None of us really knew what we were getting into when we signed up for mountaineering but it turned out to be another one of Kandersteg's great activities. It's essentially going up a sheet 300 meter cliff (with about 200 meters of additional hiking tacked on). Our guide, Daniel, was born and raised in the Kandersteg area but lives most of the year in New Zealand. Ever heard a Swiss-New Zealand accent? We now have. The locals call this the Via Feratta (the way of iron).
Another group went on the "Chocolate and Cheese Tour", visiting Swiss chocolate and cheese factories. The pictures from that excursion are at the bottom of the page after the Mountaineering pictures.
Gearing up The most important thing to remember -- always make sure at least one carabineer is connected
Heading for the cliff The climb begins
The views are great!
A ledge -- chance to relax
Views from the ledge -- about 1/3 of the way up.
Crossing the face of the cliff A zip line over the waterfall
Crossing on the zip line
Almost at the top
Enjoying a Rivella (Swiss soft drink) at the top Ready for a ride down via cable car
That's our cliff!
