More magnificent Murren

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Words can't describe the joy of rolling over in bed at 7am, to discover this amazing skyline appearing to want to enter the room. [note the 2 planets] The happiness meter had difficulty recording the heights of joy reached over the next hour. Of course I couldn't lie in bed for long. I just wanted to be as much a part of it as possible.

I had promised my husband that I would walk up to the supermarket to buy croissants for breakfast. Ladybird came to explore with me, before I made my purchase.

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The decision was made to hike above Murren - Suppenalp, Sonnenberg, Dorenhubel, Pletschenalp, Grutschalp and back to Murren. It was not to be and I've tried to mark where we hiked, on the map in black and notated it with the no 2.
In actual fact it was just 7 kms return.

It was a steep climb beside a tumbling stream, beneath towering trees. The snow underfoot still making that wonderful scrunching sound of fresh powdery snow. 

Such a surprise to spot cattle peering down on us from below the Schithorn. [near Suppenalp]

What an awesome view they have!

Climbing out of the 'bowl' beneath the Schilthorn.

Looking back down into the 'bowl' to Suppenalp and Sonnenberg.

Here we had reached the final point of the Allmendhubel cog train for skiers. Over this crest we would begin our descent to Dorenhubel.

The fog enveloped the mountain so quickly, we were unable to see the trail and turned back. I was reluctant to head back to Murren. Perhaps it will clear as quickly as it had arrived, was the thought running through my mind. A young American lass appeared out of the gloom and was so relieved to see us. The fog where we had intended to descend to, had been frighteningly thick. We hiked back to Murren together.

It was 2pm when we arrived back at the chalet. I assumed that as the views were now non existent, we would have a coffee and relax with a book for the remainder of the afternoon, especially as Frank's ankle, knee and back give him so much trouble. An hour later however, we were descending to Gimmelwald. [4.5 kms return]- 2b on the map.

The fog made for a mystical walk. At times concealing all in its thick, white shroud. Short moments when a peak, a tree, a seat or an animal would be seen and as suddenly not seen. All the time descending without a sense of time nor reality. Voices would travel towards us and then their owners would appear and pass, back into the land of white.  The sound of cowbells echoed more loudly than that of the sheep and goats, that were lost to us in this white world. 

This road is for the farmers and supplies for carless Murren. It was a very strange sight for we 2 Aussie's to see the leaves being blown off the surface. We assume it is a safety issue with the ice and snow.

We never actually saw Gimmelwald, but it was an amazing, not to be forgotten, experience walking the steep, zig zag road to it. The ascent back to our chalet was just as enchanting. The moments when the fog parted and you could see sheep and goats grazing on the fields, that dropped steeply down to the Lauterbrunnen Valley, made the hard slog back up, well worth it.

After a day of such ecstasy, is is possible for tomorrow to compare? I would love to read your comment.