Switzerland Day One: "The Top Of Europe"

After what seemed to be days of traveling, we finally arrived to our Swiss destination of Interlaken on Tuesday at about 7 PM, which is around 1 PM local time. The first night was spent settling ourselves in and becoming adjusted to the time change. Our first full day had us taking a short train ride to the base of the alps and then another train ride up to the town of Wengen, a small village that can only be reached by train.



Wengen, which sits at the base of the Swiss alps, was a small and quaint village and provided great opportunities for breathtaking photos of the alps. Splitting into two different groups, we then proceeded to hike a long trail up the Kleine Scheidegg mountain. While our tour guides Leo and Yurick warned us that the trail was somewhat difficult, I think a majority of our group was surprised at just how difficult a hike in the alps can be. The high altitude and thin air made it a struggle to climb more than a hundred yards or so without having to stop due to fatigue. In all, the hike took around two and a half hours, much of which was up a steep incline.



The hike ended with another small tourist friendly village with an absolutely stunning backdrop of the snow capped alps. Words cannot describe just how immense and majestic the Swiss alps are. I think the hike served as a great team bonding activity and gave our team an appreciation for mother nature. The Swiss have been extremely friendly and welcoming thus far and I am looking forward to what the rest of the trip has in store.