Day 5
Due to cloudy and rainy conditions we decided to trade our scheduled free day in for a group tour of Trummelbach Falls and a guided walk along the valley floor with our guide Nica.
A couple cable car rides later we arrived back on the valley floor and headed towards Trummelbach Falls. We arrived at the falls in time for opening in order to beat the crowds of other tourists. We ascended the tunnel lift and stairways that make Trummelbach Falls accessible to the public in order to view the ten glacier waterfalls inside the mountain core as we descended back towards the ground floor. Trummelbach is responsible for draining the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau glaciers, making it a mighty sight to see.
After our visit to Trummelbach Falls we took a walking tour as a group along the valley floor, ending in the town of Lauterbrunnen. We viewed beautiful landscapes and Swiss homes along the valley floor, along with a variety of livestock.
When we arrived in the town of Lauterbrunnen at the end of our walking tour we slipped into a local diner to escape the rain and fog. There we enjoyed our first rosti, a famous local dish packed with what else but....CHEESE!
Later on, after our rosti settled, we made our way back up to Murren where we decided to take a hike to the tiny village of Gimmewald to enjoy more of the charming Swiss scenery and hopefully spot a few more friendly cows along the way. Gimmewald retains its historic beauty and charm due to the residents forward thinking in declaring the village an avalanche zone, there by ensuring no dwellings larger than single family home would ever be built in the area. While in Gimmewald we stopped to buy some homemade Swiss cheese, on the honor system we simply picked out our cheese fresh from the fridge and left our money in the tin provided. The only downside to our hike to Gimmewald was the long trek back up...we unknowingly missed the last cable car back to Murren. Needless to say the cozy lobby of the Hotel Jungfrau was a welcome site to our aching feet.
Before turning in for the night Stephen enjoyed some of the wild game at a local restaurant and I indulged in a pizza at the local Italian restaurant. That night we went to bed, crossed our fingers and our toes, hoping that the next morning would bring clear skies, allowing us to venture up the Schilthorn for some amazing views of the Alps.
Copyright 2016 Karly Eller