Between Lakes

Interlaken gets its name from its position between two lakes, Lake Brienz to the east ad Lake Thun to the west. Interlaken is located in a valley of Switzerland surrounded by the Swiss Alps, some of the most breathtaking mountains I have ever seen. In the past Interlaken made money through printing, textiles and watch making. Today this city revolves around tourism and for very good reasons. Thrill seeking tourists travel from all over the world to experience some of the most rare and extreme sports and activities. These activities include skiing, white water rafting, canyoning, skydiving, paragliding, bungy jumping and canyon swinging. The geography of Interlaken is what makes it possible for people to try these things. The mountains harbor many glaciers, which create the hundreds of waterfalls pouring off the cliffs and the roaring rivers that empty in the eastern and western lakes. So while I was there I figured I would definitely try to experience some of this for myself. My friends and I decided on rafting and canyon jumping, two VERY different activities.

When we arrived in Interlaken it wasn’t hard to find a place to sign up for activities. We found a really great place called Alpin Raft where we could get good package discounts. They were extremely nice people and very helpful. They provided us transportation pretty much wherever we wanted and were able to accommodate large groups of people. When we arrived we suited up and learned how to raft, 20 minutes later it was time to get in the water with our instructor Sven. We quickly found out w

hat it feels like to jump into 40 degree Fahrenheit water coming strait from melting glaciers! We went on down the Black Luchita (meaning darker dirty ground water) crashing in to huge class 4 rapids and rocks with Sven screaming at us form behind.Eventually we merged with the White Luchita (clear water from the mountains) where the water became a little smoother. Sven took this opportunity to give a little history lesson of Interlaken. He told us about a huge flood that took place in 2005 affecting Germany, Switzerland, Romania, Austria and a few countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Large areas of these countires were wiped out and in most cases still being rebuilt. In the village of Lauterbrunnen, Swtizerland, which is actually where I stayed, was hit particularly hard. The only exit from the town is a narrow gorge just wide enough for the river, road and railway; during the flood the river expanded to fill the entire gorge. The damages the flood b

rought are still visible, the bridges we rafted under were rebuilt with more durable materials and for a while, on one side of the river there are no trees from where the water washed them away. Over all, this rafting trip was not only an adventure, but one of the many ways the experience the Switzerland culture.

Like rafting, the canyon swing is another extreme adventure. We had originally planed on going canyoning, which involves jumping into pools, repealing down rocks and sliding down natural waterfalls. However, since it rained the entire weekend the water was to high and it was 45 degrees Fahrenheit outside, not exactly suitable weather for playing in water. Our group had about 30 seconds to decide if we wanted to canyon swing. This is similar to bungy jumping, but you are in more of a full body harness and you jump of a cliff into a narrow canyon above a rushing river and free falling 50 ft at 80 mph. This was a very intense situation, which may be why it took me almost 20 minutes to finally be pushed by the instructor! My justification in deciding to partake in such a potentially life threatening experience was the fact that Switzerland is one of three places on earth you can go canyon swinging. If I had backed out I knew I would never have a chance to do something like it again. The deep narrow canyons are what allow for such an activity. Without the Swiss Alps Interlaken would not be able to live off any tourism, the mountains are what make their way of life possible.

On a side note, for the next person going to Interlaken, don’t stay in Interlaken. Just outside, about a 25-minute train ride, the village Lauterbrunnen is a perfect place to stay. It is located higher above the Interlaken valley and is a very quiet little neighborhood area. I stayed at theSchutzenbach Campsite where Miami University students have been going to for almost 30 years. There are always lots of other students there and everyone goes to hang out at the campsite bar to play a round of the ‘Stump game.’ It is also possible to sign up for all the activities without going to Interlaken and there are plenty of delicious restaurants serving the best fondue I have ever had! Staying the Lauterbrunnen gives more of a rustic feel and is a better location to take in the landscape of the Swiss Alps.