Switzerland 2019 (1 Viewer)

[John Dirk]

We just returned from a magical visit to Switzerland. Here are a few pics.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Very nice, John. I really like those first two shots.

 

[John Dirk]

Thanks Scott. I'm no photographer so I'm always hesitant about posting photos.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yep, great photos. I've always thought Switzerland looked like a beautiful country to visit.

 

[John Dirk]

Yep, great photos. I've always thought Switzerland looked like a beautiful country to visit.

Thanks Robert. It is a beautiful country and we enjoyed our visit very much but it was a bit different than we expected. We figured "Switzerland" would be snow covered mountains, etc yet we were in short sleeved shirts until we ventured into the higher elevations such as Zermatt and Mt. Palatus in Lucerne.

A few more pics...

 

[Scott Merryfield]

John,

It's funny how our expectations for weather can be so different sometimes from reality in places we visit. On our first trip to Alaska, the temperatures got higher as we traveled farther north. By the time we got to Fairbanks it was 85 degrees - - in a place that can reach -60 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter.

I envision Switzerland in the summer like your last photo - - green mountainsides like in The Sound of Music.

 

[John Dirk]

Your vision was pretty much spot on, Scott! We definitely felt like we were on location for that iconic film. Beautiful countryside and lush greenery everywhere you look.

 

[DaveF]

Gorgeous! We’re still deciding on our next international trip in a year or two. Definitely have to keep Switzerland in mind.

 

[John Dirk]

Gorgeous! We’re still deciding on our next international trip in a year or two. Definitely have to keep Switzerland in mind.

As long as you're up for some serious uphill hiking and can handle the altitudes in some places I can highly recommend Switzerland. A few of the folks in our group got in a little over their heads and had to skip a couple of the more challenging tours.

It's also an expensive destination but well worth it in my opinion.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

How high of an elevation did you get to? We've been able to handle 10,000 feet with some acclimatization in Yellowstone (Mount Washburn), but 13,000 feet with no acclimatization in Hawaii (Mauna Lea) really hit us hard.

Here we are on our last hike to the top of Mount Washburn -- we've done this hike four times. Coincidentally, this photo was taken by a gentleman from Switzerland. We hiked a substantial portion of the way up the trail with him and his son (they left us in the dust when we got to the higher elevation).

 

[John Dirk]

OK - So you're embarrassing me. We went to the top of Mount Palatus which is 7000 FT.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

OK - So you're embarrassing me. We went to the top of Mount Palatus which is 7000 FT.

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It's all relative, John. Most of Yellowstone National Park is at 6,000 feet or higher, so spending a few days in the park before tackling the Mount Washburn hike may be easier than going to 7,000 feet quickly from a much lower elevation. FYI, the Mount Washburn trail is 6 miles round trip, starts at about 8,500 feet and ends at 10,243 feet. From the top, you can see most of the huge park, and on a clear day can even see the Grand Tetons. It's my favorite hike in any of the national parks we have visited.

When we went to the top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii at over 13,000 feet, we actually started near sea level, taking a four wheel drive bus to the top to view the sunset and stars. At the top, I bent over to get something out of my camera bag and felt like I was going to pass out.

 

[Brian L]

That 1st image makes me want to hop in a silver Aston Martin DB5 and go tearing through the alps.

 

[John Dirk]

That 1st image makes me want to hop in a silver Aston Martin DB5 and go tearing through the alps.

You'd be much safer going to Germany's Autobahns to do that. Speed limits in Switzerland [and most of Europe] are low compared to the US, averaging between 80 - 100 KPH, or about 50 - 62 MPH.