1936 On the Continent

at times it really seems as if they have left the ground. The valley itself is still very unspoiled and many old customs have survived among the peasants.
Kandersteg
    Continuing from Frutigen we travel through the valley of the Kander to Kandersteg, a small village at the entrance of the Lötschberg tunnel. After leaving Frutigen the train climbs a hill and then crosses the valley by means of an enormous viaduct. At Kandergrund the valley becomes narrower and we reach Blausee Mitholz station. The Blausee is a small lake, of a marvellous deep blue and so clear that at the bottom can be seen logs, covered with algae. The reason for the colour is not known and it is said by some authorities that the algae cause it.
    After Blausee we pass through a series of tunnels and cross several bridges, till at last we come to Kandersteg, which has always had a considerable amount of tourist traffic, as it is the last stopping-place before the ascent to the Gemmi Pass. The way to the pass is by a track leading through a glen past the Dauben See; it used to be the main route to the Rhône valley from the north, until the Lötschberg tunnel was built. It can be reached from Kandersteg either on foot, or else you may travel to the summit in an odd, two-wheeled cart, called a “Gemmi Wägeli”; the descent to the Rhône valley may only be tackled on foot. The whole journey is well worth the effort for the sake of the wild and magnificent scenery.
    Kandersteg is surrounded by famous peaks, such as the Blümlisalphorn, Doldenhörner and the Balmels. It is famous for the flower, displays in spring, and numberless varieties of spring and Alpine flowers will be found here. One of the most attractive walks is to the Oeschinen See, alake which is embraced by rocks and mirrored in it are the peaks of the Blümlisalp, the Fründenhorn and Doldenhorn with their waterfalls. The mountaineer will find many peaks to ascend, and besides those already mentioned there are the Weisse Frau, Wilde Frau, the Wildstrubel, and many others.
    As Kandersteg lies on a large plateau, several miles long, it is possible to go for easy walks on this without having to do any strenuous hill climbing. During the winter Kandersteg is rapidly gaining popularity and is the home of some of the finest Swiss ski-ers, but owing to its relatively low altitude, snow conditions cannot always be relied upon.
The “Witches’ Cauldron”
    On our way back to Spiez, we will leave the train at Reichenbach and take a car or sledge, according to the season, to travel up the Kiental. The scene is dominated by the Blümlisalp group, where the river Kien has its source. Numerous smaller valleys join the main one, and many of these are worth exploring; they are completely unspoiled and foreigners rarely visit them but go to the more famous valleys of the Oberland. After the town of Kiental we proceed to Tschingelalp, whence the road climbs by steep curves past a number of waterfalls and the weird “Hexenkessel” (witches’ cauldron), where the water bubbles as if it were veritably being heated and some potent brew prepared. Griesalp itself consists only of the Kotel Kurhaus Griesalp and a few chalets, and is a perfect place in which to spend a holiday in summer or winter. There are a large number of interesting climbs on all the peaks in the district and it is possible to get to Mürren by way of the Sefinenfurgge, or else one can make one’s way to Kandersteg over the Hohtürli Pass. Here we are amongst the finest Alpine scenery, and the whole of the Bernese Oberland is as lovely in spring as in winter, but with a very different kind of beauty.
    In order to avoid the return journey to Spiez we will cross the mountains to Mürren, which is perched on a terrace of the Schwarzgrat, whence there is an almost perpendicular drop to the Lauterbrunnen valley. The altitude of Mürren is so great that it lies on a level withthe glaciers and upper peaks, and it is no unusual sight to find masses of gentian on the slopes near the village. Here we get a marvellous view of the Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger and of the other big peaks, the Schwarzmönch, Gletscherhorn, Ebnefluh, Mittaghorn, Grosshorn, Breit-horn, Tschingelgrat, Gspaltenhorn and Bütlassen. As in all the rest of the canton, there are good walks; one is to the Blumenthal or Valley of Flowers, which is one of the finest spots for a display of Alpine flowers throughout the district, and prominent among them all are yellow pansies, which