Well, we had a nice day. No, better than that. We had a beautiful day. Full of variety and challenging experiences, even though we only went a short 24 miles. But we climbed nearly 2800 feet and truly enjoyed the day. Especially me, as I was able to bike another day in an area I had traveled through last year but, as yesterday, along the southern and "wilder" side of Brienzersee.
We left Interlaken early after a good night's sleep. Our first five miles were easy and delightful. There were many cyclists out, and a few were touring as well. Today is Swiss National Day, which is (obviously) a national holiday, so most stores and businesses are closed, and everyone was out enjoying the holiday, even as early as 9:00 AM. Our route took us southward and along the shoreline of Brienzersee, which was a bit hazed over at this hour due to the humidity.
Brienzersee in the early morning light after leaving Interlaken. The haze indicates a humid day for us!
But I knew the climbing was coming! Unlike Thunersee, there is no continuous bike trail and road network along the shoreline connecting us to the Meiringen Valley and our climb to Brünigpass. And the main highway along the south shore, unlike on the north, is not bikeable. Not to say that there isn't a route. We are following Swiss Route 9 after all. But it will, by necessity, have to climb over the tunnels the main highway uses, so up we went, to Sengg.
This second climb was far more serious than the first. The mountains come down close to the water here, and to accommodate the highway, they built two very long tunnels. We would only get brief glimpses of traffic below us as we trudged through some pretty rough terrain. Difficult enough without the added burden of loaded bikes. But we geared down and tackled it — slowly!
The "top" was really just a series of rolling hills, so there was still plenty of climbing to do. And the pavement fell away for most of the balance of the trail.
And the descent was challenging as well since bikes and gravel are not a good mix. Especially with a narrow path. But we made it and were rewarded with a wonderful waterfall, the Giessbach Falls.
At this point, we were ready for lunch. And while a nice thought, we weren't really dressed for the Giessbach Hotel, so we trekked onward.
After the falls, we returned to hard pavement. It was good to be back on a solid footing, and it made the climb up from the falls, which are at a low point, much easier and faster. Afterward, we had a long descent down to the Aare River valley and a ride across the lowlands to Meiringen, where we had lunch.
The Meiringen Valley and the Aare River discharging into Brienzersee.
It turned out to be partially unpaved as well, maybe 60% or so, and it was a steep grade. About 7.5% on average, which, in and of itself, is not horribly bad, but on a gravel road, it makes it very challenging. Especially if you are forced to stop, as getting started on a grade again is difficult when the surface is uneven and irregular.
Michaelskirche (St Michael's Church) at the base of the climb.
At the top, we arrived to join a major roadway, but it was a flat-to-downhill three-mile descent to the hotel for the night. It afforded some great views of our work!
The town/village of Meiringen. We have climbed quite a bit, haven't we?
Upon arrival I immediately ordered up a large beer! Being a national holiday, the hotel was closing early, and we were told to arrive no later than six. That was not a problem, really. I arrived at 3:00 PM, and Jerry followed not far behind. Happy arrived just as my second beer was delivered, which I immediately handed over to him, so he was content.
Dinner was the only "problem," as our hotel closed at 7:00 and the one across the way was closed as well. Then it started raining, so wandering around on a hilltop looking for food was not going to be fun. But we were eventually pointed to the Gasthaus Brünig Kulm, where we had a delightful meal!
Gasthaus Brünig Kulm was not far away, just around a bend in the road.
