We had a wonderful first two days in Wengen (our second day there was especially spectacular) but it wasn’t until our final day that some of the fresh snow on the higher paths started clearing. Sort of. Though some of the trails we had hoped to hike were closed due to avalanche concerns, we decided to try the Männlichen to Holenstein to Brandegg trails in the Grindelwald Valley.
The first hour or so of our hike was entirely in a cloud, so we didn’t take a lot of photos – just one as we started out (the image at the top of this post – yes, that is the cloud we walked through) and another when we got to the bottom of the cloud (below). In between, there was some snow and a lot of mud that made for a rather slippery and extremely cautious descent. Still, there is something rather magical about walking in a cloud, especially when you can hear the ringing of cowbells in the distance.
Once we reached Holenstein, the valley opened up before us and the views for the rest of our hike to Brandegg were absolutely beautiful. We didn’t actually go down to Grindelwald but it was interesting for me to see the area, especially since I know A.A. Milne used to visit there before the First World War.
It was a wonderful last day in the mountains and I was very, very sad to leave the next morning for Montreux. Wengen was the absolute highlight of our trip and I am looking forward to hopefully visiting again next summer.
The Captive Reader 
I’ve really enjoyed you sharing your experiences of Wengen and the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen area.Like you I was equally entranced on my first trip there in1994 with my mountain club. We did a walk in the Wengen area and I saw my first slipper orchid in the wild. It was a magical first trip and on two further trips since the magic was still there. On the last trip we did the Eiger trail and I can recommend it as a thrilling walk using the Jungfrau express to descend after a few Gluweins on top. Thanks again
Milly, it is great to hear from someone else who knows the area! I’ll look forward to trying the Eiger trail on a future trip.
What gorgeous photographs, Claire!
Thank you, Florence!
I love all the photos, but especially the one with the cow, who manages to have some personality in that shot somehow.
Isn’t she lovely? I adore cows and took many, many photos of them on this trip but this is one of my favourites.