The route we chose is called the Gimmelwald-Chilchbalm
hike, ending up at the terminus of the Lautenbrunnen
Valley. It's known as a good rainy day hike, because of
the shallow cave near the end where one can take cover in
a downpour.
Enterprising hikers have sub-divided
the shelter into kitchen and living room areas,
complete with fireplace, tables, and seating (all crudely
fashioned out of the mountain stone).
There were even a few dented pots
and pans left clean and ready for the next adventurous
chef.
Since we hadn't brought any wood or matches,
we didn't start a fire, but we were glad to sit
and rest and take in the immense beauty of the view before
us. Chilchbalm is where the valley ends, and it's not possible
to continue on much beyond here without mountaineering gear.
From the vantage point of the cave we could
see a tall, thin waterfall at the end of the valley, and an
icefield around its base, with just a hint of blue glacier
beyond.
This was enough of a curiosity to entice us
to leave our shelter, and get a closer look...
