Rot, Stock and Mountain Hütte

Monday was the sunniest day yet, so we planned a longer walk along the opposite (West) side of the Lauterbrunnen valley .

A 5 min bus ride, and then up the brand new Schilthorn cable car – “the steepest in the WORLD!!!” , or so the hoardings scream at you as you approach.

Indeed, the vertical valley wall it has to scale is several hundred metres high from the valley floor, up to Mürren. On the (rapid but silky smooth) way up I snapped this rainbow waterfall –

– and right at the top, a group of Grail tourists, condemned to walk the Via Ferrata of Death as a punishment for failing to name their favourite colour when challenged at the bridge . 

Then time to stand on our own two pylons and walk an 8 mile circuit past the spiky Stechelberg peak –

Lianne also had a go at How Not To Be Seen :

We had packed lunches, but still nice to find the Rot Stock Hütte at the half way point for an overpriced glass of sparkling water ( good loos, mind you).

Then onwards and downwards to the cable car for home ….

As we have found before, it was actually the steep descent that was harder work on the legs than the initial uphill : constant braking is tough on the knees ! 

As a reward for all that hiking, we popped into the shop in Lauterbrunnen and picked up a nice bottle of drain cleaner. The fridge area has now got cooler, but it’s also niffier, and blocked drains are the prime suspect.   Oooh, the fun goes on !