So after our all too brief stop in Innsbruck, we headed off on the hottest day thus far to Lake Lucerne, and an inn with a great view of the lake. We put this spot on our itinerary because behind the inn was Pilatus, one of the Alps. For some reason, the heat in our room got to me and I lay on the bed feeling sick until later that evening. Gene ordered a caprese salad for me, which I ended up eating on the balcony of our room after the sun had departed.
The view of Lake Lucerne was spectacular, and we made plans to swim the next day after our trip to Pilatus.
Pilatus is a 7000 foot mountain, which we had climbed in 1972. This time – older, wider, and less in shape – we decided to take the new and ferociously expensive aerial tramway up to the top. It’s spectacular and well worth the price though. You start out in a small, four person cable car and then transfer to a larger one halfway up that holds 25 or so people.
At the top there are several buildings, including a hotel, a restaurant, and gift shops.
The view is amazing, and the best part was the bright sunshine and cool breeze. You can see the expanse of the Alps, including the Jungfrau (13,00 feet) and the Eiger (also 13,000), two of the tallest, that lured mountain climbers each year. This day the horizon was very misty, so I am including another view.
Here’s the view on a You Tube video:
We climbed all around the top – there are passageways craved through the rock – had a drink and enjoyed the view.
We were entertained by a traditional Swiss horn blower, quite a treat, and the jackdaws that flew over the various areas where people were eating. The smallest member of the crow family, they are cavity nesters, so the top of the mountain is a natural habitat. They are a protected species and are quite bold. One landed on a tray a waiter had left momentarily and made away with a whole piece of toast. They are also quite tame, and you aren’t supposed to feed them, but when they trailed us on a path to the far side of the summit, I gave in. They’ll eat right out of your hand, but their beaks are pretty sharp.
On the back side of the mountain was the trail we had followed up to the summit. It is a good deal more difficult than the gentle switchback one on the other side.
We started our ascent at the bottom part of the white, squiggly trail, in a meadow where we had wine, bread and cheese for lunch. Then, slightly inebriated, we decided to climb. We met a Swiss couple on the way up, we said we could climb with them. They were first cousins to mountain goats, so we were glad when they left the trail to visit a chapel (not in the picture.)
You can just see the trail in the middle of this picture, above the tree line. From there we climbed up a wall of scree before finding a passageway in the mountain that led us to the other side and the view of the Alps. Since you can’t see the Alps from this back side, when we emerged at the summit, the view took our breaths away.
The Esel and Oberhaupt are two peaks which can be easily reached from the top of Pilatus by climbing some steep stairs. We climbed to the top of Esel – the peak in trhe back of the opening view in the You Tube video, so we have now ascended two of the Alps!
There’s another way down the mountain, on a cogwheel railway, which has been making the run to the top for years. This is how we got down in 1972, on the last car of the day.
You can see a bit of the gentle switch back trail on this side of the mountain in this picture.
On the way back to the inn, we scoped out the beach from which you could swim in Lake Lucerne, the only one nearby. There was no parking and it was about four miles down from the inn, so we decided to skip it. Next time!
Beautiful views and the Swiss horn looks very long and hard work.. The tramway must have been spectacular and less exacting than 1972! Bet you enjoyed your holiday it looks amazing.
Thanks, Andrea, for coming along with us on the trip! The Swiss horn has a beautiful sound.
Spectacular! and I admire your stamina in what I believe is middle age!
It is gorgeous, isn’t it? And to be out of the heat was wonderful. You can stay at a hotel at the top for only $250 a night! 😉
Hmm, about that middle age…a little older, I’m afraid…
Your pictures are amazing. I love how you give a description after each picture. It appears as though you are really having a wonderful excursion.
Thanks for coming along with me, Gracie. We did have a great time and the views are just spectacular. Probably better from the Jungfrau but ascending that mountain is out of my league!
LOVE these photos! What a place. So glad I read this post.
Thank you, DT. I don’t always do a travelog, but the trip this summer just yelled for it!
This looks incredible! I’m so jealous! Beautifuk pictures too!
Thanks – it’s a nice spot for a honeymoon! Hint, hint
Spectacular views, Noelle! I always have my heart a bit in my mouth on cable cars but it’s always worth it. 🙂 🙂
You’d definitely have white knuckles on this ride Jo!
Ah, memories! I won a trip to Switzerland in the mid-1980s, and it doesn’t look any different (maybe the cable cars have been modernised, but the Swiss always have the most up-to-date ones – the joke used to be that Italy takes Swiss ones second-hand, but maybe they do.
I think I went up to the top of the second cable car, but came back and just walked down from the mid-point. But I was walking on my own, and so had safety in mind. My knees complained the next day, though!
I hope you did the Lucerne steamer trip?
I have to admit my legs were jelly by the time we got to the top in 1973! We didn’t do the steamer trip due to lack of time but we watched it from our patio!
Very impressive, thank you for all your lovely photos and write up – giving us an idea how it is there.
Thanks, I aim to please!
Just beautiful
And COOL, Charlotte. Wonderful place to spend the day away from the heat! you should visit sometime.
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