October 1st: We had arrived in Grindelwald late the previous night, but it was too dark to see much. Morning light gave a much different impression.
We decided to tackle the biggest challenges the first day, and bought a 3-day pass to (almost) everything in the region. First step was to take the cable car to the Eiger Glacier station. It’s a 45-minute ride; you have to gain a lot of altitude.
At the station, we are technically “on the Eiger”. Check off one mountain. Then transfer to the cog railway that goes up through a tunnel inside the Eiger to the saddle between Mönch and Jungfrau.
Back inside the station and continuing the tour, it suddenly became like Disneyland.
On the way out, we passed a sign saying that Huangshan (黄山) in China is considered to be the “twin mountain” of Jungfrau. Haven’t climbed that one yet. Maybe next trip to China.
Next up was to hike out to the Jungfraujoch pass.
Sadly, it was time to take the cog railway back down. The first leg was back to Eigergletscher, but then instead of taking the cable car back down to Grindelwald, we took a second cog railway down to Kleine Scheidegg.
Then we took a 3rd railway down to Wengen.
From Wengen, we took the cable car towards Männlichen town, but got off at the pass. That technically put us on Männlichen mountain (mountain #5).
We had a little time to kill, so Carol hiked up to the actual summit of Männlichen mountain, while I rested and took photos.
But then we met up at the Holenstein station. This technically put us on Tschuggen (mountain #6).
Then we took the Holenstein cable car down.
For dinner, we wanted to try a genuine Swiss fondue, so ate at Bebbi’s “Happiness Fun & Food” Restaurant.
O trotz Schicksal: die herrlichen Überflüsse
unseres Daseins, in Parken übergeschäumt,-
oder als steinerne Männer neben die Schlüsse
hoher Portale, unter Balkone gebäumt!
O die eherne Glocke, die ihre Keule
täglich wider den stumpfen Alltag hebt.
Oder die eine, in Karnak, die Säule, die Säule,
die fast ewige Tempel überlebt.
Heute stürzen die Überschüsse, dieselben,
nur noch als Eile vorbei, aus dem wagrechten gelben
Tag in die blendend mit Licht übertriebene Nacht.
Aber das Rasen zergeht und läßt keine Spuren.
Kurven des Flugs durch die Luft und die, die sie fuhren,
keine vielleicht ist umsonst. Doch nur wie gedacht.
Oh the marvelous overflows of our existence,
in spite of all fate, in parks, effervescence -
or like the stone figures next to the keystones
of tall portals raised under balconies.
Oh the brazen bell, that lifts its cudgel
each day against dull everyday routine.
Or the column, the column in Karnak, the one
that outlived the nearly eternal temple.
The same surplus plummets past today,
but only as rushing, from flat yellow day
into overblown night, too much dazzled with light.
But the race leaves no trace after it's gone by.
Curves of flight through the air, and those who fly:
maybe none are for naught. But just as they thought.
Sollen wir unsere uralte Freundschaft, die großen
niemals werbenden Götter, weil sie der harte
Stahl, den wir streng erzogen, nicht kennt,
oder sie plötzlich suchen auf einer Karte
Diese gewaltigen Freunde, die uns die Toten
nehmen, rühren nirgends an unsere Räder.
Unsere Gastmähler haben wir weit -, unsere Bäder,
fortgerückt, und ihre uns lang schon zu langsamen Boten
überholen wir immer. Einsamer nun aufeinander
ganz angewiesen, ohne einander zu kennen,
führen wir nicht mehr die Pfade als schöne Mäander,
sondern als Grade. Nur noch in Dampfkesseln brennen
die einstigen Feuer und heben die Hämmer, die immer
größern. Wir aber nehmen an Kraft ab, wie Schwimmer.
Just because they do not know the hard
strong steel that we raise up, should we offend
the great unmentioned gods, our oldest friends,
or seek them suddenly upon a chart?
These mighty friends, who take away the dead,
do not affect the circles of our gears.
We hold our banquets far away from here,
seclude our baths, and always speed ahead
of their slow messengers. Now just depending
on each other, ignorant of each other, we
no longer blaze a trail with lovely bending,
but just a slope. The former fires burn only
in boilers now and lift the ever bigger
hammers. But we lose our strength, like swimmers.