Tell us your favorite camping meal!

Do you have any suggestions for our next open-air dinner? What's light enough to carry in a backpack, easy to prepare yet more yammy yammy than all the happy astronaut meals that are best before 2029? Please send a comment with your recommendation

Tropfloch Caves

After an unsuccessful first attempt to locate the Tropfloch caves a few weeks ago (see post of June 6, Little Scandinavia), we have returned to this fairytale region south of 'Sieben Hengste' (seven stallions'ridge) near Habkern, Bernese Oberland. Now, with the snow gone, it was much easier to reach the caves. Right now we are sitting around the fire enjoying the evening in the woods half way down. To all those who prefer a smokey evening in front of a fire to a snobby prosecco party, enjoy your evening!

Sentiero Alpino Calanca - that 4-day ridge hike amost made me go mad

As promised here the details on Sentiero Alpino Calanca, a tough 3- to 4-day mountain hike in the South East of Switzerland. I loved the astonishing view (just click on the album and you'll know what I mean), I enjoyed the unspoilt nature of these mountains but let me tell you, some of the more exposed passages made my knees feel like jelly. One must be mad to build a one-foot wide hiking trail into a 3'000ft vertical wall with no chains or security ropes. Mad, and I almost feaked out. I was seriously considering calling a helicopter to get me out of it. Thanks god, my dear travel companion turned out to be a mountain goat with the talent to calm the atmosphere. Thanks Sue!

Sentiero Alpino Calanca

For all those experienced mountain hikers, who feel capable of some really tricky parts: Trailhead is San Bernardino Moutain Pass (between Belinzona and Chur, Switzerland, easily accessable by public buses). 1st day: San Bernardino - Refugio Pian Gran (self-catering), 2nd day: Pian Gran - Bivak Ganan (self-catering), 3rd day: Ganan - Cabanna Buffalora (catered mountain cottage). Reservations for all 3 locations recommended, more details on: http://www.sentiero-calanca.ch/ (official website of ASAC, the trail management association)

Heart-shaped lake

Currently on Sentiero Alpino Calanca, day 3, just arrived in the cosy log cabin of Buffalora after lunch at this freezing cold mountain lake. Ciao from the Southern Swiss Alps.

Saustal, a hidden valley

Here a short hike to a nice alpine farming valley near Interlaken. Grab a coffee, take the train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen and don't get to stressed by what may look like a tourist trap to you (...just focus on your coffee). Most of these tourists aim for Wengen, Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfrau. You get off at Lauterbrunnen, cross the street and hop on the cable car to Grütschalp (1486 m, 4379 ft). Unlike everyone else, don't board the train to Mürren now. Walk around out off the station and you will find markers at the trail head. From here, it's one hour and 20 minutes to the Saustal, you can't miss it. In the valley you will find a few alpine huts (seasonal farming) and some of them offer mountain cheese and other local products. Well and the scenery, it may not be as breathtaking as Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau but hey, you only share the view with two or three local farmers and some cows. ...and no(!) they don't have Starbucks up here and yes, you are better off bringing your hiking boots rather than flipflops.

Stockental bike playground

You won't find this area on any trail map. It is not exactly one specific trail either. Stockental (Stocken Valley) is approx. 10 kilometres from either Thun or Spiez. I recommend buying a 1:25'000 scale map of "Thun". On there you will notice quite a lot of gravel trails along the first mountain range. There are simply to many tracks to point out a major one.