Day 94 – 97

Km 3146 to km 3278 , Richetlipass (Switzerland) to Grindelwald (Switzerland).

Day 94

26/07/2022 – 24km

It rained very heavily last night, and today was very grey and cloudy. No chance to dry stuff out properly.

It was an easier day of hiking, down into Linthal, and then just a short climb up into the Urnerboden valley where we are camping before the next climb.

The gas for the stove ran out last night. We haven’t been able to get a replacement in either Elm or Linthal, so tonight we are eating food that doesn’t need cooking. I opted for yoghurt and rolled oats.

Day 95

27/07/2022 – 25km

Final day hiking with Pete, up over Klausenpass. Sadly it’s still very cloudy, so we didn’t get many views.

Down in Altdorf we had a big meal from a kebab place, then took the train back to Rafal’s (as the trail comes very close to him here).

In the evening we took a nice bike ride to a Macdonald’s for some more sports nutrition.

A very good day for calorie intake.

Day 96

28/07/2022 – 38km

This morning I woke up very early to get the first train back to the trail. I said goodbye to Pete last night since I was sure he wouldn’t be awake when I left.

On my climb up out of Altdorf I stopped and chatted for a while with some UK hikers we met yesterday. It’s nice to bump into the same people again.

I felt very fit today, going over 2 passes (Surenenpass and Jochpass) without much difficulty.

In the evening it started to rain, and I’m sleeping in the porch of a church with an older Swiss hiker. Later on most of the village came out for the ringing of the bells, and a little girl sang a song using some kind of traditional wooden bullhorn as an amplifier.

Day 97

29/07/2022 – 40km

A lovely section of trail today with some intermittent views of the Wetterhorn and the Eiger between the clouds. I’d hiked this way (Sargans to Grindelwald) two years ago, so thankfully have already had clear views of both.

Just outside the town of Meiringen are the Reichenbach Falls, where Sherlock Holmes disappeared after defeating Moriarty. There’s a plaque to commemorate this, along with a lot of Sherlock Holmes related things in town.

I ended my day in Grindelwald, below the Eiger. This town has a Montbell store (they make clothing popular in the ultralight community) and since my Frogg Toggs jacket is getting a little raggedy, I treated myself to a new rain jacket.