[Removed user]

13 October 2017 at 23:53:37 #813501

Day 11 – Wednesday 13th September

Started the day early to catch the 7.30 train from Brienz to Meiringen and then a bus to Triftbahn, arriving at 8.12 am, just after the opening time of 8 am. Unfortunately, a group of 29 students with their teachers had the same plans and they had booked the first 4 cable cars. So I had to wait till 9 am as the cable car has a small capacity of 8 persons and runs every 12 minutes. There were 2 other individual hikers with me (a lady from Zurich and a Japanese guy). The lady was heading towards Trifthutte, situated next to the glacier and had a long hike (4.5 – 5 hours) ahead with weather forecast stating that it will rain from 11 am. So she was in a hurry. She had previously worked at the hut so was familiar with the trail. The 3 of us managed to get on the 4th cable car, with 5 other students and started the hike.

Navigating through sheep : http://www.instagram.com/p/BZ Jy6VFFoUV/?taken-by=bensumw

Looking back on the hiking trail 15 minutes in : http://www.instagram.com/p/BY -xxm3j6ZV/?taken-by=bensumw

The first glimpse of the suspension bridge : http://www.instagram.com/p/BY -yPP3je6I/?taken-by=bensumw

Triftbrucke : http://www.instagram.com/p/BY -y_QKjTNH/?taken-by=bensumw

http://www.instagram.com/p/BY -za9TjjE3/?taken-by=bensumw

Crossing the suspension bridge : http://www.instagram.com/p/BY _b8-Qjbdi/?taken-by=bensumw

It was constant uphill for the first 1 hour, and I managed to bypass the majority of the students and the teachers. Had the Japanese as my hiking partner (who has hiked to the top of Mt Fuji 4 times) and reached the suspension bridge in 1.5 hours and saw that there were a handful of students there at the start of the suspension bridge waiting for the others. I suspect these were students on the 1st cable car up who had a 40 minute headstart.

Spent some time at the suspension bridge, crossing to the other side. It was very stable. Sure enough, around just after 11 am, it started raining. If I remember correctly, I left around 11.30 am, and made it to the cable car station in time for the 12.24 cable car down, to catch the hourly bus to Meiringen at 12.40. I ran the final section of the trail in just 14 minutes and made it just in time.

At the train station at Meiringen, I bumped into Adrian, who was my roommate the day before at Brienz. My initial itinerary was to then proceed to Gelmerbahn, but weather was not good and was feeling tired. Reached Brienz, to pick up my luggage on hopped on the Interlaken – Lucerne express. Arrived in Lucerne and the weather was beautiful. Checked into the hostel and then explored a little of the city center (Chapel bridge).

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[Arno]

14 October 2017 at 15:54:17 #870926

Thank you for the report Ben! Still very nice pictures despite the weather turning bad. You definitely experienced how quickly the weather can change in the Alps, with clouds, rain and sun all in the same day.

[Adelaidean]

16 October 2017 at 10:20:41 #870927

On my list for a future trip, Ben, great photos, and what a rewarding hike.