Off The Beaten Path (Part 2)
A Remote Valley in the French-Speaking Region of Switzerland (Day 2)
We began our 2nd day driving further up into the valley, winding our way up the mountain side as we searched for the trail head that would take us to a glacier. We eventually came to a small, old village that had a hotel and restaurant. The village consisted of old timber houses with slate roofs as is customary in this region. We decided to park here and hike up to see a glacier.
A sign indicated that it was only 25 a minute walk. Normally the trails in Switzerland are well marked and the estimated times are pretty accurate. We loaded Levin on my back and let Silas walk. Our path followed the road for a few meters before we saw a sign that led across a field and into the forest. After a short walk we crossed a river and saw a sign pointing up the valley and once again indicating that the glacier was only 25 minutes away.
As we walked, we saw several cattle paths which obscured the hiking path, making it harder and harder to find. Eventually we were picking our way through the forest and over several small creeks. We weren’t sure exactly where the correct path was. Eventually we heard cows and it seemed that an entire herd was headed our way. No worries, we were off to the side and not in their direct path. However, a very large cow, walking with here calves, started mooing aggressively at us while changing her direction and walking directly toward us. It was clear she was not happy with our presence.
In Switzerland it is quite common to come across cows and other animals on the hiking and biking trails. Normally, this is nothing to be concerned about. However, it is best not to get in the middle of a herd, especially if there are calves present. As the aggressive cow continued to march towards us, I decided it was best to retreat and grabbed Silas as we headed for rougher terrain which would give the cows trouble navigating.
As we walked, we saw several cattle paths which obscured the hiking path, making it harder and harder to find. Eventually we were picking our way through the forest and over several small creeks. We weren’t sure exactly where the correct path was. Eventually we heard cows and it seemed that an entire herd was headed our way. No worries, we were off to the side and not in their direct path. However, a very large cow, walking with here calves, started mooing aggressively at us while changing her direction and walking directly toward us. It was clear she was not happy with our presence.
In Switzerland it is quite common to come across cows and other animals on the hiking and biking trails. Normally, this is nothing to be concerned about. However, it is best not to get in the middle of a herd, especially if there are calves present. As the aggressive cow continued to march towards us, I decided it was best to retreat and grabbed Silas as we headed for rougher terrain which would give the cows trouble navigating.
The big cow kept her eye on us and eventually she moved a little further down. There was a break in the herd so we decided to cross over to see if we could relocate the path. At this point the rest of the heard started to come through and we were trapped with the river at our backs. Eventually we spotted the big bull that was bringing up the rear of the heard. We weren’t far from him as he locked eyes with us. Just to be safe we climbed down a 3-4-foot drop to the riverbed below. We decided to cut our loses and follow the riverbed back down stream and to our car and go for lunch. The cows watched us carefully, but we had no further incident.
Our only option was lunch in the old hotel and restaurant built in the 1700’s. We had a view of the mountains and some of the other aging huts. We didn’t expect much from this restaurant in the middle of nowhere, but we were pleasantly surprised with delicious homemade ravioli and homemade ice cream.
After lunch we were able to drive further up the road where we found the true trailhead to the glacier. We took both kid carrying backpacks, but since the path was wide and not too rocky, we decided to take the stroller as far as we could before strapping the kids on our back.
As we arrived at the base of the glacier, we heard an alpine horn. To our pleasant surprise, there was a person up there playing his alp horn. When you hear about alp horns in Switzerland it isn’t just a tourist thing. You randomly come across them and it is always a special experience for me.
Once again, our day ended back at our cabin where we had dinner on the porch watching the sun set behind the mountains and watching the sheep graze.
A long, exciting day filled with beautiful views, fun roads, aggressive cows, and some exercise. Another great day!
To be continued…