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Gondolas, Cog Trains and Hidden Bunkers: How to feel like a 71-year-old kid

Posted by Boelk, Amy Sue - November 1, 2018 - Featured

A glimpse into the recent adventures of our Alpine Trekking Tour (by Traveler Robert Dietrich)

All the areas we visited were basically world-class ski areas, with lots of gondolas and cog railroads, which lends itself well for hiking in the Alps. The trail systems were very well developed, and the rail systems got us into some very remote and beautiful areas.


We were basically in the Alps the whole 13 days we were in Europe. Lucerne is in the foothills of the Alps and surrounded by mountains, some coming right down to the water. Mount Pilatus is about 4-5 miles outside of town and is considered Lucernes’ “home mountain” and is a major tourist attraction. You can take the steepest cog railroad in the world, a gondola or walk up to the top. Most of us took the gondola up. The very top has 4-5 areas you can walk/climb to with great views, places to eat and while we were there, some very good yodelers. Just a warning here: you do not want to hear me yodel.

They still have a section of the old city wall and many old churches and buildings, making it a great place to enjoy walking around. There are many outdoor cafes and people out after dark. I will add here that I didn’t see one mosquito in Europe and we left our hotel windows open every night for two weeks with no screens. Don’t try that in Wisconsin … the “mossies” would eat you alive. We spent four days in Lucerne, it being the largest city on Lake Lucerne.

Lake Lucerne is a jewel! I would compare it to the Puget Sound area in Washington State. You can basically take a ferry or train anywhere you want to go and there’s a picture everywhere you look. We used ferries and trains to get to three different mountain areas and gondolas to get up to where we wanted to hike. My favorite hike was from Brunnen to Sisikon, along the mountain side thru forests and farmland. The Swiss utilize as much of the mountainous areas as they can for dairy farms. We commonly saw farmers cutting hay on 30-45 degree slopes. All the cows have large bells around their necks that even tingle when they’re chewing.

All of Lake Lucerne is serviced by a scheduled system of ferryboats. On our ferryboat ride back to Lucerne from Sisikon we probably stopped at a dozen villages or rural boat dock/ticket offices, each one having their own unique design. All the ferries we used were steam driven with a 15-20′ paddle wheel on both sides. Three of them that I remember had an open engine viewing area inside on the main deck that you could watch the pistons reciprocate in and out for about a 6″ stroke. I remember one was built in 1913 and one in 1917. It was truly a joy to take the ferry back to Lucerne on a sunny day, after a very nice hike in the mountains. They also serve meals on these ferries. Can you tell I liked the Lucerne area?

From Lucerne we took two vans to Grindelwald, Switzerland … a little village in a beautiful valley, surrounded by what else, big mountains. The village is very picturesque and is very well organized for Alpine tourism and winter skiing. We tookboth trains and gondolas to get into some very nice mountain areas for hiking. I should add here, you don’t have to be a hiking maniac to enjoy these areas. We didn’t hike every day and not all our party did every hike. Like most tours, there were many options to fit everyone’s interest/energy level.

Some of our group of 20 took a walk up and above the village to get oriented. The village is nicely located across the valley from box canyon with a glacier disappearing into the clouds. This area also appears to be a retirement/second home for well-heeled Swiss.

Our next stay was in Courmayeur, Italy, located on the southern face of Mount-Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps. It’s only approx. 60 miles as the crow flies from Grindelwald, but still a 4-hour trip because of the mountainous terrain. Courmayeur is a very quaint village with lots of stone work, narrow winding streets, stairways, bridges, alleyways and slate roofs. What I wouldn’t give to sit in one of its piazzas 200-300 years ago and watch the ebb and flow of life there.

We took several hikes in the Courmayeur area. The southern slopes of Mount-Blanc are very dramatically scored by glaciers. I was scrambling over a rock moraine and came across some old World World II stone huts with some very rusty old iron beds and junk. Probably some forward troops watching the pass.

Makes one feel just like a 71-year-old kid again. While scrabbling up another rock moraine, I scared up three Ibex that had been resting among the boulders. It’s a type of goat native to the Alps. They appeared to young ones to me. It was nice to get off trail for a while. You never know what you’ll run into.

From Courmayeur, Italy we traveled to Chamonix, France, via a 5-mile tunnel thru the heart of Mount-Blanc. Chamonix is onthe northern face of Mount-Blanc and is where Alpine trekking was born with the first successful climb of Mount-Blanc in 1786. We took an orientation walk thru town on arrival and partway up the hillsides for a view of the area. Chamonix is like the other towns we stayed in, with a charming historical “Old Town,” but surrounded by the inevitable/some would say regrettable modern growth.

Thankfully all have done a good job at retaining that charm, while providing everything the traveler needs in that small “Old Town” area. They even had some whitewater rafting thru the center of town.

On our last day in Chamonix, we took a gondola part way up the north face of Mount-Blanc and hiked across the face to hotel/restaurant/museum station overlooking a glacier and took a cog railroad back down to Chamonix. The hike was basically along a series of ridges and offered some real nice views of the Chamonix valley. There was a cable station near the top. We would have gone up that far, but they are replacing the cable. I guess you just can’t go down to Menards and buy 10,000 feet of 2-inch braided steel cable for your gondola. Next time!

The following morning, we took a shuttle to Geneva and took a short flight to Zurich and then on to Chicago. Did I say it’s a long flight? Actually, we’re thinking of doing it again … slow learners I guess. That was the third time to Europe for Nubby and my first. We had a great time!

I’d like to thank the people at UWSP Adventure Tours for a job well done. I know Trevor Roark (program manager) and his people work behind the scenes to organize and support these trips. Check them out. Lastly, thanks to our very experienced tour guides Jutta Brendel and Richard Ruppel. They did a great job and made it look easy.

Ok, another trip in the books. Hope you enjoyed the ride … I sure did!

Text & Photos by Robert Dietrich (2018 Alpine Trekking Traveler)

 

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