Swiss Oberland Untour, Summer of 2001
by Bob & Doris Miller, Kingsport, TN
In January of 2000 I mentioned to the Old Timers Hiking Club that I would be willing to lead a trip (Swiss Untour) in the summer of 2001 if enough of them were interested. I defined enough as ‘2-3 couples”. To my amazement 30 members and family signed up and 28 actually made the trip. They included Ed & Nancy Shackelford, Randy & Cathie Shackelford, Tony & Jennifer Shackelford and Becky Shackelford, Waymon and Gaye Mumpower, Todd Mumpower, Lance Mumpower, Reta and April Taylor, Daryl & Carol Loyd, Dick & Gloria Lewis, Stephen Lewis, Matthew Lewis, Rick & Joy Culbertson, Bob & Anna Sherrill, Glenn & Joanne Marshall, Wayne Sparks and Bob & Doris Miller.
Tuesday, July 3
We arrived at the TriCities airport only to discover that our originating flight to Atlanta had been canceled. A few were able to get to Atlanta by other means, some were routed via Cincinnati and Paris to Zurich and the rest routed via Cincinnati and Frankfort to Zurich.Wednesday, July 4
By late afternoon most of our party had finally arrived in Kandersteg and gotten situated in our various apartments.Thursday, July 5
Partly cloudy and warm. All but three Shackelfords bad arrived and they got in later in the day. Those present took the train to Spiez for orientation by the Idyll staff, Agnes Moser and Sonja Zurbuchen. The newcomers stayed for the detailed orientation while the “alumni” went on a tour of a local castle dating from the 1400s. Later we reassembled for lunch near the orientation site. After this most of us took the train to nearby Thun and then a lake boat back to Spiez. By this time I had discovered that Doris had left our travelers checks back in Kingsport and we were short of funds. After getting back to Kandersteg, I went to a local bank to see if I could persuade them to cash a personal check for me. Before I could finish my “spiel’, the banker noted my VISA card and said they could give me money on it. We got $500 in Swiss francs and this turned out to be sufficient cash for the remainder of the trip. We had a light supper in our apartment, the Klopfenstein Lower, and got to bed early.Friday, July 6
After a light breakfast, Bob got off to lead a group to Murren. Doris had an upset stomach and remained “home”. We took the train to Spiez, changed and went to Interlaken, changed again and went to Lauterbrunnen. There we caught a funicular train steeply up the mountainside to Grutschalp. From there we hiked about 4 miles along a shoulder of the mountain to Murren. Had lunch there and then walked to the western edge of the town to catch a two-stage gondola down to Steckelberg in the valley below. From there it was an easy, and relatively flat, hike of another 4 miles back to Lauterbrunnen. We returned to Kandersteg by the reverse route.Saturday, July 7
Today was to have been our optional Idyll outing to bike along the southern edge of the Aletsch Gletscher (glacier), the longest one in Europe. However, the weather was marginal and we all went instead to Domodossola, Italy for a visit and lunch. There we encountered a rather violent thunderstorm with torrential rain. Had planned to go to the Corona Ristorante for lunch, but the rain was coming down so hard, we settled for another restaurant nearer to the train station. Also because of the bad weather we missed the opportunity to take one leg of our trip over the fabulous Simplon Pass highway, a marvel of Swiss planning engineering and constructionSunday, July 8
Another cloudy day with occasional sprinkles. We let the rest of the group do their own thing while we slept late. Had a nice breakfast of orange juice, barn, eggs, grits (Yes, GRITS. We brought our own.), toast and coffee. Later we walked across town to the Oeschinensee chair lift and took it to the top of the mountain. From there it was a hike of about 1.5 miles to the actual lake, a beautiful deep blue set against towering mountains on all sides. Had lunch by the lake at the Oeschinensee Hotel which dates from 1890. The Swiss must be the most optimistic hoteliers in the world. They put hotels or restaurants in the most remote spots one can imagine, some even in spots that are completely closed off through the winter because of inaccessibility. Came back to the apartment by the reverse route and lazed for the rest of the day.Monday, July 9
Today was an optional Idyll outing to a cheesemakers chalet high in the mountains near Griesalp. We took a minibus from Reichenback The last mile or so was up a narrow, twisting road with a 28% grade! Before starting our hike to the cheesemakers chalet, we held a ceremony and made Idyll staffers Agnes Moser and Sonja Zurbuchen honorary members of the OTHC by awarding them club tee shirts. Then it was off to see the cheese making process.The cheese was being prepared in a 300 liter copper cauldron over an open fire. Once it was ready, the lady cheese maker dipped a large square of cheese cloth into the hot mixture and withdrew several gallons of curds which were put into a round form and pressed to remove remaining whey. Later we visited the cheese storage area in a cool basement room. The rounds of cheese, which are about 18 inches in diameter and 4-6 inches thick, have to be scrubbed with brine each day to insure formation of a bard crust. It is know as “Bergkaese” (that is mountain cheese). Early in the season a cheese known as mutschli (sp?) is made. It does not cure well and needs to be eaten fairly soon. The Bergkaese can and does age for a year or more. En route back to Griesalp we stopped and had lunch on the patio of the Golderli Hotel. At Griesalp many of us elected to bike down the mountain (about a mile) following a large stream with almost constant roaring cataracts It was spectacular.
Tuesday, July 10
Earlier in the tour I had worried a bit about having enough outings arranged for the group, but once they learned the transportation system, they were off in all directions on their own. Today Doris and I along with the four Mumpowers decided to take the Grandmother Walk. We took the previous route to Lauterbrunnen, but this time instead of the funicular train, we took a narrow gage cog railroad steeply up the opposite mountainside to the village of Wengen. After a bit of shopping there, we took a gondola car some 2700 feet up to the crest of the Mannlichen ridge. Had lunch at a restaurant there and then biked 3 miles on a wide and fairly flat path to Kleine Scheidegg where we caught a train back via Grindelwald to Kandersteg.Wednesday, July 11
This was the day we visited the Gasternal, a remote valley just southeast of Kandersteg with high snowcapped mountains on each side. It was necessary to have reservations on the minibus which was caught at the bahnhof. There was a fairly steep climb to the mouth of the valley along a narrow twisting road and through a tunnel just big enough to allow the bus through. We rode to Selden (about 6 miles), which is the furthest up the valley that public transportation is available.From there we hiked back about one half mile to the ancestral family chalet of Mr. Walter Holzer who is one of the Idyll hosts and with whom one of our couples was staying. Through prior arrangements, Mr. Holzer had agreed to meet us there, give us a history of the valley and chalet and also a tour of the chalet. The earliest pert of the chalet was built in 1615 and had been in his family for over 100 years. Mr. Holzer was made an honorary member of the OTHC by the awarding of a club cap. Some rode the bus back to town while the others hiked. Along the way we stopped at the Waldhaus Hotel for lunch. The “tageteller” (blue plate special) was schnitzel with french fries and a crisp salad for 18 Swiss francs.