An adventure travel vacation is a great way to explore your world. Join a group of fun individuals who share your interests as we go on a day trek in the Alps. Enjoy a little taste of Switzerland.
Up, Up, and Away
After consuming a hearty breakfast, we leave for the trailhead. It’s close to our conveniently located inn, so we take a leisurely stroll – greeting friendly residents and store owners along the method.
We board a brilliant red cable television automobile that blends us soaring above the valley to a far away peak. Among your buddies excitedly nudges you, “Look, marmots!”. We look at a trio of cuddly creatures gazing back at us from the rockface – so close we feel we might connect and touch them.
We disembark at a strong rock and lumber mountain station – now serene, this station hosts a clattering mass of skiers throughout the winter season.
Clean Mountain Air and Emerald Lakes
Carpets of wildflowers surround us. Gentle cows graze the alpine grasses – serenading us with a pleasant tinkle of bells.
A winding course leads us through hillocks of glacial moraine, now cloaked in a remarkable green, to the edge of a startlingly gorgeous emerald lake. The nearby mountains assess its surface area.
We make a brief stop to admire this natural jewel. Some of our group rattles on around the tiny lake – others lay back and delight in the calmness.
Treking Amongst Towering Peaks
Our path continues along a high mountain valley bordered by towering snow-capped peaks. Lovely Alpenroses form a beautiful rolling heath. We tramp across a small snowfield – its coolness underfoot contrasts with the remarkable warmth of the alpine sun.
We spy a cairn ahead with the familiar red-and-white trail marking painted on one of its rocks. Rounding a corner we identify our lunchtime location in the range – a strong Berghaus outgrowing the surrounding rocks.
Lunching on the Sonnenterrasse
As we settle ourselves on a rustic, sun-drenched Sonnenterrasse, an alluring odor of frying onions and sausages welcomes us. Lunch is hearty mountain fare – plates heaped with Rosti mit Spiegeleier und Speck (a splendidly golden, crispy fried potato pancake with egg and bacon) – served by a flaxen-haired woman in a traditional, powdery-blue farmer’s smock.
We clean down our scrumptious lunch with bottles of local beer and gaze out across a huge glacier winding its way down in between 2 peaks and shining in the sunlight.
Spectacular Views
Well sated, we restore our path and quickly find ourselves breaking out onto a sloping hillside – affording us spectacular views of the valley far below. We see a small hamlet throughout the valley, its sun-burned houses and barns surround a main church spire. A huge mountain rears up behind this tranquil scene.
Gradually dropping down a gentle course, we enter a straggle of dwarf pine. We’re welcomed by a pungent fragrance that reminds us of the tidiness of this wonderful environment. The afternoon sun is acquiring strength and it’s a best time for us to get in the cool loaminess of the lower forest. We follow the edge of a cascading glacier-fed creek – its frostiness refreshes the air around us.
Warm Sun and the Smell of Hay
We clatter throughout an ancient wood bridge – its surface well used by generations of cows being driven to Alpine meadows. In the lower pastures, regional farmers are collecting the hay with big wood rakes.
The relaxing smell of hay and the warmth of the sun has put us into a peaceful, lazy state of mind. We beeline to the nearby Konditorei to debate our most significant decision of the day – is it to be the daintily glazed apricot torte, the decadent chocolate mousse with lashings of whipped cream, or the conventional (and oh so delicious) Engadiner Nusstorte.
We relax in a comfortable nook and alleviate today’s experiences.
Relaxing Back at the Inn
We amble back to our welcoming inn – a fun time for relaxed expedition of the local stores. Back at the inn, some members catch up on reading in the inn’s remarkable wood-paneled library – others send out postcards or nap in the warm afternoon sun.
Later on, we’ll see as the sun paints the mountains with golden color. An experience travel vacation in Switzerland is a fantastic experience.
Tomorrow, we set off on another lovely adventure.
We board an intense red cable television cars and truck that blends us soaring above the valley to a far away peak. We look at a trio of cuddly creatures staring back at us from the rockface – so close we feel we could reach out and touch them.
Gentle cows graze the alpine turfs – serenading us with a joyful tinkle of bells. Well sated, we regain our trail and soon discover ourselves breaking out onto a sloping hillside – affording us sensational views of the valley far below. The afternoon sun is acquiring strength and it’s an ideal time for us to enter the cool loaminess of the lower forest.
