On my way into Interlaken, Switzerland, I embraced the beauty of the nature and geography of the land. Switzerland is a very mountainous region in Europe known for their extreme recreational outdoor activities. The Alps are one of the greatest mountain ranges in the world. They stretch from Austria all the way through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany, to France in the west. This vast chain of mountains not only forms breathtaking views in the sky, but they also form the swift flow of water through the valleys in Interlaken. Because of the glaciers that are constantly melting at the top of the mountains, there are two massive flows of glacier rapids that channel down and through the valleys in Interlaken emptying into Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. Both the mountains and glacier waters are what make Interlaken a popular tourist attraction for young adventurous souls like myself. The various activities such as skydiving, canyoning, rafting, skiing, and cliff jumping are few of the many outdoor activities that are pursued in Switzerland. During my quest in Interlaken, I ventured off onto the path of the melting glacier rapids and up to the canyon cliff jumping hot spots.
The first full day we were in Switzerland a group of about twenty of Miami University students were in line to go white water rafting for our first daring adventure. Throughout the day, we paddled through a class four sections of the rapids that were formed from the glaciers that were melting quickly the top of the Alps. The white water rafting was also dangerous because of the countless rocks that were naturally dispersed throughout the path. This rafting experience was one of the most challenging, yet fun and exciting excursions I have ever been on. My friends and I were able to make it to the end all in one piece!
The second day that we were in Switzerland a smaller group of friends and I decided to do a more extreme type of activity such as canyon jumping. This jump consisted of jumping off of a 150 ft. tall cliff, down into a canyon freefalling at 80 miles per hour. Canyon jumping is similar to bungee jumping, but is unique to Interlaken because it is only done in two other locations around the world, including Africa. Canyon jumping was the scariest yet thrilling thing that I have ever done.
After my adventures on the rapids and high up in the mountains, I decided to stay on the ground for the remainder of my trip. I hiked around Lauterbrunnen, the destination of our lodging cabin, where there was much to see. There were a couple beautiful waterfalls that surrounded the small village along with a cute little town full of Swiss flags that represented their strong sense of nationalism for their little tourist town.
Overall my extreme recreational adventures in Interlaken were possible because of the geography of the land in Switzerland. The mountains and rapids are land features that are not commonly found across the world and therefore Switzerland takes pride in their beauty and natural ways of life. Tourists are attracted to this geographical place to catch a glimpse of the beauty and experience the recreational activities that Switzerland has to offer. These outdoor activities make up the identity of Interlaken, Switzerland.
No comments:
Post a Comment