Switzerland, 9.6.16 - 9.17.16, Part 10 of 13: The Eiger Trail
Each morning in Grindelwald, I woke up and the first thing I did was go outside on the balcony to watch the sunrise. Our last full day in this beautiful place was no different. The sun would just kiss the top of the peaks across from us and then slowly bathe the faces in brilliant light. If anyone wonders whether it is worth a little more to get a room with a view, the answer here is a resounding YES!
Sunrise on the Feischerhorner. This imposing face was directly across from our room.
Our hotel was situated right by the town church and throughout the day we would get the church bells ringing each half hour. At six each evening it would chime for awhile and I wasn’t quite sure why.
Town church in front of the Eiger
Once again the forecast called for increasing clouds throughout the day but just like all the other days, we had gorgeous weather all day. In order to start on the Eiger Trail we had to take the same cog railway we had taken the previous day back up to Kleine Scheidegg. This suited Bridgit and Dana well because they had unfinished business with the merchants up there. At Kleine Scheidegg we said goodbye and Gina, Bob and I boarded the Jungfraubahn just to go up a few hundred feet higher to the Eigergletscher station.
The hike on the Eiger Trail was one of the most enjoyable hikes I have ever been on. First of all, it was mostly level with a few ups and downs so it was extremely easy hiking. We already knew that the hike was considered a two hour trip so I was determined to hike very slowly, soak up every view and take advantage of every photo op I came across. I wanted take this last day to reflect on all the beauty I had witnessed. We must have all felt that way because although we hiked together, we didn’t do a lot of talking, each in their own thoughts.
Gina and Bob at the beginning of the Eiger Trail
The trail started out by climbing a bit up towards the wall of the Nordwand - the north face of the Eiger. Behind us the Jungfrau climbed into the sky. The vertical relief of these mountains is hard to comprehend until you actually stand underneath a peak like the Jungfrau or the Eiger.
The Jungfrau
Another interesting view was to the west where we could see the area we visited on our first day which seemed like centuries earlier.
From the Eiger Trail looking west across the Lauterbrunnen valley to Murren and the Schilthorn. The Schilthorn is perched on top of the dark brown peak to the right of center in the photo. It’s hard to tell in this photo but Murren hangs on the edge of huge cliffs that drop down out of sight to Lauterbrunnen.
Our hike took us directly underneath the Nordwand which from our vantage point was not one big cliff but a series of faces, making it impossible to see the actual summit. Along the way, the most prominent feature was the awe-inspiring Wetterhorn, so beautiful with jagged ridges and its prominent north face.
We were mostly hiking in the cool shade of the morning. I knew from experience that when you shoot photos into sunlight from the shade, it is a perfect scenario for getting silhouettes. I would wait until we came to a ridge line, of which there were many. Then I had Gina and Bob stand on the edge of the ridge line, preferably with their bodies framed against the sky and shoot several frames at different exposures. I was extremely pleased with the results.
Gina and Bob and the Wetterhorn. I absolutely love this photograph, which turned out even more dramatic as a monochrome.
For this one I saw the shot in my mind, set up the exposure and then had Bob take the photo after I went ahead.
Grindelwald. Could there be a more idyllic place, nestled in the valley with the Eiger and the Wetterhorn standing guard?
The ridge north of Grindelwald. Left to right: Schynigge Platte, The Faulhorn, First.
A cairn is a pile of rocks. Used to guide the way on boulder fields and long stretches of rock scree where no trail can be seen, they are now commonplace all over the world whether they are necessary or not. I happen to think they have their own esthetic beauty so I take pictures of cairns whenever I come across them if they present a scene worth capturing.
I’m carin’ about the cairn
This is just a typical mountain scene but I liked it because it has sheep grazing on the mountainside.
Bob on the trail
As we hiked along the base of the Eiger, we also got to a spot where we could look up and see the five windows of the Eigerwand station where the Jungfraujoch stops (and Clint Eastwood drops) way up on the cliff face. After that we came to a lovely waterfall pouring off the Eiger which carved a rock gorge we crossed over further down the trail.
The last stretch before dropping down
Once we had traversed across the entire north face of the Eiger, the trail dropped in a series of switchbacks down to Alpiglen station. We were just completely aglow and almost in disbelief at how incredible our week had been. A toast was in order!
To the Alps!
For lunch I had to order another Rösti with egg. This time it had bacon inside and melted Gruyere cheese on top. Was it better than the one I had the previous day? Hmm, I can’t remember. Maybe I should go back and try them both again to jog my memory.
So good!
Next in line is Part 11: From Grindelwald to Zermatt.