The Alps

Hiking through the Alps in the Berner Oberland filled Day 9. The night train from Paris dropped us in Interlaken (1860 feet). We rode a private train up to Wengen (4180 feet) and a lift to Mannlichen (7317 feet). Three hours of hiking later, we arrived in Klein Shedegg (6762 feet) and took the train back down to Interlaken.

Left: We met runners on our arrival in Interlaken. John and I opted to go up on the train, but the fastest met us again in Wengen. Right: Our hike to this peak in Mannlichen, the highest point of the day, took 20 minutes from the lift. At the top of the world, we ate picnic lunch purchased in Wengen. A suggestion: make sure your cheese doesn't smell like dirty socks before you buy it.
Left: Above the clouds at Mannlichen, photography was a challenge because the mist rolled in and out randomly. Right: Someone actually lives here, on the side of the hill. The sound of thousands of cowbells serenades him daily. The nearest town is miles away down in the valley.
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