avatarBryan Dijkhuizen

Summary

The author and their sister embarked on a memorable hike along the Eiger Trail in Switzerland, captivated by the breathtaking natural beauty and challenging terrain.

Abstract

In a recent trip to Switzerland, the author and their sister indulged in their shared passion for the country by visiting several picturesque locations, including Zurich, Bern, Oeschinen Lake, and the Eiger Trail in the Bernese Oberland region. The highlight of their journey was the hike from the top of the Eiger, which offered stunning views of Fallboden Lake and the surrounding Alpine landscape. Despite the physical demands of the hike, descending over 800 meters across 6 kilometers, the experience was enriched by encounters with wildlife and the refreshing natural water sources. The author reflects on the adventure as one of the most beautiful travel experiences, encouraging readers to sign up for updates on future travel stories.

Opinions

  • The author expresses a deep appreciation for the natural beauty of Switzerland, particularly the Eiger Trail.
  • The hike was described as surreal and unreal, emphasizing the awe-inspiring impact of the landscape on the author.
  • The author conveys a sense of wonder and privilege at witnessing the grandeur of nature, shaped over thousands of years.
  • The experience of hiking in such high terrain, reaching 2,320 meters, was a first for the author and left a lasting impression.
  • The author notes the stark temperature difference between the valley and the mountain heights, adding to the overall experience.
  • The presence of cows and the disruption by a dog are mentioned as memorable moments during the hike.
  • The author found the water from a mountain pipe to be the best they had ever tasted, highlighting the purity and freshness of the natural resource.
  • Despite the challenging aspects of the hike, such as the rocky terrain and the potential for slips, the author considers the adventure a highlight of their travel experiences.
  • The author recommends the hike to others, suggesting it is an opportunity not to be missed for those interested in travel and adventure.

We Hiked from the Most Beautiful Place in Europe, and it Took 3 Hours

You’ll get distracted by the beautiful views around you.

Image by Author: Bryan Dijkhuizen — Eiger Gletcher, Grindelwald

Last week, my sister and I traveled around Switzerland.

It’s our favorite country of all time and we can’t help it to talk about it as well. Every year we pack our stuff and travel together.

This year we set our plans on a couple of great locations such as Zürich, Bern, Oeschinenlake, and of course, The Eiger Trail in the Bernese Oberland region.

We wanted to have specific locations instead of just going to as many places as possible and hiking from the top of the Eiger was just something we had to do.

Image by Bryan Dijkhuizen (me) on Unsplash

Doesn’t that look like a photo from a movie?

It was unreal to witness such beauty, solely created by Mother Nature over the course of hundreds of thousands of years.

It all started as a vague idea of my sister, she wanted to go Hike on the Eiger Trail and I didn’t have a clue. I knew it was beautiful in that area but, until we got there I had no expectations.

To get up to the Eigergletscher you go to Grindelwald Terminal train station — from there you can get up to the mountain with a cable car.

An incredible view.

Image by Bryan Dijkhuizen

On the ground, it was around 28/29 degrees Celcius. In the sun it was incredibly hot.

But up there, cold and fresh air flowed through your face.

Image by Bryan Dijkhuizen

We had never been on such high terrain. 2,320 m (7,610 ft), that was.

Before we started our hike down to Alpiglen we took a look around us, ate our croissants, and took some pictures of this beautiful blue lake that appeared in the background called Fallboden Lake.

It was so blue.

Image by Bryan Dijkhuizen

I imagined what it felt like swimming on these heights.

But you can’t swim in that lake and we weren’t dressed for that either so we took off and followed the path alongside the Eiger North Wall down to the train station of Alpiglen.

That was more than 800 meters (0,49 miles) down over the course of 6 Kilometers (3,72 miles).

It was a tough hike but it delivered some amazing views and experiences.

Image by Bryan Dijkhuizen

The further we got down, the better the views we got.

Image by Bryan Dijkhuizen

Halfway through the hike, we stumbled upon a very cute group of cows that were just chilling and enjoying their lives.

They were so cute.

Image by Bryan Dijkhuizen

But then some Dutch couple with a dog came to ruin the peace they had. The dog started barking and the cows, frightened, started to move to another position.

That’s the moment we continued our hike.

Further down we realized there wasn’t a proper path to walk on everywhere. Random rocks and stones aren’t for everyone to walk on.

You can’t be scared of heights either.

There were definitely a couple of moments where we almost slipped away but got back on our feet.

It can be scary but if you watch out everything will be fine.

We also stumbled upon this waterfall 👇

When we were around 20 minutes away from the end of our hike my water bottle was empty. Nothing left.

I was thirsty and luckily I saw some sketchy pipe at the end of a waterfall where we could tap some water.

It was delicious.

Image by Bryan Dijkhuizen

It was cold, fresh, and the best water I had ever tasted in my life. Straight from the mountains.

Then we finally reached the end of the hike and could hop on the train back to Grindelwald.

Of course, I had to take a picture with the signs.

Image by Bryan Dijkhuizen

So when we got back at the hotel all our muscles were in pain. We aren’t really used to hiking in the mountains.

But it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever done travel-related.

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