Thanks to Rail Europe, the first stamp on my new passport that comes equipped with a RFID (radio-frequency identification) so the government can always track my movements was from Switzerland. They flew a group of journalists out to attend a press conference for the upcoming 100-year anniversary in 2012 of the Jungfrau Railway, which is Europe's highest-altitude railway station at 3,454 metres (11,333 ft.) above sea level.
In addition to the press conference, over the course of the trip, we had an opportunity to visit cities like Vevey, Gruyeres, and Interlaken. The one constant wherever we went was how beautiful and scenic the country was, with snow-capped mountains, sprawling hills, and picturesque lakes. Given that the activities for the trip were very hiking-focused, much of my time was spent outdoors. These are some of the highlights of my visit to Switzerland.
Thanks to Rail Europe, the first stamp on my new passport that comes equipped with a RFID (radio-frequency identification) so the government can always track my movements was from Switzerland. They flew a group of journalists out to attend a press conference for the upcoming 100-year anniversary in 2012 of the Jungfrau Railway, which is Europe's highest-altitude railway station at 3,454 metres (11,333 ft.) above sea level.
In addition to the press conference, over the course of the trip, we had an opportunity to visit cities like Vevey, Gruyeres, and Interlaken. The one constant wherever we went was how beautiful and scenic the country was, with snow-capped mountains, sprawling hills, and picturesque lakes. Given that the activities for the trip were very hiking-focused, much of my time was spent outdoors. These are some of the highlights of my visit to Switzerland.
Vineyards in Lavaux
H.R. Giger Museum
Journey to the Jungfraujoch a.k.a. "Top of Europe"
After arriving in Interlaken, which was by far my favorite of the cities we visited, as well as where I stayed the longest, they took us on a tour to Jungfraujoch, which was over 11,000 feet up, and ridiculously cold at the top.
The trip to what is called the "Top of Europe" offered some spectacular views. We rode up in the modern cog wheel train that stopped at two intermediate stations, the Eigerwand (Eiger Wall) and Eismeer (Sea Of Ice), on way up. I will say this, the conductors are definitely efficient. At each stop, you have just enough time to snap some photos and go to the bathroom before they were hustling everyone back onto the train. Once we got to the top of the mountain, there was a 13.6 mile ice stream, an Ice Palace, and plenty of places to look at the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland. We were able to watch and take pictures from various vantage terraces and also do ziplinging, which I did for the first time ever.
Gliding and Scooter Biking Down the First Mountain in Grindelwald
We took six-seat gondolas on the way up First Mountain. We headed pretty high up because we made four different stops before finally reaching the top. Once there, we went for a hike and then had lunch. The way back down the mountain was probably the most fun I had on the whole trip. From the top of First down to Schrecukfeld, we were individually strapped into a suspended cable called the First Flyer, and then glided down. It was very similar to a zipline. The rest of the way down we rode these scooter-bikes that go pretty fast considering the paths leading down the mountain. I had to brake pretty frequently to ensure that I didn’t crash and to make sure I made turns.
Canyoning in the Alpine Gorge of the Saxeten River
I had no idea what canyoning was before this trip. Well, it involves wetsuits, lifejackets, a helmet, being lowered down a 135-foot wall into the canyon by rope, sliding down rocks, ziplining, and jumping into some arctic water (I'm exaggerating, but it was definitely cold). One jump was from 30 feet and knocked the wind out of me. We actually had the option to do a jump from a lower height, but I decided to try the higher one for no good reason, especially considering I'm scared of heights. Of course, once I got to the platform, one of our guides could see the fear in my face because he barked on me military-style to make sure I really wanted to do the jump. At that point, fully emasculated, I just decided to go through with it. As a whole, canyoning was easily the most physically taxing thing I did on this trip. Mind you, this is the same canyon where 21 tourists were tragically killed in 1999 when a flash flood happened. Of course, they waited to tell us this interesting tidbit until after we were done.