Surrey West - International trip to Switzerland 2007

Wednesday 22^nd August found us saying our goodbyes to parents before we boarded the plane to Geneva.  After two and a half hours by train and bus, we walked up the steep hill to the campsite at ‘Our Chalet’.  Next day, our orientation walk took us down the hill to ‘OEY’ and up the other side to Adelboden town where we took the cable car to the top of Tschenten Alp where the view over the valley was stunning.

Friday found us catching two buses to Kandesteg where the chair lift took us up another mountain to Oeschinensee.  We enjoyed tobogganing before having lunch around the beautiful clear lake.  As today was Bea’s birthday, we went out to dinner to a local pizza restaurant.   The following day we went on a cable car up to Engstligen Alp which has a huge waterfall cascading down it.  We walked around the plateau at the top of the mountain and played in the icy cold streams that ran across the top.

On Sunday some Guiders from Yorkshire joined us for ‘Guides Own’ held at the front of the Chalet, Emma then made her Promise as a Ranger bouncing on the trampoline with Cindy.  We then had a leisurely afternoon doing crafts before the Swiss Experience started on the Monday.  Today we walked up and down some very steep paths on our way to the Woodcarver and abseiled down a deep gorge in the afternoon.

The chocolate factory at Interlaken was our first destination on Tuesday, before the group was split up to go horse riding and visit the Trummelbach Falls, these glacial waterfalls cascade down inside caves.  They were spectacular.  Wednesday loomed wet and we hiked to the Adventure Park then on up to the cable car which took us to Sillerenbuhl.  It was so wet at the top we had a hot drink and came back down by cable car instead of walking from half way down.

We got very wet on Thursday on the day trip to the Ballenberg Open air Museum.  The old buildings were stunning.  There were plenty of tradesmen and animals to vary the views, it was just so wet.

By Friday, our campsite was so muddy and dangerous we moved our kitchen round to the other side of the Chalet.  We went to Adelboden to buy chocolate and spend the last of our money before being taken out to dinner again.  What a treat.

Saturday came all too quickly with the dismantling of the camp and the trip home.

We have had an experience we will never forget.

For more photographs of our trip