Four Days Between Lakes

June 2015

Switzerland was a blur. Having only four days to spare, my best friend Shannon and I packed our schedule with activities.

Getting there from Italy was a bit of an adventure in and of itself. Shannon and I ended up taking separate trains as there was not sufficient space on the one from Venice to Brig. We both had layovers in Milan where we would be required to print our e-tickets and switch trains. This is where things began to go a little haywire.

My thirty minute layover was reduced to fifteen minutes when my train arrived late. It took five minutes to get to the ticket office and it was, of course, overflowing with people. Unsure of what to do, as there was no way I was going to get through that line and to my platform on time, I asked one of the attendants. I will forever love that man; when he heard I only had ten minutes, he whisked me to the front of the line and got me on my way with six minutes to spare.

Granted Milan isn’t a quaint little one platform train station…so I RAN…in sandals…huge pack on my back…small pack on my chest…shouting, “Scusi! Scusi!” I swear I looked like a crazy person, but the important thing was that I made it to my train.

Upon arriving in Interlaken, which means between lakes, we instantly had a good feeling. The city itself was positioned amid two pristine lakes in a flat valley surrounded by mountains, some of which, in the middle of summer, remained snow-capped. Brienzersee, one of the lakes, is fed by glacier water and connects to Thunersee through a swift river that passes base of Harder Kulm. Paragliders and hang-gliders rode the thermals high above and in the distance the peak of Jungfrau—the highest point in Europe—could be seen nestled between two other mountains.

There were traffic circles, loads of buses, and a few scattered cars because most everyone was biking or walking. Perhaps the most notable thing was that EVERYONE stopped for pedestrians. Even when you were still several feet from the corner, drivers would stop and patiently wait for you to cross. As I’ve been hit in a crosswalk before, this courtesy made me extremely happy.

Our hostel, Tent Village, was assembled on a wide grassy area near the edge of town. There were no permanent structures, only tents that housed several sets of bunk beds, a pop up Jacuzzi and pool, ping pong tables, hammocks, and a bar, of course. It just so happens we arrived on the day of their annual “Extreme Sports Guide Party.” All of the tour guides living in or around Interlaken came to hangout with the tourists and help themselves to a free meal.

One of the guides was a fun-loving, bulky-mountain man from South Africa, who I was definitely enamored with. Thor, as we nick-named him (never did remember his real name), told us about his nomadic lifestyle. For the past fourteen years he has spend four months guiding in Switzerland and the rest of the year in Chile.

When the party ended at ten we relocated to a local bar, Interlaken (possibly all of Switzerland) has a law forbidding outdoor noise after ten. It was interesting because most of the bars were underground to prevent the sound from carrying; bars that broke the noise policy were often shut down early.

One of the Americans we met at the hostel knew how to two-step. Unfortunately, he was a bit drunk and slammed my neck into the edge of a table the first time he dipped me. Other than the throbbing sensation that followed, it was an excellent night.

The following morning we rose with the sun to embark on our canyoning tour. To say it was epic would be doing it an injustice.

It was beyond epic! Canyoning is a mix of rock climbing, rappelling, jumping off waterfalls, sliding down rocks, and wading through frigid glacier water. The highest jump was 30m; the guides told us where to land for safety reasons. We also slid over the edge of a waterfall and got lowered down the rest of the way, because an outright jump would definitely kill you. Although the guides were diligent about telling us what to do, they were not overprotective, trusting us not to be stupid.

The outdoor activities continued the next morning with a climb up Harder Kulm, one of the mountains surrounding Interlaken. To our delight trees and the occasional cool breeze helped guard us against the sweltering heat of day. However, it was an unwritten rule that the higher we climbed, the sweatier we got.

Before our final assent the path opened onto a small ridge with two wooded benches. We could see Thunersee (one of the two lakes) and the jumping point for all the paragliders. I could have stayed there resting in the shade all day, were it not for the alluring pull of a cold beverage at the top of the mountain. Five minutes later we were sitting under red and white umbrellas, sipping water and beer, and gazing out on the valley below.

After the hike we bought meat, bread, veggies, and beer at the market, before heading to the shores of Brienzersee for a bonfire with our host for the rest of our stay, Timon. As we failed to think ahead and bring things like a pan, plates, or a cutting board, we resorted to improvising. I found a couple flat stones on the beach: one we used to cut cucumber and bread, the other was tossed into the fire to roast the meat. Shannon made us plates out of bread slices, and Timon threw the beer into a pool of glacier water to chill.

Despite the bite of the water I took a short swim, glad to finally rinse the sweat of the hike from my skin. The air was warm when I emerged so I joined the others by the fire to drip-dry while we finished off the last of our supper. We sat on the beach until the stars disappeared behind clouds of a coming storm. Then we relocated to the covered porch at Timon’s house and talked into the wee hours of the night.

In the morning we borrowed bikes from Timon’s family and the three of us journey across town to the shores of Thunersee. We staked out a shaded grassy spot for a picnic lunch and then Timon led us to a small stream where we swam and laid out in the sun.

As the day drifted by Timon elected to head home, while Shannon and I rented a kayak and took off onto the smooth waters of Thunersee. We found a quaint bay partway across the lake where we parked our kayak and took a dip in the cool turquoise waters. It was a leisurely active day, full of peace and beautiful appreciation for the moment.

Dark clouds moved into the valley and we took it as a sign to make for shore. It wasn’t long before the clear, tranquil waters transformed into grey-black waves that jostling the boat like a child’s toy. I can’t deny that part of me was concerned for our safety, however we did survive and had a grand voyage in the process.

We barely made it back to Timon’s house when the sky ripped apart and began unleashing buckets of rain. That evening we prepared dinner for Timon, to the flash of lightning and pound of thunder. Although our stay was brief, it was full of adventure, deep conversation, and memorable moments.