1936 On the Continent

of weather conditions causing a stoppage or else for runs on the glacier. A little beyond this station the train enters a tunnel in the Eiger and a stop is made at Eigerwand, where a branch tunnel has been bored in the rock. As we step out of the train we see a shaft of light breaking through the opening, and we can walk along the tunnel until we reach the aperture, which is the centre of the wall of the precipice; the opening is closed with glass and as we look through we see the village of Grindelwald far below us; the view stretches above the neighbouring peaks as far as the Jura and the Vosges mountains.
    From Eigerwand the tunnel continues upwards through the Eiger and the Mönch (this circuitous route was adopted in order to reduce the gradient) to the next station, Eismeer, where there are a restaurant, post office and observation gallery, all hewn out of the rock. From the gallery we look down on the glacier, all twisted and warped with deep chasms, where the shadows deepen to an unearthly green and the thought of being trapped in one makes us shudder. The great ice mass is travelling so slowly that the movement is imperceptible to the eye. The view gives on to Grindelwald, on to the Fiescherfirn, with its deep crevices, the Schreckhorn, and other peaks. A small tunnel leads down to the glacier face, but this can only be used in summer.
    At Eismeer we change on to another train for the last stretch of the journey to Jungfraujoch, 11,342 feet abovesea-level. From the station a gallery leads to the open air, and the difference in the atmospheric pressure is very noticeable, and quite an effort is entailed in walking to the mouth of the tunnel. Here we come out into the brilliant sunshine, but the rock walls around us are coated with ice; it is interesting to learn that a summer ski meeting is held at Jungfraujoch every July, and this event is one of the most important in the Oberland.
    The Jungfraujoch Plateau forms a saddle between Jungfrau and Mönch. There is a hotel here, which is the highest in Europe, and there is also a cheap hostel for climbers, as this is the starting-point for climbs of the Jungfrau, Fiescherhorn, Eggishorn, and other mountains.
    The Sphinx tunnel leads out on to the glacier, and near it is an observatory and weather station. The view from the plateau to the north embraces the Jura, the Black Forest and the Vosges mountains, while we also get a marvellous view of the Aletsch, the greatest glacier centre in Europe, which moves at the rate of 14 feet a year.
Grindelwald
    On our descent from the Jungfrau we can continue by the other branch of the Wengernalp Railway to Grindelwald. We pass over the Scheidegg Pass on our way and get one of the finest views of the valley. The dominating peak here is the Wetterhorn, a striking mountain the sides of which rise sheer from the lower pastures to an eminence of about 2 miles before culminating in a sharp, tilted pyramid. At its base lies the Ober Grindelwald Glacier. The whole character of the Grindelwald valley is grimmer than that of the Lauterbrunnen Thal. Grindelwald itself lies at the foot of the Wetterhorn and straggles up the slopes of the Schwarze Lütschine to the base of the Faulhorn. The village is extremely old and it is known that a church was built there in the twelfth century. Grindelwald is a paradise for ski-ers, offering ascents of the Grosse Scheidegg, Faulhorn, Schwarzhorn, Männlichen, Lauberhorn, Kleine Scheidegg and Eiger. Many of the finest Swiss ski-ers and ski-ing teachers are natives of the village, and they are found all over Switzerland. There is also an exceedingly fine bob-run. In summer there are beautiful walks throughout the district. From the Waldspitzone can see across the intervening crags to the ridges and clefts of the Schreckhorn, Finsteraarhorn and Fiescherhorn. Here, in May, we can see masses of mauve and white crocus growing on the slopes and almost touching the snow line, and as this recedes fresh flowers shoot up almost immediately. Later on the slopes are covered with mauve soldanellas, the blue gentian, variously coloured primulas and other flowers too numerous to mention. Here, too, the mountaineer comes into his own and there are many Alpine club huts. It is possible to walk from Grindelwald over the Grosse Scheidegg down the Rosenlaui Thal, which is very lovely. Here the Wellhorn, an imposing mountain, towers over the forested slopes, while next to it the Rosenlaui glacier descends in great steps.