Clear Sky! Jungfraujoch--Top of Europe--Sunday, July 31

In the middle of the night, Jim wakes me up to show me eight stars that are visible in a small strip of sky above our little deck.  The rest of the sky--cloudy.  We decide to go into the valley for the day rather than up into the mountains again.  Then we go back to bed.

But wait--sunrise brings something new. Mountains jump out at us, peaks and ridges bold against the clear blue sky.    Change of plan--we're going to the glacier, to the tippy top today.  Jungfraujoch calls.

We're headed up to a distant peak; it's to the left out of view here.

Trains, all the way today.  The ticket cost for Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe) destination is discounted by our Swiss rail passes, but still costs over $300 USD.  For both of us.  We've planned to just do it, because we're here and it's here, and it's a clear day--ideal.  Later, I realize it's worth every cent.  The tunnels were cut into the mountain in 1912.

Into-the-valley view from the "Sphynx" platform.  This whole place is incredible--tunnels, infrastructure.  Wow.

A visitor sadly broke her leg (I think it was her leg) just before we came out onto the plateau viewing area.  She was laying in the snow clutching it.  After about 20 minutes a medivac copter landed right here--they shooed everyone away from the landing zone and commissioned Jim to hold the end of the stay-behind rope--but we all stood and gawked at the helicopter coming in, landing, blowing off hats and blasting snow at us.  And then watched it take off, dropping over the edge of the cliff, whoosh, and heading into...probably Interlaken.  Best wishes to the injured.

Ice tunnel and rooms carved into the glacier.  Every year, they carve a new one because the glacier moves several meters.  After seeing the medivac, I hold onto the railing as we skate-walk on the ice through all the rooms.

I almost didn't make it to the Monchhut (see it stuck onto the mountain?).  The climb was a couple of miles in slushy snow, most of it steep.  Knowing there was a WC there, though, was somewhat motivating.  And it was a lovely view!

Climbers are on the ridge, in the snow and on the rocky part.  We see a lot of climbers on many of the peaks.

And here is the glacier.  I think that's Italy in the far distance.  What a magnificent day, in perfect weather.  Sunny, no wind, 33 degrees up here.