Switzerland
This was the first train ride that I just stared out the window for 5 hours. The landscapes here are just absolutely stunning. The trains almost always run parallel with the many lakes, it is just the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. On day 1 I had a hike planned around a like and then to the top of a nearby mountain. there was an hour of walking to reach the first of the waterfalls running into the lake. It was gorgeous. The upper falls were much larger so I wanted to go to them which was about another 2 hours up the mountain. Hidden in all of the trees was my new favorite place I’ve been. The pool under the waterfall was massive and deep enough to swim and jump in. I had to do a few flips into the freezing water just to make sure I’ve still got it, I do. Something unique I’ve noticed about Switzerland is that because there are so many hikes and beautiful places it is rare to see others while hiking. The following day my back wasn’t feeling very good so took it easy because I didn’t want to make it worse. I had a big hike planned and I knew I wouldn’t make it with my back hurting. That night I checked the forecast for the area and it was supposed to rain from 9 am all the way through the following day. After a little consideration, I decided to go anyways because who knows the next time I’ll be in Switzerland. I got up at 4:30 for my 2-hour train to the trailhead. While it was the most difficult hike I’ve ever done It was 100% worth it. the first section was through a thick forest and when you made it through it opened up to rolling hills of green and a pretty view of the small town below. Throughout the entire hike, you could hear cow bells echoing through the canyon and it was the most magical sounding thing I’ve ever heard. The higher I got the harder the trail was getting. In some parts, you had to walk leaning into the mountain so you wouldn’t slide off the edge. For a lot of the hike I was in the clouds and towards the end, I was actually above them. I hope you like these pictures as much as I do. On my second to last day, I ended up at a downhill mountain bike park and had so so sooooo much fun. I may have ended up with a few cuts and bruises but it was definitely worth it.
