My cousin and I hiked the ViaBerna trail from Thun to near Sustenpass/Gadmen starting on 8/30/23 and finishing in Engleberg on 9/7/23. The trip was wonderful, great views, food, weather and accommodations. My cousin had every detail planned out, how it was going to unfold was still somewhat of a mystery to me. It all seemed very intimidating. I have spent a lifetime backpacking and could not wrap my head around how we would be staying in a hotel each night and having easy access to public transportation. I soon learned that while Switzerland was spectacularly beautiful, there is no wilderness, at least by my definition. There is a dairy cow, with the obligatory clanging cow bell, in every nook and cranny of the country. The only place you do not hear the cacophony of cow bells is in the cities. For most of the trip we walked along country lanes, with interconnecting trails, all never far from a ski-lift, bus, train or more importantly, a hot lunch and cold beer! I was impressed at how efficient everything operated in Switzerland. Trains and buses left exactly on time and were clean and comfortable. Trails in Switzerland run in two directions, up and more up; no wasted energy making switch backs to lower the climbing grade! Day 1 we walked from Thun to Spiez and caught a quick train to Reichenbach. From there we hiked a few miles up the hill to our hotel. Nice place owned by a young couple. I had to laugh at the rooms though. While they were spotless, they had the ambiance of a college dorm room. On Day 2 we took the train back to Speiz where we caught a bus to Aeschi bei Speiz and began our day’s walk. We came upon a nice café in Suld for lunch, but afterwards the trail climbed up and over two passes before we arrived in Saxteen. That section was a work-out. We had planned to take a bus to our hotel in Wildersil but it was out of service. We ended up walking another five miles to the hotel. A very long day. Day 3 was a pleasant walk along the river from Wildersil to Lautenbrunnen. Lautenbrunnen was breath-taking. It is similar to Yosemite Valley with many beautiful waterfalls. Apparently, it was the inspiration for Tolkien’s Rivendell. We arrived early enough to do laundry and take the tram and train up to Murren. The views of the mountains from there were magnificent. Day 4 we took a quick hop on the train to Zweilutschinen where we started the hike. It was another long day of climbing to Schnyge Platte. For the most part, we had the trail to ourselves. The hotel at the top had outstanding views. The trail on Day 5 followed the ridgeline to a restaurant/gondola above Grindelwald. That day was my favorite section. Just as my stomach was thinking about lunch, we came around a bend in the trail and there, in the middle of “nowhere”, was a café. I love Switzerland! After a few miles of more climbing, we arrived at First Gondola and took the tram down to Grindelwald. We took the sixth day off in Grindelwald. The town feels like Disneyland with the epic views and immaculate streets and buildings. I went to the dark side and rented my first e-mountain bike and rode up to Eigergletscher where the cog train leaves for Jungfraujoch. BTW – I bought an e-mountain bike upon returning home. Day 7 had us take the bus to Schwarzwaldalp and hike from there to Hasliberg. Another fun day of climbing! Day 8 brought us to Englestanap and a classic alpine chalet nestled in the mountains. Had a very nice dinner, we even were presented with personal name plates at our table. Our last day was only a short hike to a remote-controlled chair lift and then gondolas down into Engleberg where we caught the train back to Zurich. Overall, I enjoyed the trip immensely. I would do another trip in a heartbeat, maybe the Haute Route. Navigation and communication was easy, English was commonly spoken. The only negative aspect of the trip, I’m sorry to say, were the Swiss. Part of traveling abroad is experiencing new cultures. For the most part I found the Swiss to be polite, efficient, but all business and not the least friendly. Being direct is an understatement. That’s also a common theme on internet posts. But maybe it was just me that they did not like! All in all, a great adventure. It was fun hanging out with my cousin. My mind often drifts back to the trip since I’ve been home. I really miss their lattes and pastries! Thun to Spiez, Reinchenback 11.2 mi 3891' vert Hotel to Reichenback, Aeschi to Wilderswil 15.67 mi 9797' vert Wilderswil to Lauterbrunnen 8.55 mi 3237' vert Gundlischwand to Schynige Platte 7.67mi 7520' vert Schynige Platte to "First"chair 16.94 m 5130' vert Schwarzwaldalp to Haiisberg 8.21 mi 2048' vert Planplatten to Engstlenalp 9.6 mi 3005' vert Engstlenalp to Engleberg 2.7 mi 705' vert Total distance: 80.54 Total climb 35,333' (Mt. Everest is 29,032')