Switzerland. Via Alpina
Planning a hike in Switzerland at the beginning of summer, I aimed to follow the Via Alpina route from Altdorf to Kandersteg and do some radial trail runs... The route covered the most beautiful part of the Swiss Alps, but snow-covered passes forced me to change my plans on the very first day of hiking... Arriving in Zurich by plane on Saturday evening, I immediately took a train to the start of my route in Altdorf. I arrived in the village around eight in the evening, and after some difficulty, I managed to find a campsite, as the one I had planned to stay at did not allow tents, which was quite surprising...
Map of the route:
In search of another campsite, I walked a few kilometers, but at least I got to explore the village...
For the night, I stayed at a very cozy campsite byHerger, and the next morning I began my hike in the Alps...
At an altitude of 1900 meters, the trails were completely covered in snow, and the markings were no longer visible...
At over 2000 meters, the snow was more than two meters deep, and my progress slowed significantly as I was sinking knee-deep into the snow...
I navigated exclusively by GPS... On the way, I managed to find one of the marking posts completely covered in snow. Digging out the snow around it, I saw that the markers had been deliberately removed. It seems they are put up at the beginning of each season... So I realized that this route is most likely officially closed, and it's already the beginning of June...
As I climbed higher, the weather worsened, with poor visibility and constant avalanches all around, making me think I might not reach the pass... It was especially difficult to traverse the snow drifts left by avalanches on the steep slopes along the route...
With only about a hundred meters of ascent left to the pass, seeing that the route was covered with fresh snow and the slope was very steep, with small avalanches continuously falling from everywhere, I decided not to tempt fate and descend back to the campsite... My solo hike, which had turned into a climb, had become very risky, especially without proper equipment...
Returning to the same campsite and thoroughly exhausted after the challenging climb through deep snow, I had a good rest in the sauna... For just 10 francs (10 euros), I heated the sauna with wood and spent over three hours in the company of the campsite owners and a couple of other tourists who shared this pleasure with me...
The next morning, by bus and train, with one transfer, I went to Engelberg, which I had planned to reach the previous day... From there, I began the second day of hiking, hoping this time to overcome the next snow-covered pass...
With some difficulty, I reached the top of Jochpass (2207m), where the upper station of the ski lift is located, which is fully operational during the ski season...
Descending, the snow gradually lessened, and the trails became visible...
I descended to Engstlensee (1850m)...
Reaching the village huts, I saw for the first time self-service places where you could take locally made cheese packed in vacuum bags and leave the money... Everything is built on trust, even the money box is open... I had no cash with me at all, as I was paying everywhere exclusively by card, so I didn't take anything...
Staying at the Grimselblick campsite... Since payment was only possible in cash, I went to a local bar, where I arranged to pay by card in exchange for the necessary amount of cash...
In the nearby supermarket, I bought local cheese, beer, and bread... After all, not tasting Swiss cheese in Switzerland would be a sin...
The next morning, after checking out of the campsite, I continued the Via Alpina route. The weather that day was sunny, and as I climbed, a beautiful view of Reichenbach Falls opened up...
Thus, I reached another beautiful place - the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge, a narrow canyon beneath the Rosenlaui Glacier...
The gorge is part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch region of the Swiss Alps, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is a 573-meter-long trail carved into the rock with several tunnels and a 155-meter elevation change...
To walk along the carved rock paths, you need to pay 10 francs at the entrance...
Entry is possible only from one side, and after passing through the tunnels, there is a one-way turnstile at the exit, after which you can descend along another route above the canyon...
Near the Grosse Scheidegg pass (1962m), by a small lake formed by melting snow, I stopped to rest and admire the beauty of the mountains...
The descent from the pass was no less picturesque...
Descent to the village of Grindelwald...
Reaching the village, I stayed at the picturesque campsite Gletscherdorf, where I planned to spend two nights, fully enjoying the views of the region...
The next day, I planned to leave my belongings at the campsite and do a run around the mountains adjacent to the village. For this, I took a small running backpack and snacks for a one-day run...
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