[Idyllchat] Switzerland Questions

[Vance Roy]

I started going to the Jungfraujoch in 1979 and have gone with each  
new set of kids, a new wife, new deals, and agree that it CAN be a  
spectacular site. It can also be a "whiteout" experience in a  
blizzard on a summer day. It is a reasonable deal on a pristine day.  
It is your travel experience, so live a little. Be prepared for  
CROWDS. The Japanese must have been told that it will get you to  
paradise, and the Indians are not far behind. Before anyone jumps on  
the racist line with that statement, just know that these folks are  
friendly and nice, but there are a lot of them. The trains at Kleine  
Scheidegg leave from a depot where platforms have been built to  
accommodate short legs, and you can expect that you will not be  
allowed to board some cars reserved for the Japanese tours. The  
mountains aren't going anywhere, so just be patient. The trains run  
all day. The train cars are nice, since the Jungfraubahn is a  
privately owned company which has a distinction of being one of the  
few Swiss train companies that consistently returns their  
shareholders a dividend each year.

The ride upward can spook some claustrophobics, so take a newspaper  
to read if you need this diversion. The lights are on all the way,  
which helps some of these folks. There are two stops where you can  
get out to look out the Eiger windows. Considering that the railway  
was completed about 1902, the whole trip is a marvel. At the top, the  
first thing that struck me on my initial trip, was the smells. I  
thought we were in a kitchen! At over 11,000 feet, most people are a  
bit hypoxic, so do EVERYTHING at half pace, or you will find the  
ground a lot closer than you want it to be. The hypoxia has an effect  
on your taste buds and olfactory apparatus that makes them MORE  
sensitive to the perception of smell and taste. I learned this from a  
visit to the scientific museum there some years ago. It is  
interesting to me because it is the only brain functions of which I  
am aware, that actually becomes more perceptive with hypoxia.

There are souvenir shops and a post office where you can have your  
postcards mailed, sit down and stand up restaurants, and signage to  
get you to the various points of interest. There is a permanent all  
year scientific station at the Jungfraujoch with an interesting  
museum exhibit. On your beautiful and windless day, the balcony of  
the Sphinx (doesn't look like a sphinx to me) is a great spot to film  
the vast ice world around you. The Aletschgletscher is a UN Wonder of  
the World heritage site. Don't be surprised if you see a fly over of  
the Swiss Luftwaffe as they go down the whole river of ice. That will  
demonstrate quickly the vastness of the ice river.

Take a lunch, if you like, but eat it outside sitting on the glacier,  
since as I recall, picnicking is a no-no inside. If your tribe is fit  
for it, take a walk on the glacier to the SAC hut called the  
Moenchjochhutte (about 90 minutes for executive ages), where you can  
have lunch. Forget the wine and beer at this altitude because alcohol  
can bring on/aggravate a high altitude headache. This isn't any fun  
at all and can take a day to resolve. My only (actually non- 
alcoholic) headache occurred on my first visit in 1979. It took 24  
hours to go away even after retuning to the lowlands of Zurich. The  
path to the hut is groomed, the lunch is good, and you cannot get  
lost, just follow the line. Barbara and I plan to take the first load  
of grandchildren (10 and 11) this spring. Our newspaper has a deal  
not to pass up on the cost of the trip, but I'd go again with them  
without it. Sunglasses, good boots, sunscreen, lip balm, and a warm  
coat and hat are mandatory. It will likely be warm on the glacier,  
but you will be glad to have a coat for cold weather and shadows.  
Your grandsons should have a life marking memory and a lot of fun.

On 4. Feb 2008, at 21:44, <pandjking at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> Has anyone done the trip to the top of the Jungfrau and/or  
> paragliding in Interlochen?  If so, please send me your comments  
> about the cost and what you thought of the experience.
>

Vance Roy
gigli.saw at dplanet.ch
http://homepage.mac.com/fredch

So the French are revolting. No change there.
AJC Vent