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GRINDELWALD TO KANDERSTEG

Day 8 Monday 14.8.00  

Yet another sunny and hot day. We left Grindelwald by losing height to the valley at Grund and then climbing steeply uphill on paths and lanes to Alpiglen. Stephen was able to pursue his passion for trains this day, with trains on the Wengenalp and Jungfraubahn lines passing every few minutes. After Alpiglen the gradient eased and the path broadened as height was gained easily to the summit of Kleine Scheidegg (2061m), with the Eiger dominating everything.  

Eiger and Jungfrau from Alpiglen

Kleine Scheidegg

Kleine Scheidegg was a SHOCK. It’s a large railway junction, complete with loudspeaker announcements, hotels, restaurants and, worst of all, hamburger and gift stalls, all being used, so it seems, by thousands of people of all nationalities. We walked a little way up the path to the Eiger glacier for lunch. There were several spectacularly noisy avalanches and icefalls on the Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger. The sight of these enormous mountains is beyond words. We couldn’t believe our luck to have such perfect weather conditions to see them in.  

Jungfrau from Kleine Scheidegg

Gspalthenhorn and Sefinenfurgge pass from Kleine Scheidegg

Then it was off down the hill for an awfully long, steep and knee wrecking descent first to Wengen and then into the incredible sheer sided valley at Lauterbrunnen. The hotel was beside the station with the track only metres away from the window and the clanging of the trains going onto the rack section of track every half hour!  

The Lutschinental at Lauterbrunnen

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