As we were checking out today, and moving to another town close by, we were in need of an activity for the day, and what better activity than go for a walk in the Swiss Alps.
We did this yesterday, and I must say my heart was not fully committed to another walk at that very moment. However, not wanting to miss a great opportunity, I signed myself up to it.
A run into a local supermarket prepared me with a few drinks, pistachio croissant (for immediate consumption) and a giant pretzel for lunch. The cost of living in Switzerland is quite something. As I read online I can see that Switzerland ranks as one of the most expensive countries for groceries and many other things. It is also one of the nicest countries though so hard to complain. Their roads are clean, public toilets are in excellent condition. Their town squares have clocks make out of succulent plants.
Neither Mitchell or I were really expecting how high up the gondola lift was going to take us. We saw on a map the walk we agreed to try, which was the ‘5 Lakes Walk’, a mere 11km and 500m elevation. We thought this was a much more reasonable day when we were carrying the full weight of our backpacks, as we had checked out.
We arrived at the top of the chairlifts, after taking two gondola rides to reach the starting point. The view was quite something. It was a clear day today so we had no clouds, unlike yesterday.
As we began our walk we quickly came to realise that the track led behind a mountain, or two. And examining the elevation gain of the track revealed perhaps we needed to gain 500m elevation more than once, maybe. At least it felt like it. I think ‘elevation gain’ on a track means total gain above sea-level.
Another consideration we didn’t fully consider was just how high up we were. All photos showed green and rocky environments. What we got was a lot of snow and ice! The snow on the track which required careful foot placement.
It’s not fair that dogs in Europe are allowed in national parks. We saw at least 4 dogs out for a snowy adventure. I took a photo of some paw tracks on one stretch of the track.
Below I shall detail a number of photos from the view of our walk around the 5 Lakes Track.
On our last part of the track we became somewhat concerned we were going too slow. Mitchell asked when is the last gondola to which I recalled seeing a sign saying “1600”, but I didn’t understand the rest of the German. It was already 3pm, so only one more hour. We picked up the pace somewhat considerably as neither of us expected this walk to be so time consuming.
There were others on the track who appeared equally concerned. One I received mobile reception again at about 3:45pm, I could see the last gondola was at 1630. We were still quite a distance away but we made it there at about 4:20pm.
Below, is our route we took around the mountains with satellite imagery.
We came down the gondola and ventured into town. Our legs were getting quite sore from all this mountain walking. As we walked we saw an internationally recognisable sign, something quite familiar even by the different trademark it known by in the Australian colonies, Burger King (aka Hungry Jacks).
My meal at Burger King was exceptional. This meal was made with love and kindness. I did not pick an expensive meal on the menu. It was a very standard meal with no upgrades. Its price was an excellent example of the cost of living in Switzerland. I paid CHF 20.40 for my meal. I was mighty stunned as this translates to AUD $39.50..
The restaurant was very clean. And I mean you couldn’t even tell there was glass in the windows they were so clean. The floor had not one crumb. The chairs were soft, tables were clean and not sticky in the least. A civilised society.
Anyway, we are in Chur, Switzerland now. A city up the railway track. We are staying in a hostel in a dormitory. It is the first and only dorm style room. I write this blog after having showered and purchased some lollies to quietly consume while in bed. We are here for 2 nights.