Lausanne

To the best of our knowledge, our Winger family roots can be traced back to a little mountain village in Switzerland called Wengen.  Today’s symbolic return to that village was the treat of a lifetime as we used Wengen as our basecamp for a day of hiking exploration in the Swiss Alps — more specifically the area known as the Berner Overland. 

To get there, we drove from Lausanne through Bern and Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen — the terminus for trains going to a host of mountain towns that are nestled in the Alps.  Our train took us right into Wengen where we snapped a few quick photos and then boarded the Mannlichen gondola for a nearly vertical ascent to a major hiking trailhead.  From there we headed east for a one-hour hike around Lauberhorn (elevation 8,111 feet) to Kleine Scheidegg — a major rail and lift hub sitting at the base of the mountains Eiger (13,025 feet), Monch (13,475 feet) and Jungfrau (13,642 feet). 

At Kleine Scheidegg we had lunch and then embarked on what was to be an easy 30-minute hike to the train station at Wengernalp.  What happened next was the Alpine equivalent of Gilligan and Skipper’s “3 hour tour.”  Instead of the intended route which was described as a leisurely stroll slightly downhill on a wide paved path,  we followed a couple of locals up and over the cow path connecting Kleine Scheidegg and Wengernalp.  The route was over trodden grass and loose rock, seldom more than 18 inches wide and usually hugging the side of the mountain.  Our trip took 75 minutes and always had us wondering if we were really going to make it without falling to our deaths or simply spraining an ankle.  Until the last 10 minutes of the hike, we could not see our destination and often wondered if we might have to painfully retrace every step to rejoin civilization.  What an excellent adventure — at least that’s what we’re calling it since we lived to tell the story.  The vistas were the most spectacular of the day, and we’ll always have the memory of taking “the road less traveled.”

From Wengernalp (no 5-star resort could have looked better to our sore eyes) we took the train back around to Wengen, where we enjoyed strolling through the town and relaxing on a shady knoll under a beautiful old tree.  Our final train ride of the day was back down to Lauterbrunnen.  With the Alps in the rearview mirror, we drove about two hours to get back to Lausanne on Lake Geneva (Lac Leman).

I can honestly say that nothing I have ever seen compares with the majesty and enormity of these incredible mountains practically piercing the sky with their snow-capped peaks.  God gets extra credit for the work he did on this day of creation.  What a testament to His power and boundless creativity.

One last note.  Given the fact that Wengen is now a world-renowned ski destination, I’m questioning the wisdom of my forefathers in leaving in the first place.  At the very least, I nominate this as the location for our next Winger family reunion!