[Bulk] Re: [Idyllchat] Switzerland Questions

[pandjking at sbcglobal.net]

Dear Idyllchatters, and especially Vance Roy,
    Thanks for all of the great info you sent me on the trip to the top of 
the Jungfrau and also on paragliding in Switzerland.  I have forwarded all 
of it to our kids and I know they will greatly appreciate it.
    Thanks, again.
    Phil King, Spring Lake, MI
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Vance Roy" <gigli.saw at dplanet.ch>
To: <pandjking at sbcglobal.net>
Cc: <idyllchat at lists.untours.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 3:57 AM
Subject: [Bulk] Re: [Idyllchat] Switzerland Questions


>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
>