In The Lord of the Rings, Rivendell is an elven haven in Middle Earth. The valley is filled with waterfalls and wildflowers. Tolkein's description of the place was inspired by the the valleys around Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. My destination.
After 7 hours of trains, buses, and cable cars, I arrived at The Mountain Hostel, the only hostel in the village of Gimmelwald.
Adventurous travelers use the Mountain Hostel as a base camp for hiking, canyoning, and cliff-diving. Evening conversation was more interesting than the typical "Where are you from?", "How long are you traveling for?". Questions asked included "How many of Colorado's 14ers have you summited?" or "How do you keep from passing out when base jumping"?
My first night at the hostel, I spoke with some experienced hikers, Austin and Ramsey, about trails. They told me to go to Tanzboden, a peak which provided a good view of the surrounding glaciers. Sticking his head out of our bedroom window, Austin pointed to the peak, a knife-blade sticking out of a rocky mountain side. They mentioned that they had only passed this peak on the way to a more distant destination, the glacial lake at Oberhornsee.
At 5:30am the next day, I set out.
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
While the hiking was still easy, I carved a walking stick.
Reaching the base of Tanzboden, I found that the trail, which prior was carefully landscaped into fields or carved on the edge of hills, gave way to a minefield of rocks and boulders. In my left hand was my walking stick, and my right was covered with a climbing glove. The ascent was exhausting, but not dangerous: The rocks were all stable and had many foot-holds. I reached the summit, and looked in awe at the glaciers that surrounded me.
After a snack, I began the descent.
Approximately half way down, the air seemed to explode. A colossal boom, like a cannon firing or dynamite exploding, left a ringing in my ears. It echoed throughout the valley. Then, a long-lasting rumbling. I looked up, expecting to see the rocks and boulders crashing down the hillside. But all was still. My heart beating rapidly, I took off my pack and sat down to calm myself.
What was that noise? It sounded like large gun -- parts of the valley are used as a shooting range. But it was too loud for a gun. Perhaps a plane had just passed the sound barrier? But the sky had been clear of planes for hours.
Then I realized what it was. Just minutes ago, I had been surrounded by snowy peaks. This snow, in the winter season, could fall and injure skiiers. The noise I had heard was a controlled avalanche.
Catching my breath, I continued down to the base of the rocky slope.
It was still early in the day, so I decided to set out for Oberhornsee, the glacial lake Austin and Ramsey had told me about.
The funny thing about hiking in Europe is that you are always within an hour's walk of a hotel. On the way to Oberhornsee, I passed through Obersteinberg and stopped for sausage soup and hot chocolate.
With a full stomach, I set out for Oberhornsee. I had heard that the route marked on my map was covered in snow. Since I was hiking in my running shoes, snow was an impassible obstacle. Austin had told me about an alternate route, not marked on my map. It was supposed to lead me through the town of Oberhorn, and then to Oberhornsee. I decided to take this route.
The town of Oberhorn turned out to be nothing more than an abandoned shack.
The trail from Oberhorn to Oberhornsee was not well marked, and many trail markers had been covered in snow. Gazing ahead, I set out for some footprints in a snowbank. These turned out to be deer prints.
I considered turning back. Checking my GPS, I noted that the lake was just a few hundred meters Southwest. I decided to abandon any hope of finding the trail and instead hike through the brush-covered hills. After having to backtrack several times due to my path being blocked by snow or icy streams, I climbed a tall hill to get a better view of the terrain.
The lake was ahead. It was tiny, with crystal clear water, and was the source of the cold streams that surrounded me. I made it!