DAY 67 - SPIEZ to KANDERSTEG (Thursday 22 June)

Leaving Spiez at the start of a long day's walk

Today's walk was a long stretch from Spiez to Kandersteg. It was uphill for most of the way, although we started by retracing our steps around Lake Thun to Faulensee.

Leaving Spiez the way we had come in yesterday - on the path by Lake Thun

Back to Faulensee along the lake

We left the lake at Faulensee to head inwards and upwards, through the town, through a forest, over a hill and into the village of Aeschi bei Spiez. 

From Faulensee to Aeschi - a bit of climbing involved

We found another path at Aeschi to take us down to the Kander River at Mülenen. From there we picked up a riverside path to take us into Frutigen.

Aeschi to Mülenen. This bit was downhill. 

From Mülenen to Frutigen along the Kander

We were now over half way into the day's walk. We stopped for lunch in Frutigen, but didn't linger. There were still 14 kilometres to cover in the afternoon, and storms were predicted, so we were keen to keep going. 

Moving on through Frutigen 

We were following a marked path to Kandersteg, where we are staying the night. It led us up past the ruined Tellenburg Castle, and on up the valley to Kandergrund and Blausee. By now the rain had started and the wet weather gear was out. 

Tellenburg castle and beyond

And then the rain came. 

We walked through Kandergrund in the rain and headed for Blausee. Vision was reduced due to the weather, and the view of the snow-capped mountains disappeared for a while.

In the rain towards Kandersteg

It was raining when we passed by Kandergrund

The rain continued as we pressed on uphill

The path took us across a meadow

And past a church

More uphill in the rain

The sky eventually cleared, temporarily at least

We managed a few kilometres before the heavens opened and we were hit with a storm. There was lightning and thunder, and a fair amount of rain. 

It was dry when we had a chocolate stop at Blausee.

But the rain started again soon afterwards, and didn't stop until after our arrival in Kandersteg 

With lightning around, we walked the final 5 kilometres or so fairly briskly, checked in to our accommodation, and started to dry off.

A rainy end to a long day's walk

Approaching Kandersteg in the rain

Kandersteg was wet

Kandersteg attracts lots of walkers. It looked like this lot might have been caught in the storm like us.

The weather was clearing as we made our way to our accommodation

Day 67 - Birds 

Day 67 - Elevation Profile 

Day 67 - Route 

Day: 67

Distance: 30.8 km

Walking time: 6 hrs 21 mins

Elevation gain: 1,084 metres

Cumulative distance:  1,457.24

Switzerland distance: 378.44

Switzerland chocolate consumption: 26 blocks

Poem of the Day:

VALLEY WALKING

We are walking through the valley into

Kandersteg

Following the yellow diamonds of the

wanderweg

Walking through the valley is like

walking by the lake

Any feelings of flatness are fake

There is quite a bit of altitude

And just when you think you've

accrued

Enough Up

Nup!

Deluded conclusion

Displeasing illusion

Dude,

That was just a prelude