Day Trip to the Schilthorn

This is a guest post by Mike.

Swiss Alps

On Saturday March 5 our family traveled to the Schilthorn--famous (I guess) for appearing in the James Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." It's quite an expedition to make it to the top: first, you take a couple of trains to get to Interlaken; another short train gets you to the base; then a tram takes you almost directly up, but still very short of the summit; a train then ferries you around the bend to Murren; a ten minute walk to the other side of Murren; and, finally, two more trams until you make it to the top.

It's apparent just looking at the mountains from the base that they are very tall, but the long process sure highlights this. Some statistics. Elevation of Interlaken: 1,864 ft. Elevation of Schilthorn: 9,744 ft. Compare this to change between SLC (4226 ft) to elevation at top of Alta ski resort (10,550 ft).

This is the "short walking" section in Murren

View from the top: Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau

At the summit: restaurant in background, unhappy girls (plus Marianne) in foreground

The view is truly awesome, but unfortunately neither of the kids wanted to be outside much to take it in. We were able to enjoy it some from the revolving restaurant which "on top" of the excellent view actually provided us with some of the best food we've had here. I got a pork schnitzel and Marianne ate a spatzli with delicious spiced pears. The girls ordered spaghetti, but only Katherine and I actually ate it. Ellie has been a stinker and often won't eat EXCEPT every time we get on a train: "I'm hungry." And the only thing she seems willing to eat: "roll wi' 'tella." That's a roll with Nutella spread on it. I must have heard those two phrases 20 or 30 times. I have no idea how Marianne puts up with it every day.

In the revolving restaurant

The summit: Looking back towards Interlaken

On the final tram to the summit

More of Murren

The highlight for the girls was probably the train ride home which was the first train we've been on with a play area for kids. I never would have thought the dinkiest slide you ever saw could be so much fun. I would estimate that the girls went down it a hundred times each.