sweeping views of the valley and the imposing North Face of the Eiger on our right. English polar explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes successfully climbed it two weeks earlier at the ripe age of 63. This, after he found Everest not steep enough to cure him of his severe vertigo. I'm envious. But I have 42 more years to attempt it myself.
...also, they were preparing the stage for Snowpenair. A high altitude concert headlined by Bryan Adams. (Sadly this was on the night I was going somewhere else. It would have been nice to sing along to the classic "Ibriting I du, I du it por yu".)
HRO Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit and the Jungfrau.....
HRO Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit taking a rest. We didn't have a map of any sort but you have to try really hard (or be so dumb) to find yourself lost in Switzerland. The tracks are always signposted at every junction.
HRO Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit above the village of Lauterbrunnen. Those sheer rock walls are impressive up close.
HRO Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit, because it was already late in the day, wait for the bus to the village of Stechelberg....
...where they took the cable car to Gimmelwald (1400m), then to Murren (1634m), then to Birg (2676m).....
....changing at Birg to get to Schilthorn....(cue Bond theme). These are the most exciting cable car rides I have ever taken, not because of the dizzying heights, but because the cable sags so much.
Alpine choughs (Pyrrhocorax graculus) perform an impressive fly past behind HRO Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit upon their arrival at the peak.
Afternoon merienda. Carrot and iced tea with "swiss cannabis" that came out of a vending machine. In reality, this only contains harmless hemp seeds (no sativa at all, hence no THC!) to give that weed flavour. I feel cheated.
These alpine choughs are very very tame....impressive as it is to find them high up in the alps.
...the very exciting downhill ride to Birg.
After a half day of walking and an easy ascent up one peak to marvel at the views, HRO Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit take the train to Zweilutschinen then back up to Grindelwald.
After dinner, I went night window shopping. I was thinking of getting a swiss knife and couldn't decide which of the two official makers to get - a Victorinox or a Wenger. Then this Wenger caught my attention.....I think it even has a built in USB memory drive. MacGyver would have multiple orgasms just looking at it. But seriously, I've never found the need for such gear. I've never been out hiking where I had to say "Quick! We're all going to die unless someone can hand me a cuticle clipper!"
Before sleeping, HRO Karl Willem gave me an early birthday gift. We had cheesecake and a superb Platinum (Amarone & Recioto) grappa chosen by HRO Karl Willem. PA/PR Gromit got us a table at the very popular C&M Cafe und mehr. After two days, The Nashman was well tanned at and, ehem, caught the eye of a group of girls who....