Falling Rocks, Cheese, and Snow

When one thinks of the famous Bernese Alps, the mind often wanders to images straight out of Heidi- pastures of wildflowers, babbling brooks, and small villages with snow covered peaks towering above it all.  The fantasy, in all truthfulness, is not too far from reality.  The only difference being that much of the population in the large towns of this idyllic area are the transient tourists from Asia, Britain, and the Americas coming to backpack, ski, base jump, and ride the railways and cables up to the mountain tops.  With the motley ambiance of camera clicks and incoherent chattering in a dozen languages, one may forget that the perfection of the scenery meeting the eyes is completely legitimate and not a fabricated theme park of rebar and plaster.

Do not despair, however, you need not travel far to escape the bustling chaos of the resort towns.  The "real" Bernese Alps are steps away.  Yes, Virginia, there is still a corner here and there that has not completely succumbed to modern progress.  You can still climb a mountain (yes, an actual mountain with a name) all morning and arrive in a village where the economy is still based on cattle raising and cheese making.  The villagers are not paid to dress up in felt costumes and talk to bus loads of Japanese and American tourists.  They're going about their lives just as they have done for a thousand years.  Sure, modern conveniences are there and they will not stick their noses up at an opportunity to make a little money operating ski lifts in the winter, but the bottom line is what it has always been.  Life changes slowly in the Bernese Alps, away from the resort towns of Interlaken and Grindelwald.  They still celebrate the seasonal cattle drive to the high pastures in the spring and their return to the lower altitudes in the Fall with ceremonial trychel ringing.  They still make the cheese the same way their great-great-great grandfather did and they still sell it to passersby from their windowsills.

There is much local pride for this famous Alpkäse.  Rumor has it that true Alpkäse connoisseurs can tell on what wildflowers and what pasture the cattle grazed just from its flavor.  While Alpkäse in general is firm, creamy cheese with a thick rind, each village has its own unique cheese, with a flavor and texture all its own.  While you can purchase the cheese direct from the maker, nearly every village has its own cheese shop where you can buy many of the regional varieties.  That is the place to hit, for the proprietress will be happy to slice off some samples for you before you make your final selection.  The choice may not be as easy as it seems.  Some cheeses are fairly young with a soft flavor, while others have been aging in a shed somewhere for a few years.  The smell alone could cause a stagger back.  We sampled a bit from a Lauterbrunnen shop across from the train station and decided that our personal favorite was the cheese produced right there in Lauterbrunnen itself, instead of the other regional cheeses in stock.  Perfectly mild and buttery, it paired nicely with some alp sausage and beer.

If you're concerned all that cheese consuming will slow you down, have no fear.  You cannot go into the Bernese Alps and not partake in some outdoor activity.  This land is made for it.  Whether it's skiing, snowboarding or mountain climbing in the winter or backpacking and mountain biking in the summer, the Bernese Alps will provide everything you need to get the blood pumping.  No matter the fitness level, with all the rail and cable service from town to town no gradient can hold you back.  Step off the valley floors and into the lofty heights above.  It is perfectly acceptable to let your jaw drop.

Leave the empty trappings of the tourist towns with their Hooters Bars, shiny resorts, knife and watch shops, and helicopter tours.  Take a chance and turn onto a trail to places unknown.  Follow a waterfall to its source.  Hear the rumble of a distant avalanche high above on the glacier covered peaks where men have climbed to success or tragic failure with hemp ropes and homemade crampons.  Hear the histories of those legendary peaks from the crusty old herders in stocking caps who've climbed them during their glorious youth.  Breathe in the crisp Alpine air and feel alive again.  No noise except the bells around the necks of countless cows.  No congestion except the sheep crossing the mountain roads.  No smog, just the low hanging clouds in the cold mornings.  The bus loads of gawking and stumbling tourists can be left behind quickly and easily, if you're willing to take a chance.

While the region is happy to welcome visitors from all over the world coming to enjoy all it has to offer, it still manages to remain true to itself.  If you're willing to wander, you'll see it.  It may sting a little.  The calves may burn.  But, I guarantee it is worth the pain.  It is worth every second.