DAY 68 - KANDERSTEG to LEUKERBAD (Friday 23 June)

Today's walk was another of our favourites - from Kandersteg to Leukerbad over the Gemmipass. It involved a lot of climbing, wonderful views all day, and the steep descent of the Gemmiwand at the end.

Wonderful views all day on the Kandersteg to Leukerbad path

We climbed steeply out of Kandersteg, in cloudy skies, to emerge in a plateau of wildflower meadows. 

The sky was cloudy as we left Kandersteg 

We were soon climbing

It was quite steep for a while

The climbing was hard work in places

Climbing up from Kandersteg 

Still climbing. We were climbing for most of the day. 

A welcome pause on the way up

Views of Kandersteg opened up as we gained altitude and the clouds cleared

Two ways to climb. Slow travellers on the path,  not-so-slow travellers in the cable car. 

Emerging onto a rocky plateau

The wildflower display was eye-catching. We photographed many of them individually, while collectively they provided a colourful backdrop to the day's walk. 

Some wildflowers from today's walk

The path was still generally uphill. We took a small detour to Arvenseeli, a small lake that we remembered visiting on a previous trip. 

Walking to Arvenseeli. The clouds were low and it was pretty cold. 

Wildflowers on the ground, mountains all around

Arvenseeli

Arvenseeli

Arvenseeli

Australian long-distance walker at Arvenseeli

The path kept going up, but at an easy gradient for the rest of the climb. We stopped at the Schwarenbach restaurant for lunch, then continued up to the Daubensee.

On to Schwarenbach

On to Schwarenbach 

Healthy fruit at the Schwarenbach restaurant 

From a previous trip: future Australian long-distance walkers checking out the hammock outside the Schwarenbach restaurant (July 2006)

Australian long-distance walkers checking out the hammock outside the Schwarenbach restaurant (June 2023)

Refreshed from our break, we continued on up the path to the Daubensee. We chose the more scenic of the two paths around the lake and up to the Gemmipass. 

Daubensee 

We walked around the scenic Western shore of the lake

Walking around the Daubensee 

We found some snow to cross on the way

Snow at the Daubensee 

Last climb for the day - from the Daubensee up to the Gemmipass

The Gemmipass is over 2,300m above sea level. This is the highest point of our trip. And of course, it was all downhill from there. 

The Gemmipass 

The descent basically goes down a cliff. It is a very popular walking path, with dramatic views of the village of Leukerbad below, the cliff you're going down, and the mountains all around. 

Australian long-distance walkers descending on the Gemmiweg to Leukerbad 

This one's from a previous trip - future Australian long-distance walkers descending on the Gemmiweg, July 2006

We continued descending through Leukerbad to our accommodation,  finishing off a very satisfying day's walk. 

The Gemmiwand. The walking path goes down the cliff

Day 68 - Birds 

Day 68 - Elevation Profile 

Day 68 - Route 

Day: 68

Distance: 23.87 km

Walking time: 6 hrs 10 mins

Elevation gain: 1,454 metres

Cumulative distance:  1,481.11

Switzerland distance: 402.31

Switzerland chocolate consumption: 28 blocks

Poem of the Day:

BLOSSOMS BLOOM

Powerful flowerful

Blossoms bloom

Purple and blue and white

Wonderful funderful

Petals peek

Orange and pink and bright

Five types of yellow flower at least

With freckles and speckles of red

Tall ones and short ones and big ones

and small

Resplendent in their mountainy bed