As horribly sad it was to leave our poolside luxury by Lake Como, I was beyond excited to get started with our next adventure – The Swiss Alps. Mountains of legends, skiing and of course, yodeling!
We set out in our summer dresses and shorts and left behind beautiful sunshine, soon realizing we were rather inappropriately dressed for the weather to come. We zig zagged our way up and down mountains for hours drifting in and out of the clouds, ears popping the whole time. We ate a ridiculous amount of cookies to settle our stomachs (whats a road trip without snacks?) and stopped often to soak in the views. There is really nothing like standing in a meadow surrounded by snow capped mountains listening to the glacial water flow down to rivers.
After quite a long and visually exhausting ride we made it to our lodge set in a lush green valley surrounded by some of the largest ranges in the Alps. We spend the rest of the night ooing and ahhing over the perfect views while lounging inside the outdoor heated pool.
After a refreshing and relaxing evening, the next day we set out to the famous Gimmelwald area for some hiking. We took a super scary cable car up to the top and set off on our day long hike.
We made it about five minutes before we all decided we need to eat our packed lunch. With slightly lighter bags and heavier stomachs, we started on the trail again only to decide we were in need of more water. After spending about 10 minutes trying to get the fresh and freezing glacial water into our bottles, it was agreed upon that the water was far to cold for anyone to drink and we would have to wait.
Back to the trail. 15 minutes later…next pit stop – a search for suitable walking sticks. Obviously no one can walk up a mountain without walking sticks. What were we thinking?!?!? So unprepared! As you can see, this was no serious hiking, but an amazing day to say the least!
In a way, I find it quite hard to describe this portion of the whole road trip. The mountains were immensely overwhelming but completely relaxing at the same time. They’re almost one of those things you have to see and experience to believe. I never thought I would be as amazed as I was in such a place. More a city and culture type person, I figured I would be out of my element. I couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Here I discovered my love for the outdoors. For nature, for landscapes, for experiencing the elements. I realized light hiking in the mountains was no only doable, but fun and exciting.
By far, the most used word out of my mouth was “WOW!” Driving into the mountains was an adventure in itself. Cautiously following dangerously curvy roads with many switchbacks and often ending up above the cloud layer. There was very little you could say but wow. In those moments, words can’t describe the beauty of these mountains.
These mountains are grounding, centering and beyond intimidating. Above all, the Alps are humbling. You realize how small you are in this grand world. You realize how much beauty can exist in this world. Most of all you also realize how silly your day to day worries can be when there is so much more to this amazing world of ours.
Where we stayed: The Cambrian in Adelboden – The most amazing lodge set deep in the mountains. The best part? The very heated outdoor pool overlooking one of the largest waterfalls in the area (where we spent most of our time when we weren’t out hiking!). Modern decor with a quirky hunting lodge twist. Warm and inviting to return to after a hike in the nearby mountains.
Click through for a map of the full road trip
Missed Days 1-6?
So thats it. The perfect close to our European tour. Four countries in ten days is no small feat. A bit more action packed than expected, but amazing to see such places regardless. Europe is an extremely diverse place with so many cultures and landscapes. If you ever have the opportunity, don’t hesitate. I know I won’t – I can’t wait to go back!
Fig & Honey 
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I’ve also been to Switzerland, and I must say that you’ve captured its beauty well. All of your photos are beautiful! (And your food posts are just yummy!) I’ll be looking forward to future posts 🙂