Monday 4 March 2024 - A Walk from Adelboden

We woke to find Kandersteg engulfed in fog (cloud). So another slow start, on this relaxing holiday. Clearly our 6 day ski pass/hire wouldn't all be needed as today was unsuitable, especially as the guys who were due to provide the skis had decided it wasn't worth opening their shop today. What a contrast to my previous winter visit.

There's a Ramblers group of nearly 20 here, and another 'Headwater' couple. We all get the same four course menu with a choice from three 'mains', but only the 'Headwaters' have the added privilege of being allowed to raid the breakfast buffet (with its great selection of breads, cheeses, etc) for our self constructed packed lunches.

Anyway, we saw all these people set off for the 10 o'clock bus to Adelboden, and after a bit of thought we decided that was a good plan for the day. We missed the bus by some way as we hadn't started to get ready. However, Sue spotted that there was a train at 10:15 that should catch up with the bus in Frutigen. And so it did. The Ramblers had got off there, but the other 'Headwaters', who turned out to be Susan and Jonathan, from London, were still there. After independently finding coffee shops we finished up heading in improving weather in the same direction and spent the day with this like minded couple.

We had all chosen an obvious route for a day walk, namely a descent from the town to the valley, which we then walked up as far as Unter dem Birg (1405 metres). The only way of proceeding further from here is to take a cablecar. Re enjoyed our excellent Seiler's Vintage Hotel packed lunches on a bench in view of frozen cascades down a wall of rock.
Then we walked back to Adelboden, past verges rich with Oxlips, and beautifully coloured bracket fungi, with ten minutes to spare before catching the 3:51 bus back to Kandersteg, a nice hour long journey.

Swim and sauna for Sue, hot shower and blogging/reading for me, and hopefully another excellent four course meal to follow.