Trip Report Switzerland 2006

In August I took a two week trip to the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland, to the Jungfrau region of high alps and deep valleys, part of which has been granted UNESCO status. I had a list of pictures I was hoping to get and many places to visit. Amongst my targets were ,of course, local wildlife such as eagles, ibex, marmots , deer, along with background detail shots of the local geology and fauna and , mostly, the mountains. I had in mind to get as many atmospheric shots as possible. I didn't realise how easy that was going to be. It rained. It snowed. It was misty and very rarely the sun came out. The snow on the lower peaks was a surprise as I usually walk in summer up there.

We started the trip in Grindelwald, a stunning valley from which you can ,usually, see the flank of the Eiger mountain along with the Wetterhorn and other notable peaks. We  arrived in rain but the glimpses of the peaks through the cloud cover showed dramatic promise. The peaks always seem larger like that. The river of glacier melt water showed the sudden temperature change of descending into the valley with a mist hovering above it several feet high.

Our first clear day we ascended to First by cable car then walked to the alpine lake Bachalpsee.

 A wild eagle circled us and the wildflowers were in full bloom. The lake was stunning and I shot a few hundred reference photo's up there. 

We pushed two buggies and three children there too. With help. The walk back led us opposite a large section of rock due to fall from the back of the Eiger into the lower Grindelwald glacier gorge. We heard a rumble and saw the dust cloud as a substantial section slid free. 

The rock falls continued for some time although the expected "big one" didn't occur.

Several days of rain followed which was intensely frustrating except for a drive along the river which was by now more of a raging torrent. The children were sick and the following day my daughter was stung by a bee. We were all needing some sun. When it finally did arrive , it did so in spectacular fashion. 

We travelled up by train to Kleine Scheidegg , saddling the valleys of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen and placed at the foot of the Eiger Monch and Jungfrau range of peaks. The Jungfrau tops 4000 metres. We walked along a trail towards a glacier descending from the Eiger alongside alpine choughs  which were plentiful . 

The alpine flowers were also in full bloom at this altitude and cloud hovered around the top of the peaks creating the light and shadow drama I had been after.

It rained again for the next few days but it snowed on the lower peaks, the ones on which I had just been walking , along with adding fresh snow to the higher ones.

 The temperature change in just a few days was enormous. from heat wave to 0 degrees c. The adaptability of the high alpine flora and fauna is amazing.

We changed hotels and valleys from Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen, the valley of waterfalls. 

It was still raining and all the cascades were at their best and very visible We took a very cramped cable car ride to Murren on the valley rim above Lauterbrunnen but the views were obscured by rain cloud so we descended to Gimmelwald. 

Here we were treated to views of countless waterfalls and the very bottom of the snow line peeking out from beneath the clouds. Nice and atmospheric for me. but too cold to linger with the little people so we descended again to the valley floor and walked around Stechelberg admiring the waterfalls pouring off the vertical walls of this classic glaciated valley.

The following day saw us taking a trip without the children up to the Mannlichen which was shrouded in mist. 

This led to some stunning shots of alpine flowers and grasses covered in water droplets along with cloudy photographs of outcroppings of rock and the occasional glimpse of mountains higher up.

 We then travelled to Interlaken and were there as the sun cleared the clouds away from the Jungfrau mountain, fresh covered in snow, but with those special "just snowed on "colours created by the lingering clouds.

The following day was bright sunlight at last so we went back up. The Mannlichen is the high point of the saddle between the Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald valleys and has amazing views of the surrounding peaks. We saw them all before the clouds covered them again but it stayed fine long enough to get some satisfying shots.

I had managed to get some photographs of ibex ,marmots and other alpine wildlife  at a local small zoo along with photographs of wild birds of prey and some exciting shots of butterflies and hummingbird hawk moths. Wild deer often came to the field at the back of the hotel, possibly encouraged by the llamas. Tame of course.

Our next trip of note was to the Trummelback falls. A series of ten waterfalls descending through a series of caves in the valley sides carrying melt water from the glaciers of the Jungfrau massif. The force of the water can be felt through the rock and the noise was loud enough to drown out the screams of the children. They liked it really.

The final day of the trip it snowed again on the low peaks and the snow line stopped just above Wengen. We couldnt resist it anymore and we all went up into the snow. 

In fact it was still snowing. More photos of alpine flowers which a few days ago were in summer and for a moment the clouds and mist cleared enough to give a few seconds view of the surrounding mountainside covered in snow. What a view.