Railing

Railing about what?

Once upon a time…and then it was yesterday…and you are reading this today.

In a land of mountain trains–funiculars, cable cars and narrow gauge cogwheel trains. They are slow and they get you high.

Why? Why get high?

I’ll let the following photos tell the story. You will be in the Bernese Highlands of the Jungfrau Region, the northern pre-mountains, above 2,000 meters in the Swiss Alps. Why build these mechanical contraptions to get high?

Here are the trains that get you high.

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Passenger cars–note narrow gauge and cogwheel. Start at 600 meters, finish at 2,300 meters.

Passenger cars and engine–small and strong–electric power. 

Engine close up–attached in front of the engine is a cart for transporting goods and construction materials.

Once you are high…the air is thin, fresh, cool and the distances…magical.

Mountains–Eiger, Monch, Junfrau with the Mannlichen gipfel amidst the clouds in the foreground.

Paths to explore, paths for discovering.

Discoveries.

Going deep in.

Can’t get enough.

G cluster

Gentian Cluster

Year after year, I have searched for the invigorating blue of Gentian wildflowers in the Jungfrau Region of the Berner Oberlands. This year was banner. 

Previous years I needed microscopic vision to find the odd one here or there. But this year…clusters everywhere! Left me breathless–how fortunate.

Gentiana acaulis at 2,000 meters above sea level in the sunny alps on north facing mountain ridges.