With a surprise day off the bikes, it looks like we won`t crack the 1,000-mile barrier on this tour around Switzerland. It`s been raining hard just about everywhere north of Italian Switzerland and we are nestled in for a second night up in Gimmelwald, which is nothing to complain about, as it`s been favorably compared to heaven. This morning we woke just after sunrise and hiked in the pouring rain, hearing thunder and lightning on the wet walk up to Mürren for groceries and different views of the surrounding enchantment, passing shivering white goats & marveling that gondolas (which terrify me) make it up these hills, especially during storms. The incline atop Mürren reminded me of the Duquesne Incline in Pittsburgh, though that seems a world away even though (justified) stress over the Pirates` fragile hopes hasn`t left me yet.
To give you a visual: Here was my view from breakfast in Gimmelwald outside the Mountain Hostel. A mountain that becomes a glacier…
…and here is what it looked like just before noon:
The rain is supposed to stop just before dark tonight, so currently we`re playing chess and listening to American, Canadian and Irish students play charades while the sound of Fleet Foxes on repeat fills this 500-year-old building. First thing tomorrow we will bike down from Gimmelwald and then try to fit in two serious Swiss passes, probably camping somewhere 75 miles away (I have no idea where) Tuesday night. Until then, I`ll decide whether to patiently wait for my shoes to dry or take a once-in-a-lifetime hike for a closer look at of some of these mile-high waterfalls.
Funny realizing we`re trying to avoid water today but what I perhaps most look forward to is jumping into Lake Geneva near the end of the trip…
Adam Perry 