Last Day in Switzerland

What? It can't be. We just got here 5 minutes ago.  The seven days of splendor passed so quickly.  Okay, I'm going to make this the greatest day yet.  We are taking the hike through the Combe Grede Gorge .... no matter what and everybody is going to LIKE IT!  Got it? We are going to have FUN!  And that is exactly what we did.

 I rushed down the steps with backpack in one hand and a half eaten apple in the other. Rahel steps out of her apartment with a slip of paper in her hand and tells me that Fred contacted his sister last night and she has offered to take us on a tour of Neuchatel (yes, that is the name of the cream cheese at Wal-mart). I stammer a bit thinking of the all day hike I have planned, not wanting to sound un-appreciative of their hospitality, I  tell her I will check with Dennis, who is waiting in the car and be right back up.  I have to think quickly, I really want to relax and enjoy our hike but meshing with a local is when the real education happens.  It's a bit of a risk, spending part of our last day with a stranger? Perhaps this is a gift from God......not part of MY plan, but I'm learning to roll with His changes.  I check with Dennis, thank God for the opportunity and tell Rahel we would feel honored to spend the afternoon with Fred's sister Astrid.  This is so not like Dennis and I to hang with people that we don't know really well.  God is stretching us and we're letting him and it actually makes me feel like a big girl, a grown-up.

We drive to St. Imier where I have it planned for us to hop a train to the town of Villaret where we will start our ascent into the gorge.  We spend 10 minutes draining all my energy trying to communicate to the ticket seller what we want.  At 10:29 she communicates to us that we can take the 10:30 train to Villaret and be back by 1:00.  Of course the train to Villaret only goes every hour.  I am trying not to let the frustration seep in but it's coming.  We can't just hang out for an hour because we now have a time crunch with our meeting with Astrid at 1:30.  I want to cancel the whole Astrid scene but I settle myself knowing God knows the big picture, so stop being such a micro manager.  Then my brilliant husband says, "Can't we just drive to Villaret?"  I had such tunnel vision on taking the train, because that's what I kept reading in the brochures, that I lost my perspective on the big picture.  We had a good laugh about that and took the 4 minute drive to Villaret.

This felt like a magical forest.  The boulders and trees had a vibrant green moss living on them.  The path started quite pleasantly with a wide leafed incline that gradually turned to a narrow ascent and finally crossing creeks with slippery boulders.  I felt as though an Ewok was going to tumble out in front of me.  This was just the adventure I had been hoping for the past two weeks.  I was in my element.  To my sheer delight there were ladders bolted into the rockwalls so we could continue to go higher.  As we went further there were cables screwed into the rocks to hang onto for safety-and boy did we hang on!

So much fun, I could not stop smiling

                                                                                                                                                                        

Now this is serious hiking

The girls found a little nook to rest in

My amazing husband hiked with Mr. Raleigh on his back for 7 miles.  Is that tough or what?  This was some serious up hill business.  He did not complain once.  We had a good system going.  I found long walking stick and on the way up I would get ahead of him with one end of the stick and he would hang on to the other end.  So I sort of pulled him.  On the way down he would hang on to one of our shoulders with one hand for balance and in the other he held a walking stick.  We saw several people with hiking poles and realized how beneficial that investment would be. 

Annie and I at our highest point before turning back

We came to a point that we decided was probably too treacherous for Dennis with Raleigh on his back.  Actually Indi and Ireland decided it.  Annie and I wanted to keep going.  It's neat how we can really start to define the personalities of our girls the more time we spend together without the external distractions.  Indi and Ireland are more like their Dad.  Cautious and conservative.  They were concerned about Dennis carrying Raleigh, didn't want him to get too tired or hurt himself. Then there's Annie, she's more of a free spirit like me.  A thrill seeker.  She and I conitinued on a ways while the others ate their Snickers.  We just didn't want to stop.  The switchbacks did get a little hairy so it was a good decision for us not to continue any further.  This was the highlight of my trip so far.  This makes me crave doing another trail run with my sister when I get back.  With every strenuous step up I thought of  my sister who will be running a very hilly Omaha Half Marathon in 3 days.  My thoughts go out to her as her physical prep has been completed and now she must begin the mental prep.  May the Force be with you Sister!

It's not easy riding in a pack all day