Hiking & Paragliding in the Swiss Alps

Background: 

Last week, Kaitlyn and I went on an eight day trip in western Europe. We visited the Swiss Alps, Barcelona, Verona, and Milan. We each chose a destination (my pick for the week was Switzerland and hers was Barcelona) and then decided the third place (Italy) together.

Destination: Switzerland

Sorry boys, but Switzerland has officially stolen my heart. I have now been to thirteen different cities and towns across Europe, and Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland is the first place I have liked more then Hamburg. It was love at first sight. This small, quaint town in the heart of the Alps looks like it was cut out of a magazine. There are only four restaurants, and the town is surrounded by towering cliffs and snowcapped mountains. The valley it sits in boasts 72 breathtaking waterfalls that seem to magically appear out of the cliff's facade. One of the most famous waterfalls, Staubbach Falls, sits just outside Lauterbrunnen. So, not only do you have gorgeous mountain views, but also get to gaze up at this towering waterfall from town. 

View of Staubbach Falls and the snow capped mountains
from the village of Lauterbrunnen.

Alternative view of the waterfall and mountains.

Staubbach Falls - the amount of water in the
falls varies based upon snow melt and rainfall

On Friday, Kaitlyn and I explored a small gravel road
that led out of town. The road was lined with large
open fields, rundown barns, and small farm houses.

We stayed at this super quaint, wood-paneled hostel, which was more like a camp ground for backpackers and hikers. Example 1: we had to walk outside to use the bathroom. Example 2: three minutes of hot water cost 0.50 Frank. People had warned us that Switzerland was an extremely expensive country, so we opted for the cheaper 16 bed dorm option. We seriously lucked out and had the entire place to ourselves both nights. (No joke: Switzerland is crazy expensive. A personal sized pizza from the local restaurant cost more then a night in our hostel.) Lauterbrunnen is such a small town that no one locks their doors, so our bedroom was wide open to the outside world. This didn't bother me, but Kaitlyn was definitely not accustomed to being in such a rural setting. The first night we were there, she was completely freaked out that a bear might come in and eat us during the night.

During our Friday afternoon exploration of Lauterbrunnen Valley, we saw a bunch of paragliders over the mountains. Kaitlyn and I are both extremely adventurous souls - aka our first thought was "How cool would that be?!" So, Saturday morning before beginning our hike, we walked into a local coffee shop and booked a paragliding trip for later that afternoon. Rather then hiking up and down the mountain, we would hike up and then paraglide down. Sounds like a good plan to me!!!

When we reached the starting location of our hike, we were greeted with a surprising amount of snow. In some places, the snow banks were double my height. The trail we had chosen to hike cut through open fields as well as dense forests. All along the way we were overwhelmed with stunning views of the surrounding mountains. The most famous mountain peak in the area is Jungfrau, which boasts the highest railroad in the world. Some parts of the trail were already down to bare mud while other parts were snow covered and slippery. Our hike ended in the small, rural town of Murren. This town is very unique because it is completely car free. The only "cars" you will see in the town are small vehicles used to transport luggage from the train station.

Our hiking trail

Breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain peaks

I was seriously obsessed with all the snow

We found this really cool mountain stream
that formed a meandering path through the snow.

After lunch we met up with our paragliding guides. They were super easy to spot because of the enormous 30kg packs on their back. Beni, my tandem partner, was a native to the area. He told me that as a kid he used ski to school - how random and cool is that? After a short ride up the ski lift and a somewhat treacherous climb through 18" of powdery snow down the side of the mountain, we finally reached our takeoff location. The guys went about their business opening up the glider while Kaitlyn and I stood their awkwardly asking questions about how it was all going to work. Surprisingly, I never felt nervous or anxious. I was just a bundle of excitement and adrenaline. The glider was huge. It was like a massive sheet with tons of strings attached to it. At the base of the strings was the harness. I was strapped into the front, and Beni was strapped behind me. In order to take off, we literally started running together down the side of the mountain towards this super steep drop-off. I was running on solid ground, and then all of a sudden there was nothing beneath my feet. It was such a strange feeling because I didn't even feel the glider pick us up - the transition was unexpectedly smooth. After take off, I just sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed the ride! You can check out one of the videos at: http://youtu.be/enRivG0Taz0

Beni and me seconds after take off!

Look at how high we are! 

Flying conditions were ideal, so what should have been a 25 minute flight turned into a 40 minute adventure. Immediately after taking flight, we caught a ride on an upward thermal (shout out to meteorology!). We ended up at the same altitude as Shilthorn Mountain (2970m or 9744ft) which is the sight of the panoramic restaurant featured in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. For 40 minutes I got to experience awe inspiring 360 degree views of nearby mountain tops and far away valleys. Even Beni was in awe over the view - according to him days like that only come around once in a Blue Moon. Towards the end of the flight, Beni did some spinning acrobatics with me. Now, I can go up and down all day long, but as soon as you put me on the tea cups I get sick. So, as soon as he started spinning me around in circles, I knew it was over. I had to get down otherwise I was seriously going to be ill. The ironic thing was, earlier in the flight I asked him how often people got sick, and he said on average 1 out of every 100 people throw up on him. I refused to be that person!! Thankfully he got us down pretty quickly, so no harm, no foul. The experience was absolutely amazing. It will definitely be something I never forget. Only a small fraction of people have ever seen what I saw from the perspective I saw it. I have a hard time believing anything will ever top it...except perhaps sky diving...

Look at me go - no hands!

Beni and me with Kaitlyn in the background

That's right...he actually trusted me to
fly it! 

On Sunday morning, Kaitlyn and I reluctantly checked out of our hostel and headed back to the airport. On the way, we made a pit stop in Interlaken, which is a super touristy town about 20 minutes north of Lauterbrunnen. The town was nice, but you could definitely tell that its entire goal was to cater to tourists' needs. It was a far cry from the rural, secluded atmosphere of Lauterbrunnen. I could not be more pleased with our trip, and I can say with utmost certainty that I will one day return to the Swiss Alps. Tschüss!

Side Note:

1. Swiss chocolate is absolutely, positively amazing. It seriously lives up to all the hype. If you ever go to Switzerland, skip the food and just eat chocolate...it's.so.worth.it.
2. The weather was amazing. So amazing that I managed to get a pretty nasty burn while hiking. Temperatures were in the 60s and the skies were bright blue. I couldn't have dreamed of better weather. Seriously, Kaitlyn and I have the best luck with weather while traveling. With the exception of the extreme cold in Prague and the snow at Neuschwanstein, we've had amazing weather for all of our trips.