Friday 8 March 2024 - A Walk to Daubensee

After changing our minds several times we decided to forgo cross country skiing in favour of a walk to some new views. It proved to be a wise decision. Jonathan and Susan joined us on the number 241 bus after Sue and I had returned our skis to Grossen Sport. It was nowhere near as busy as yesterday. J and S got the cablecar after ours as they didn't have pre booked tickets (ours came with the package).
We soon headed off along the shared trail on which Sue and I came to grief yesterday. Walking was much easier. After yesterday's calm conditions, today's 'blue sky day' brought with it a cold strong wind that was in our faces to varying degrees all the way to the terminus of our exploits, overlooking Daubensee, a lake just below the Gemmi Pass. In days gone by I've camped near here.

There were very few people cross country skiing. Conditions were tough, with spindrift filling some of the trails as soon as they were groomed. We were lucky to have yesterday's perfect conditions and would have found the same trails both boring and tedious had we gone that route today. Our walk was about 6 km there, with about 450 metres ascent, and we returned the same way.

We stopped three times as the wind blew us back to the Sunnbüel cablecar. First at a high hotel, for coffees and hot chocolate, then on a corner on the path that was sheltered from the wind, where we had enjoyed elevenses on the way up. It was here that Jonathan's prized Waterstones bag blew away, and Sue discovered an accident in her rucksack. The eggs must have been 'boiled' in cold water! What a mess...

A bit further down we found a sheltered sunny spot under the eaves of a farm building. This was to be our tea and cheese break, but sadly the tea had disappeared. There should have been half a litre left in the flask. Where it disappeared to remains a mystery.

After that it was an easy walk back to Sunnbüel, where the next cablecar linked nicely with the hourly bus back to Kandersteg and the delights of the hotel's sauna.

We joined forces with Jonathan and Susan for the last of Nico's excellent four course meals, a most enjoyable way of concluding the week, as we have an early start for tomorrow's journey home.