I had rented a bike for
exploring and running to the store. The
bike was rented from Veloschöpfli Zuecher, Frutigen.
. I had a great ride on the day
I picked it up. This day the gang was
worn out and wanted a shopping day,
and I had the day to go on an expedition. Packed with the usual dried fruit, various
Swiss breads, the latest cheese and chocolate, I set off after breakfast. Kandersteg was quiet early on, it was going
to be a gorgeous sunny day. Up to
Sunnbuel and the Sunnbuel lift station, turning left at the army barracks.
The climb starts. Suddenly I’m well above the barracks and
climbing. The road is carved into a rock faces at times, with rock walls
prevented a fall over the precipice.
Rare autos are going up or down.
It keeps climbing. At one point, I have to walk, its just too steep for
me. A short tunnel is strange on a
bike, especially since there are mud and puddles in there. It keeps climbing. The road follows a narrow gorge and river, crossing once on a
stone bridge built in 1929. Up and
up.
Eventually and suddenly the
road empties into a vast glacial valley with the river meandering through. Far in the distance are snow cornices, falls
and monolithic rock walls. Here a few
hikers and picnicers are around, having driven up, but no other bikes. After a long peaceful meander through this
valley, it began to narrow then entered a gradual climb, and then a steeper
climb, but manageable. It climbs
through a steep forested slope, with occassional picnics along the side, and
after a short time quickly enters a smaller valley, massive in its own right. It is about lunch time and this area looks promising. I pass a couple of Gasthaus’s in Selden and
the road quickly turns right and crosses the river on a small low bridge, and
straight in front of me are two benches with great view, warmed by the noon
sun.
One chore remains, and I
head back to the Gasthaus to purchase a couple of beers to go. Outside were a few tourists, most seemed to
be German or Swiss.I think the woman in the Gasthaus thought I was crazy, but I
manage to come out with two cold beers. One for lunch and one for later. I head back to my picnic spot and
feast. I still look forward to the
return trip. It is mostly downhill or flat, through the
picturesque valleys and quickly downhill, back into Kandersteg. It was still early afternoon, and the gang
planned to try shopping in Frutigen. I
had the bright idea of dropping down there, meeting them for dinner and
bringing the bike back on the train.
It was the first of two
trips in that direction, and it was a
piece of cake, all down hill and some of it steep. I was in Frutigen early and
would have made it down to Thun if I hadn’t left my camera by an ATM in
Frutigen. The kind and efficient bank people saved it at their information
desk. By that time it was nearing dinner, and I had not spotted my shoppers. I got to climb back to Kandersteg, a climb
that takes a couple of hours vs 1 hour or so down. I got back to Kandersteg
about 10 hours after my morning departure.
I burned off a few chocolate, cheese and bread calories that day!
Photos,
Bicycle ride from Kandersteg to Gasternal –“Yosemite of the Bern Oberland”