Cow Patty Whacking

Since moving to Switzerland, the Basel group has hosted nine classmates, six family members, and several other assorted friends.  We’re a lucky group!  Last weekend, our classmates Rob & Kuldip visited during a break from their respective internships at Amazon.  Team Switzerland decided that we needed to make this a special trip for our pals and concocted the ultimate Swiss weekend. 

We set off towards an undiscovered (for us anyway) part of Switzerland.  After a picturesque drive, we embarked on our hike to our lodgings for the evening – a mountain hut.   I don’t think the entire group appreciated the hike with gear up to their communal bunk beds and no showers but I thoroughly enjoyed it.   

Asvin, Karla, & I with the mountain hut in the background

The grizzled proprietor, Hubert, and his wife whipped us up a multi-course feast.  After a day of hiking, the homemade soup was heavenly.  Hubert even brought us his ten year-old cheese.  Call me uncultured but I preferred the softer, less moldy one year old cheese.  Nevertheless, the aged cheese was interesting to try.  Hubert and his wife looked to both be well over 70 and brought all necessary supplies in by front supplemented with biannual air drops.  Wow! 

A well deserved hot meal atop the mountain

The next morning we woke before dawn, ate breakfast with Hubert, and set off towards Aetesch Glacier.  A few of us hiked up the mountain to get different perspective.  The climb was intense and we celebrated the summit with piping hot coffees and hot chocolates at another mountain hut.  I went glacier climbing once in New Zealand but hiking along a mountain ridge looking down at the glacier was a new and cool experience. 

The glacier

We hiked through the Alps overlooking the glacier for awhile to a mountain-top lake. 

Stunning beauty around every bend

A few more hours of hiking brought us to the hamlet of Riederalp.  Riederalp was hosting their annual cow patty whacking festival.  Yes you read that correctly.  We trudged up to the event, ate the regional specialty of fried cheese, drank milk fresh from the cow, and outfitted ourselves with golf clubs for the whacking. 

Fore!

What a unique experience hitting dried up cow dung off a mountainside is.  If only traditional golf was so interesting …