Day 17 - Grindelwald First

Day 17: Grindelwald First

There are two expansive valleys in the Berner Oberland region of Switzerland, home to the peaks of Jungfrau, Eiger and Monch. We are staying in the Grindelwald valley, and will visit the alternative valley of Lauterbrunnen during our time here. 

A world heritage site, this area of the world is nothing short of extraordinary. The crisp alpine air, clear sunny skies, dark brown Swiss chalets with flower boxes, steep mountain cliffs, and greenery in all shades make it a dream to behold. 

Our first day here, we had to tackle Grindelwald First, the main destination for adventure in Grindelwald. We drove up into the village and took our first Gondola ride, having purchased our passes for the next four days, specifically The Top of Europe pass. This gets us access to all trains and gondolas, as well as our pass tomorrow to Jungfraujoch. We will maximize these passes, and  we will rest when we’re dead!

We hopped on the gondola and took off for First, admiring the various stops along the way. As we ventured up the mountain, the boys caught sight of several things they wanted to do; stopping to play on the alpine natural playground, renting mountain carts to come back down the mountain, and possibly riding the First Flyer, a large zip line. When we got to the top, Aaron immediately checked into paragliding, something he thought he might do in Interlaken while we’re here. It just so happened they had two cancellations at 4:30, so he signed up for today! 

While at First, we hiked around the First Cliffwalk, admiring the majestic views of Eiger, while carefully approaching the metal walk, literally attached alongside a mountain. We then stopped for an early lunch at the restaurant.  We’ve decided we’ll eat breakfasts and dinners at home, and lunch out while we’re visiting destinations. A pretty penny, the boys ordered burgers and they were terrible.  The woman at the register was sorry to hear this, and not only replaced them with chicken nuggets, she also offered them a free ice cream cone!  

After the restaurant, we rented mountain carts and rode down to the next stop, getting off so the kids could play on the playground for an hour.  It was a blast!  While at the playground, they built a rock dam in the stream, enjoying the free play while we read and rested. (Aaron took a Swiss nap and dozed off for a bit!) Seriously, I am so thankful for parks and playgrounds. When you are your children’s parents and only friends for a month, playgrounds are a Godsend. 

We then went back up to the top, where Aaron met up with his guide for paragliding.  We waited about forty five minutes because there wasn’t a lot of wind, but he finally got off.  Just before he took off, I texted Aaron’s business partner, Brian, to ensure he has enough life insurance. Ha ha! We knew he’d be safe, as his guide has been doing this for eighteen years. 

Aaron describes his time paragliding as unlike anything he’s ever done. Twenty minutes over the cliffs beside mount Eiger, he had an incredible perspective of the landscape.  He loved every minute, and while a little nerve wracking when he first took off, he was able to relax and enjoy the views from above. The kids and I took the last Gondola down to meet him, and he beat us down!

We then returned for a homemade meal of salmon and salad, and tucked the boys in by 9pm. It was a breathtakingly beautiful day.