Junfraujoch & Kleine Scheidegg-Mannlichen Hike

Day 15

Today was a very long day, so the post will be short.

We were up at 6, eating breakfast by 7:30, and by 8 we boarded the Lauterbrunnen train at the station heading for the Jungfraujoch at 11,333 feet. The trip took 2 hours--one transfer at Kleine Scheidegg and two stops near the top for viewing. The day was clear and crisp, but not too terribly uncomfortable considering the height of the mountain and the time. We marveled at the spectacle before us--never had we seen anything like this. Not only nature, but what the Swiss had created for tourists to experience. There was an ice palace and several restaurants. It's a good thing their food is no indication of the quality of their trains and lifts--the food up their was expensive and poor. But then again, everything in Switzerland is expensive. After a meager lunch (for me at least), we began our descent, but this time we got off in Kleine Scheidegg. After a little vascillation, we decided to do the hike from Kleine Scheidegg to Mannlichen, a supposedly 1.5 hour jaunt. It took us considerably longer, since, guess what?, we went the direction of altitude increase. Kleine Scheidegg is at 6762 and Mannlichen is 7687 feet. However, for the most part, it was not that arduous, and it was spectacular. The trail was wide (see the pics), well maintained and followed the edge of the mountainside where we saw meadows filled with wildflowers (and one of those was the dandelion), deep valleys with towns far in the distance (Grindelwald, I think), a few streams, and mountains all around us--some with snow, some without. As we approached Mannlichen, we began to hear the clanging from the bells on the cows foraging on the hillside. Soon they were right there with us on the trail! I must say that was a little unnerving, but they seemed quite oblivious to our being there. At Mannlichen, we boarded the gondola for our 3000 foot descent into Wengen. This would have been really fun, except that I think after being at 11,333, then hiking for 2 hours at high altitude and not having a very substantial meal, I was having a bit of exhaustion and altitude issues. By the time we got back into Lauterbrunnen from Wengen on the train and hiked back through town to our hotel, I could barely function. Time for rest. Still need it. So, I will sign off and say good night. I'm not sure when the next post will be since we leave tomorrow morning for Pingswang, Austria near Fussen, Germany, where we will visit King Ludwig's castle--the big one with the long name that I am too tired to spell tonight. :)