Interlaken, as the name suggests, is picturesquely situated between two large, lovely lakes. Nice enough, but the real wonders are in the valleys above these lakes, and in the mountains that rise above them. For accomodation, half of my week is spent down in Bonigen and the other half up in Gindelwald. However, it is easy to get around here, so I was able to access the valleys and mountains from both.

I spend a sunny morning biking up to Stechelberg and then push the bike up to the snow line. From there I have a wild and wonderful ride back down. On another day, I take the train to Eigergletscher (I passed on the overpriced trip to Jungfraujoch) which has a perfect view of the Eiger's infamous north face, as well as a great side look at the Jungfrau (4158m). I hike up a bit, just to the point where it gets too tricky, and then return along the Eiger Trail, which is great, but all of the trails at this elevation are equally great. I go on fantastic hikes up and around steep canyons, two of which contain the two beautiful Grindelwald glaciers. On another day, I try to get over to Faulhorn for a view out over the Brienzersee, but I'm stopped by sleet and fog, and anything above Bussalp is murky.

Just as I'd imagined, this area is practically perfect for hiking, full of trails that wind through forest, past waterfalls and meadows covered with wildflowers, looking out over green valleys dotted with old wooden houses that are beautifully carved. The only drawback is its popularity. Even though it is easy to escape the crowds on the trails, (indeed, they are practically empty) there is a great crush of tourists in the towns, trains, and hostels. Often, a large group of Japanese tourists would take over an entire train. It gets to be a bit much for me and I ask around to try and decide on a quieter destination.

Since absolutely every Japanese tourist I speak with said they were either coming from or going to Zermatt, I immediately scratch that off my list. Likewise, the area around Mt. Blanc is clearly too popular for me at the moment. I meet a Belgian guy named Steven Francken, who has spent a lot of time in Switzerland, and he recommends the southeast part of the country. I get some specific information and head out.