Posted: August 22, 2017
Author: Bénédicte Loeffel
Hi!
I am Bénédicte, the new member of the team at Epic Europe! I come from Jura-Bernois, which is a small region in the North of Switzerland. I lived 8 years in a little village under the ski resort Crans-Montana (Valais) and now I moved to Val de Bagnes (under the ski resort Verbier, also in Valais). I accomplished my Bachelor's degree at the Swiss Tourism School (HES), and decided to take a chance on working for Epic Europe.
I love to find myself in nature enjoying the calm of the mountains in the summer and wintertime. I have skied since I was 3 years old, and when the snowy coat disappears, it's time for me to put my hiking shoes on and explore the beautiful trails of Switzerland.
Already, working at Epic Europe has made me experience some beautiful moments. One in particular was to hike the route from St-Luc to Gruben by the Meidpass and Gruben to St-Niklaus by the Augustbord pass with a group of really sweet people, ready to conquer their fear of heights. We slept the first night at the Hotel Bella Tola in St-Luc. As soon as you go through the door of this historic hotel, you discover old-world furniture with warm alpine decor. Then, you are warmly welcomed by the owners or the staff of the hotel, that make you feel at home. You can now relax and enjoy your charming room with a delicate note written specially for you. The next day, we started to walk in the wet morning…cheating a little by taking the funicular that brings you 500 meters higher up to reach the planets trail. Then the big hike starts! You go up through different mountain landscapes…from the natural alpine meadows to the moon-scape ambiance, zig zagging up and over the Meidpass, where you can feel a little fresh breeze. On the way down you discover little lakes and just enjoy the silence of the greatness of the mountains. The last steep part going down takes you through a forest, where a variety of flowers are at your fingertips. Finally you arrive at the Hotel Schwarzhorn; hearing some Swiss German makes you feel like you're on holidays! The hotel is located almost at the end of the valley of Gruben, and gives you all the comfort you need after a big hike. The tasty dinner menu served in the evening will give you energy for the next day, and the soft comfy bed will make you forget your stiffness.
The next day you have to start to climb up again to reach the Augustbord pass, which is at 2893 meters. This trail is long and challenging…you will go through near-vertical and impressive passes. If you're lucky, you'll have the chance to catch sight of a chamois or bouquetin hiking so easily up to a steep face of the mountain. At the end of the walk, you arrive at Jungen, a little “hameau” perched on the cliffs. You discover typical little alpine chalets and get on board the “Jungenbahn” which is an old cable car built in 1980 and rebuilt in 1998-1999 to be up to standard which will take you down to the valley, to arrive at the train station of St-Niklaus.
At the end of the day, the reward is to see the guests you are with, so proud and happy to have accomplished the route…and to get a nice beer too!
I can’t wait to have awesome moments with new guests, clients, and friends who share the same passions as I do.
See you soon!
Tags: HikingEpic Europe TeamBenedicte Loeffel
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