The day after our 14-mile hike, 18 of us got up early to make the 5:40 am train to Interlaken, Switzerland because we were going CANYONING! When one of the guys asked us if we wanted to go, I had no idea what canyoning was. But, Natalie told Hannah and me to just say yes before watching the youtube video on canyoning. So, with her encouragement, we said yes. And I think we are all SO glad we did. It was probably one of the coolest things I have done so far in my entire life. Canyoning, for those of you who don’t know, is basically a natural water park instead of a manmade one. It includes jumping off cliffs (10ft – 30 ft) into the river, sliding down waterfalls, zip lining, repelling and more!

When we first arrived, we had to sign the release forms and get suited up in our wetsuits, water boots, two jackets (Yes, I said two jackets because the water was about 50°F. The day we went was actually the closing day for the summer activities because it was getting way too cold. But, it was totally worth it!) and helmets. Each helmet had names stickered on them and that was what the guides would call us throughout the day. We were told to choose our names carefully (although I didn’t seem to hear that part). I first found a helmet that fit my head with the name “Octopussy” on it. Luckily, my friend, Dom, brought that to my attention and I was able to switch to something much better…LOVE! Hannah chose Miss Piggy. And Natalie chose Dumbo.

Once we got all of our gear, we piled into the van and headed up to the Grimsel Canyon. The drive up there alone would have been worth it even if we did nothing else. It was so beautiful; I just couldn’t get over it. And then after about an hour drive, it was time to canyon!

Our guides were able to film our whole adventure with the go-pro camera clipped onto their helmets…so, I was able to put together a little video! Take a look!

*The song is “Ça plane pour moi” by Plastic Bertrand. Ça plane pour moi is a French idiomatic expression, which means “Everything is going well for me” and I thought it was pretty fitting to my experience living abroad and getting to participate in amazing adventures like this! Also, we speak French in Switzerland…so I thought the French lyrics were pretty fitting too!

We had such a blast and I am so thankful for our guides at Outdoor Interlaken (shout out to Stan, Tim and Mustard) who were so much fun and made us feel incredibly safe! If you ever get an opportunity to go canyoning, I highly recommend it!

So, last weekend, I hiked about 14 miles to the peak of a mountain in the Swiss Alps along with Hannah, Natalie, many of our classmates, and our directors leading the way. We were warned that it would take all day and that by the time we got towards the top of the peak, we would need to use all fours. But, that didn’t scare us away. I mean hiking the Swiss Alps is not an opportunity that comes knocking on my door all the time. So, I had to go! Needless to say, I was so excited.  And I was not let down. The view surrounding us from the beginning of the hike until we reached the tippy top of the peak was absolutely breathtaking. And that isn’t an exaggeration in even the slightest bit.

^^Our directors and their six year old daughter leading the way!

^^Sascha was pretty excited to make it over half-way to the peak, where we stop for lunch! This is where she stopped last year…the question is will she make it to the peak this year?

 ^^Not a bad lunch-spot view, huh??

^^This right here doesn’t look like much. A fresh baguette, cheese, and turkey. No condiments. But, I kid you not when I say that this was one of the most delicious sandwiches I have ever had. The bread in Switzerland and of course the cheese is literally to die for.

^^With full tummies and therefore a burst of energy, we were ready to climb the last chunk of the hike to the tippy top of the peak!

^^Up we go!

^^You can begin to see here how steep it is! This picture was taken right before I had to use both hands to help me get up the mountain, so I couldn’t take any more pictures until…

^^…I made it to the top!!!

^^Our directors, Todd and Sarah. We would all be so lost without them!

^^She made it to the top this year!! Don’t let the fact that a six year old making it to the top make you think that this was an easy climb. It wasn’t. All of us were so proud of her and honestly amazed she could do it! She is one tough cookie!

^^Girls will be girls…

^^…and boys will be boys!

^^And down we go. Can you tell how steep it is now??

^^And when we all reached the bottom, safe and sound, 14 miles later, Sarah and Todd treated all of us to some hot chocolate. Aren’t they the best?!

Oh and one last thing, I took a total of 298 pictures on this hike!! I can’t tell you how tough it was to narrow them down to 25. But, I think that just goes to show how beautiful it really was. I wish everyone in the world could experience this.