Our second day in Murren was a day filled with jaw dropping views and lots of adventure. We woke up to a beautiful day with blue skies and not a cloud in the sky. We knew that while in Murren we wanted to take the cable car up to Schilthorn which is a summit at 9744 feet above sea level. Since the weather was cooperating, we figured today was the day to do it. To get to Schilthorn, we took the 30 minute cable car up the mountain. There is an option to get off at the Birg station to enjoy The Thrill Walk which is a series of stairs, glass bridges, and wire bridges set out over the edge of a cliff. It may sound scary, but it is actually a very safe, fun experience that even kids can enjoy. We spent about 20 minutes doing the The Thrill Walk and then caught the cable car for the last last leg up to Schilthorn. This summit was a movie location for the James Bond film - On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Upon exiting the cable car we wandered through the James Bond exhibit and then went outside onto the viewing platform to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
The weather continued to be perfect so we knew that this afternoon was the day to attempt the Via Ferrata. I had been reading up on the Murren Via Ferrata for months and had watched endless YouTube videos of people completing it. There are Via Ferratas all around the world. They are basically a climbing/hiking route that employs steel cables, rungs, ladders, and wire bridges fixed to cliffs to which climbers attached themselves with harnesses and cables to minimize falls while completing the route. Jim and I have both completed the 16 mile Half Dome hike in Yosemite National Park a few years ago, so we were ready to test our bravery once again with the Via Ferrata. We rented our equipment from the Intersport store in Murren and were ready to start our climb. I have to admit that I was very nervous at the beginning. We were basically climbing on a mountain wall 2000 feet above the Lauterbrunnen Valley with nothing more than 2 cables securing us. My legs were shaking uncontrollably with fear during the first part of the hike, but then miraculously, I settled in and enjoyed the spectacular views. The entire climb is only about 1.5 miles and it took us about 2 hours to complete. It was a real sense of accomplishment to complete this Via Ferrata and definitely makes me want to attempt others around the world.
Through that door is the Murren Via Ferrata
I'm still feeling safe at this point!
Jim with a 2000 foot drop behind him to the valley floor
Hanging on for dear life!
Lots of ladders to climb
A wire bridge over a waterfall
A very wiggly suspension bridge
We survived the Murren Via Ferrata!
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