Into the High Alps

August 31, 2023

Look out snow here we come

This morning google maps laid out our route and we took bus and train rides to the lift stations for Mt Titlis. We took two lifts to get to the top of the mountain, an elevation of 10,000 feet and there was fresh snow at the top! The top of the mountain checked in at -4 degrees Celsius or 24 degrees Fahrenheit on this August morning…

The beginning of our train ride took us back over some of the ground we rode to get to Luzern. It was interesting to see the bike infrastructure from the train and marvel how in this busy place they found a way to keep bikes safe. Then we headed out into the Swiss countryside and we were back in the emerald green farmland but this time we could see the snow capped craggy peaks beyond the farms more clearly.

The cable cars lifted us away and up the mountain and soon the farms and cows were tiny dots below. We could hear the music of the cow bells as we rose over the farm land and saw tiny cows grazing up at the very upper edges of pastures way up the mountains.

As we approached the top of the mountain the land got much more craggy with no greenery just jagged rocks and snow.

We exited the cable car and headed to the glacier cave. In the glacier cave you are totally surrounded by ice. The floor ceiling and walls are all ice.

Periodically there were things suspended in ice as you went along. These little cows must be frigid!

Next we headed out to the cliff walk. The views were phenomenal, snow covered mountains as far as you could see. We walked across a swaying suspended walkway to get from one crag to another then walked through slippery snow to climb up to a high walkway with a viewing platform.

The pictures really can’t convey the vastness of the mountains we saw

Some decided to have more fun and slide back down the hill

After some hot chocolate and apple crumb cake we made our way back to Luzern.

Back in Luzern, the arch in front of the train station

The number of bike paths and the volume of bike infrastructure in Switzerland is amazing. This sign is at one street corner where many bike paths come together including route 9 which we followed for 5 days across Switzerland.

The dying Lion monument is carved out of rock and commemorates the heroism of Swiss soldiers killed attempting to protect the Tuileries palace in 1792 during the French Revolution. Mark Twain described the lion of Luzern as the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world.

Dinner from a chocolate shop eaten in a square.

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