2 minute read
Opinion: Mark Bibby
Go Swisstainable
THIS WINTER
Swiss Tourism
Mark Bibby Jackson extolls the virtues of Switzerland for a sustainable holiday by rail and foot
With the amber list scrapped it’s now green for go when it comes to most countries so a winter escape to foreign climes is within reach. While many of you will be craving some winter sun – and there’s nothing wrong with that – some of you may wish to embrace the cold, and if that’s the case I think Switzerland is the perfect place.
I was fortunate enough to travel around Switzerland by train this year and I can confirm that they really do run like clockwork, as well as offering a green, guilt-free way to see the Swiss Alps in all their lofty glory.
I rode the oldest mountain railway in Europe, which has been celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, up Mount Rigi. This old steam locomotive chugged sedately up to the summit which is 1,762 metres above the sea level, with Lake Lucerne glistening in the sun below.
You can take a cog wheel train to the summit of Rochers-de-Naye, climbing up an impressive 1,600 metres from Montreux on the banks of Lake Geneva. From there I enjoyed panoramic views which stretched far as the Eiger, which popped its head through a window seemingly carved in the clouds.
Alternatively, if you prefer an open-air experience, you can take a funicular train and the world’s first Cabrio open deck cable car from Stans near Lake Lucerne to Stanserhorn, with its unique revolving self-service restaurant Rondorama offering 360-degree mountain views as you eat.
Back down to earth, I was fortunate enough to walk along the Aletsch Glacier, which at 23km long is the largest in Europe, although really it is the convergence of three glaciers. This was my first glacier walk and I was relieved to discover that the crampons attached to my boots made my cumbersome steps more secure than they initially felt.
Our experienced guide, Martin, calmed any lingering trepidation and explained the science behind climate change being used here, demonstrating how wooden poles are used to measure how much the glacier is receding through holes drilled in the ice. Sadly it is shrinking by around 50 metres each year, and at this rate the glacier will have melted away by the next century. Fortunately, I had travelled to the glacier first by gondola to Moosfluh and then by foot, so my conscience was as clear as the spectacular views.
Switzerland has developed its own Swisstainable sustainable tourism brand and website and I recommend you check out its handy tips for keeping your carbon footprint light. charitable.travel/ travel-begins-at-40
