VIA ALPINA TREK PART 3: DAY 6-8. FINDING MY FLOW

If you missed it, here’s Part 1 and Part 2!

Day 6: Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen

Though I knew I’d be hiking in the rain all day, after my run in with the sweet woman at my hotel in Grindelwald, I hit the trail on day 6 with some extra pep in my step. I also started using my hiking poles, which helped immensely. Prior to this, they were ornaments hanging off my backpack. 13.5 miles and 3,900 ft elevation gain was on deck for the day. I hiked through steady rain and thick ground clouds that clung to the trail and surrounding mountains. By the time I reached the top of that day’s mountain pass, the rain had turned to snow and the sweat from my climb began to freeze. My only goal was to make it to Lauterbrunnen.

I crossed the pass and headed down into the valley, arriving in town around 3:30pm, rain soaked but happy. Lauterbrunnen is surrounded by towering cliffs and waterfalls spilling from every direction. It felt like the town had been lifted straight from the pages of a fairytale: serene, dramatic, and impossibly beautiful.

I thawed out with a hot shower. The sun came out, and I spent the early evening wandering through town, window shopping and taking it all in. I’d already bought my one allowed souvenir, a small cowbell I found the day before, since anything I purchased I’d have to carry. That evening, I had dinner outdoors with a view of the mountains, journaled, treated myself to my daily pistachio gelato, strolled along the river, and called it a night.

Day 7: Lauterbrunnen to Griesalp

The trek from Lauterbrunnen to Griesalp is not for the faint of heart, 13.7 miles with 6,562 ft. of elevation gain. To make the day a little more manageable, you can take a 25-minute train and gondola ride from Lauterbrunnen to Mürren, cutting the hike down to 11.6 miles and 3,650 ft of gain. Or, you can split the section over two days. I opted for the gondola shortcut, and when I stepped off in Mürren, I ran into two sisters that I had met six days earlier in Zurich. We squealed and hugged like old friends, exchanged stories about our last few days and then I was off on the trail.

The day’s route climbed over more high mountain passes, with clouds and a light drizzle in the morning that eventually opened up to blue skies. I stopped for a break at Rotstockhütte before tackling a steeper pass and winding my way down toward Griesalp. There is no service in Griesalp and I found myself a little turned around trying to locate my hotel in this small but sprawling farm town. Eventually, I stumbled upon it but couldn’t find anyone to check me in. I relaxed on the patio, dehydrated but content, soaking in the sunshine.

I met a husband and wife on the patio who arrived just after me and we ended up chatting over drinks for a couple of hours. They had stayed in Rotstockhütte the previous night and told me about interesting and kind people they met while there. Later, after checking in, I went to the sauna and steam room and journaled with the most beautiful mountain view, glowing in the evening light. At dinner, I saw my new friends again. We sat together and they admitted to me that they were on the patio of another restaurant up the road when they saw me coming off the trail looking dazed and confused. That made me laugh as I’m sure I looked that way quite often.

Day 8: Griesalp to Kandersteg

On to my favorite day! This section, known as the king’s stage, is considered the crown jewel of the Via Alpina. It’s a demanding but unforgettable climb over Hohtürli Pass at 9,114 feet. It’s also one many hikers choose to skip, as the elevation gain nears 5,000 feet and the trail can be steep and exposed in areas. The night before, nearly everyone I met in Griesalp was planning to take the bus to Kandersteg instead due to the trail profile and the iffy weather forecast.

At the top of Hohrürli pass sits Blüemlisalp Hut, a cozy mountain refuge that I highly recommend spending the night at if time allows or at least stopping in for a coffee and snack, which is what I did. The forecast had called for thunderstorms around 11 am, and I worried I might get caught at the top in bad weather. To beat the storm, I did something uncommon in Switzerland: I checked out of my hotel before sunrise and hit the trail in the dark, guided by my headlamp.

I started my ascent up the trail at 6am, mistaking grazing cows for bears and shadowy monsters until the first light peaked over the mountaintops. Determined to reach the top before the weather turned, I hiked as fast as my lungs and legs would allow.

The trail was steep and rocky and a final staircase carved into the mountainside took you to the top of the pass. Some of the stone “steps” tilted at unnerving angles leading me to cling to the rope beside them like my life depended on it. The views along the way were absolutely breathtaking and I found myself smiling and whispering “thank you” out loud for this beautiful stretch of trail. I didn’t see another person until I arrived at Blüemlisalp Hut which sits among glaciers and sky.

When I arrived, I was craving water and coffee. I went inside, ordered a cup and carried it out to the patio to sit in a wooden chair that overlooked Blüemlisalp Glacier. Sitting there, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. The coffee warmed me from the inside out and after my first sip, I thought it was, without question, the best cup of coffee I’d ever had. Before leaving, I went back inside to ask what this magical brew was. The woman behind the counter smiled and showed me the Nescafé Gold instant coffee container. I laughed.

I descended the steep, rocky trail for a few miles in intermittent rain until I reached Oberbärgli mountain hut. I had forgotten that this was the day I’d see Lake Oeschinen, a turquoise alpine lake surrounded by rugged peaks. Hiking just past Oberbärgli mountain hut gives you the best view of Lake Oeschinen so when I happened to look over the grassy cliff on the other side of the hut and brilliant blue appeared below, I was excited.

I found a spot that was tucked away to sit and enjoy the view of the lake from above. I journaled and the sun peaked through the clouds. I laid in the grass to rest in the sun and promptly fell asleep for an hour. When I woke, I decided it was time to continue down to Kandersteg.

Once you get to the shores of Lake Oeschinen, the quietness of the upper trail gives way to families and day hikers enjoying the water. When I reached the shoreline, I spotted the husband and wife I’d met the night before in Griesalp. We hugged and talked about the day’s adventure before parting ways. Then I continued down the final stretch of trail into Kandersteg.

Kandersteg is a charming small town with a river running through its center and mountains rising in every direction. After a shower and a walk through town, I found a quiet restaurant for dinner. Only one other couple sat inside: a Swiss man with thick, wavy hair tied in a bun with a woman, a traveler, who sounded North American. I sat down at a table near them, ordered dinner, and pulled out my journal and Kindle to write and read.

Throughout my time in Switzerland, I met people who shared pieces of their lives with an honesty that surprised me. On the trail, over dinner, we’d talk about what brought us to the Via Alpina or to the current small town we found ourselves in. We’d talk about stories from life back home and people we’ve met during our travels. There was a certain openness, a soft vulnerability, that only seems to emerge when you’re thousands of miles from home, talking to someone you’ll likely never see again.

That night, sitting next to this couple in the quiet restaurant, listening to the chatter of their conversation, many stories I’d gathered along the Via Alpina, pieces of strangers’ lives, started weaving together. I realized, just the day before, I heard of the North American traveler woman sitting at the table next to me and now I learned of a new twist in her tale she’d likely carry with her “to the grave”. I journaled about the various secrets and stories shared that I’d been carrying on the trail and wondered if I’d actually ever write about them. These stories underscore the beautiful messiness and sometimes confusing nature of the human experience that I want to share snippets of next week in Part 4: Secrets From Strangers. This is a blog about tales from the trail after all 🙂

Until next week… Happy trails.

-Hannah