On 31st July 2004, I packed a rucksack full of snacks, layers and a brand-new head torch, locked the door of my repping accommodation and set off to take a special late-night train to Schynige Platte. I was about to embark on one of the most memorable hikes of my life – Schynige Platte to First under the light of the full moon.
During my winter in Saas-Fee, I was fascinated by the Britannia Hut. Perched at 3030m, I loved to imagine the stories shared by climbers as they sheltered inside its grey stone walls, the wild mountain weather raging outside as they prepared to scale the nearby 4000m peaks.
Summer in Saas-Fee is all about embracing the simple things in life. The changing colours of the seasons, the rock-strewn slopes that rise from lush pine forests and the icy crest of the Allalin that crowns the village with its sparkling jewels.
If you’re a first-time hiker with dreams of making your walking debut in Switzerland, you can’t go wrong by choosing to holiday in the Jungfrau region. The vast choice of easy walks ranges from lakeside pathways to high-altitude trails, bringing you up close and personal to the mighty Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains.
‘Just one season’, I told myself as I set off to the fairy-tale village of Saas-Fee to accomplish my childhood dream of learning to ski. Little did I know, I was at the start of a three-year adventure in a country that would change my life. Saas-Fee has a special magic, surrounded by the highest mountains in Switzerland.
There was something about Interlaken that grabbed me on that very first visit. Perhaps the carefree, happy holiday feeling combined with the promise of adventure in the mountains ahead. Three seasons and many return holidays later, this is the region that continues to draw me back again and again.
Lake Lucerne is like a miniature Switzerland. It lays out all the best features around its shores, leaving you to blend your holiday cocktail to taste, whether you prefer a double shot of hiking with a dash of sightseeing or a triple shot of museums, shaken and topped with a panoramic train journey.
