A Grand Day Out

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be leading walks for HF Holidays at Adelboden in Switzerland. Adelboden is in the Bernese Oberland. In the two weeks I was there I never had to put my waterproof coat on! It did rain occasionally in the evening and at night but that's fine.

There is no organised walk on a Wednesday so on 11th July I decided to go for walk on my own. I took the bus from Adelboden bus station to Unter dem Birg and went up in the cable car to the Engstligen Alp. An Alp is a high pasture and this is where the Alps get their name from. The Engstligen Alp was once a glacial lake in a hanging valley but it filled up with sediment. So it is now a wide flat area where cattle can be grazed in the Summer.

Every year the local people have the Alpaufzug, when a few hundred cows are driven up the narrow path beside one of the largest waterfalls in the Alps. This is an example of 'transhumance', a lovely word that refers to the act of moving livestock between winter and summer pastures.

As the cable car went up it went through a band of cloud and emerged into the sunshine. As I crossed the alp I could look up at the Tschingellochtighorn. It dominates the ridge between Adelboden and Kandersteg and looks like a castle.

Tschingellochtighorn across Engstligen Alp

I was heading up to the ridge above Engstligen Alp on a path denoted on the map by a red dashed line. This means it will be harder than a continuous red line which denotes a good track or footpath but easier than a dotted line which may require climbing equipment. You never quite know which end of the spectrum it will be until you get there. In this particular case there were three small snow patches to cross and some scree with a fairly sketch path on it.

Once I was up on the ridge there were some great views and the walking along the ridge was pleasant and straightforward. You can enjoy the views so much more if you aren't having to look where you put your feet down all the time.

Selfie looking back along the ridge

Looking forward along the ridge at the side view of the Tschingellochtighorn

Looking down at the Engstligen Alp

I descended across another sketchy path over scree and then down a long ridge back to the top station of the cable car.

Sketchy path over scree to long ridge below

Looking up at the Tschingellochtighorn which seems to be made of very friable shale!

Route marked in red

Top station of the cable car.

It really was a grand day out! I love leading groups in the mountains but it does makes you appreciate the contrast and the peacefulness of a day on your own.