Canyoning in Switzerland

One minute we are having lunch , next minute we are heading out on our bicycles to the adventure sports company to go Canyoning.We didn't even know what Canyoning was until 5 minutes AFTER we signed the consent forms!  Canyoning was a thrill of a lifetime. I say lifetime because I’m sure I won’t do it again. It is scary as hell, but once you have taken the leap, immersed yourself in water and jumped like you were a little kid, it will leave an indelible mark on you forever, making it completely worth it.

FACT : Canyoning is traveling through canyons  by  walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling (rappelling), and/or swimming. Canyons that are ideal for canyoning are often cut into the bedrock stone, forming narrow gorges with numerous drops, beautifully sculpted walls, and sometimes spectacular waterfalls.

The hard part is getting yourself to commit to it. The actual traversal through hard rocks, cold water and drops/falls is not so hard. In the course of the trail, canyons can be very easy or extremely difficult. The guides recommend  options depending on the adventure quotient of the group members. Overall the emphasis was on aesthetics and fun rather than pure difficulty. The atmosphere is very motivating and encouraging. The clear water meanders through rocks and you have to become one with the water to actually get through it . At some places when the drop is smooth, we can slide like we do in water parks slides. In other places where the fall is deep and forceful, we have to jump . In the extreme cases of great depths we can rappel down.The water comes from melting glaciers and is pretty darn cold.

For me, the fear set in only gradually . First we met our guides Phil and Stef who put us at ease. We were instructed on what was in store while a video ran in the background of the waiting area with glimpses of what we were about to do.  That seemed ok. Then we got into our costume  which included helmets, wetsuits, specially designed shoes and life jackets. I was a little nervous. We got into a van and started going up a hill to the place where we would be doing our canyoning. More nerves kicked in. Got to the point and got off our van and went into the rocky area. By then, I scared out of my wits.

It is an awesome adventure sport and an even more awesome experience. Despite not knowing how to swim, I had a great  time doing it.  The best part is the view of the point that you are about to jump from and then turning back and seeing that  point after having jumped.You look up at the views which leave you dumbfounded. It is most exciting right before and after the jump/slide. That’s because during the jump your mind goes blank. The views are stunning. You are in the wild and trying to become one with the water.

Another nice thing I liked about the sport is the fact that I let go. I put all my trust indirectly in God and directly on Jay, my route guide and lifejacket. I knew all I had to do was wait for the lifejacket to bring me up and then for Phil/Stef to pull me up and of course for Jay to ensure those two things happen. If not for Jake by my side, I wouldn’t have done it. If he hadn’t pushed me to do it, I wouldn’t have done it. It was the best 120£ spent in my life and the most enriching experience ever,

Just overcome your fears and jump.

Outdoor Interlaken is the company which took us kayaking.
See how the professionals do it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dckf-M3fDFM

Lucerne and Weggis

Lucerne

The first city where we started our tryst with nature’s abundance. The best way to explore Switzerland is by a combination of boats and trains. We started off with a lake cruise on lake Lucerne. We had absolutely no idea what was in in store for us. When we started,  the lake was inside the city and all we saw was the city and its many buildings (mostly hotels). We saw some really distant sights of mountains in the far beyond. As the journey progressed, the city became a faint memory and all we could see for miles and miles was nature.

Beautiful majestic  mountains, the sun rays peering through the dense vegetation on them, the lake itself seemed to stretch for miles, some sparse  clouds kissing the top of these mountains and the air so clear that you feel a high just being there. It is a very humbling experience. You are reminded of what a small spec you are in the bounty of God’s amazing creations. The sights on the cruise was spellbinding. We just sat there with the wind in our hair and feasting our eyes.

The many sights of Swiss

The lake is a massively gigantic water body and all along its coast (don’t know what it is called for lake) were different villages. It would have taken us 3 hours to go around the entire lake. You’d think it would get boring or monotonous after a while. But NO! The views keep changing on the course, the lake itself turns from blue in parts to green at others , the slopes have interesting houses on them, the mountains converge, the sun plays hide and seek with the clouds- ah  ever so many sights – it never ceases to enthral the onlooker.

Changing langscapes

In Switzerland, you don’t have to work hard to experience something nice. Just wake up and walk down the street to something beautiful or if you are lucky just peep outside your window to be struck by beauty of nature.

In the midst of nature

Weggis

The cruise boat we were on, makes several stops on the lake at different villages along its border(coast/shore). Jay’s spontaneity has to be given credit where it is due. While I was busy taking in the fresh air and feasting my eyes on the water and mountains, he noticed that a lot of people were getting off the cruise boat. He quickly discussed with the cruise crew and charted up a cool cogwheel train ride to Mt Rigi. We quickly hopped off our river cruise and took a Cog Wheel train up the mountain to Mt Rigi. A Cogwheel train works on a cog enabling an ascent up a steep slope without getting derailed. 

Fact: A rack-and-pinion railway (also rack railway, cog railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail. This allows the trains to operate on steep grades. The first mountain rack railway in continental Europe was the Vitznau-Rigi-Bahn on Mount Rigi in Switzerland, which opened in 1871.

That is the one we took. It was quite an experience in itself because the train is inclined and so the person in the seat in front is above you. The views outside were lush green and extremely beautiful. The Cog wheel train is one of the oldest trains and goes pretty slowly. As you go up you are surrounded by such soothing greenery.

We got to the top and after hanging around there for a bit, took a cable car down. As the cable car lowers itself down the mountain the views are gobsmack green. The slopes, the trees on the slopes, the lake in the distance, the sun rays shimmering on the lake the mountains behind the lake- it is an out of the world experience.

Strolling the Swiss streets

After getting off we wandered around the village a bit on our way to the next cruise pier. The roads around the hill were winding up and down the houses were all beautiful and we couldn’t help but wonder how many celebrities, businessman, politicians had vacation homes in that setting? All houses there had beautifully manicured gardens full with flowers bushes and well , each with an interesting story to tell. Of course we sat on every bench on our way just taking it all in and smiling from ear to ear.

Switzerland

Switzerland has mesmerized Indians for years all thanks to Yash Chopra. Everyone wants to go to the places that Shah Rukh and Kajol went in DDLJ, and to be honest, I did too.

Apart from that, it was on my list of places to visit because I had heard so many great things about it. So after a good deal of research and saving up money we planned a visit to Switzerland just at the end of summer this year. Nothing worth having comes easy, and so after 3 trips to London for the visa and a bunch of cancellations and rebooking of flights  and trains we were finally off on our vacation. Once there, Jay and I learnt new meaning for the word beautiful.

We truly experienced what breath-taking meant and were utterly mesmerised by the beauty . God is the painter of the superbly stunning painting that is Switzerland. The place is so amazing that everything is a scenic experience. Walking down the street, taking a bus or a train everything is beautiful.  Every inch of land that the eyes gaze upon will remain with you forever. In Switzerland, you don’t have to work hard to experience something nice. Just wake up and walk down the street to something beautiful or if you are lucky just peep outside your window to be struck by beauty of nature.

A view straight out of a painting

Railways

It is an experience just to take the trains because of what is around.  There are beautiful sights everywhere. You’ll be torn as to which way to look. We eventually got tired of taking pictures because everything is so scenic everywhere. The railway system in Switzerland is really something else. Meandering through the hills, sometimes around it and sometimes through it via tunnels, going around the lakes, along streams, slopes on each side, the stunning views from the train never end. The houses are also quite appealing. In front of the house you will find hay bales, huge cows and very well maintained green grass and manicured gardens with gnomes. The houses have uniform windows that you will see all through Switzerland and are present in lovely colour combinations.  Big glass windows on the trains give us unending spectacular views on both sides of the train and the glass can also be lowered for those wallpaper pictures. There are a lot of expensive tourist trains, but Switzerland is so beautiful that even the normal ones will not disappoint.

The trains themselves are amazing too. The seats are really comfortable and there are maps at tables placed between every 4 chairs. So that helps tourists a lot. They have impeccable timing which is a big plus. The railway system is appreciable because given their mountainous terrain, they have done a good job of setting up a system and maintaining it on time. In some parts it can be frustrating because the trains go relatively slow. That’s because they go in a zig zag fashion due to the mountainous terrain. There are also some double decker trains which are pretty neat too. Then of course there is the cog wheel to go up steep mountains.

Unless it is a big city like Lucerne or Basel, the Swiss people have not bothered building a boundary for the railway station.  The train stops in its tracks right in the middle of the city which is very appealing to the eye. Just next to the platform you will find cars on roads, houses, hotels, shops, and so on. 

Expensive Switzerland?

Yes, everything is expensive, you have to just digest it. If you are a wasabi or chilli lover, you know what I’m talking about. You hate what it does to you, but you love and enjoy it anyway. Swiss is something list that. You hate that everything is expensive, there isn’t much to say about the food, everything Is so touristy but you still want to go there. You know you are paying way too much for the water and cheese and baguette or even to pee. Despite all that, the overall take away from it is magnificent. It will always hold a special place in your heart and all the pictures you can take will not do it justice. You just have to let the eyes , mind and soul take it all in. That’s what will remain with you always. The people (Swiss Germans)  there are very nice and sociable too.