The Most Peaceful Hiking Bivouac

H+48 — It's Monday. I'm sitting at my desk in front of my computer preparing the weekly update meeting. Inside my head, I am still above the magnificent lake of Thun.

H-4 — Last Saturday at 8 a.m., Lucas and I woke up peacefully to the sound of birds chirping. After a hearty breakfast and packing our heavily loaded backpacks, we took the 9:15 a.m. train to Thun for a trip that promises to be a relaxing getaway. Starting from Schwanden, our goal is to climb and hike along the magnificent, tapered Sigriswiler Rothhorn mountain to Burst, where we’ll spend the night. From there, we’ll cross the Sichle Pass to reach the twin mountain of the Niederhorn and continue on to the station — all on foot. 21 kilometers, 2000 meters of elevation gain.

H0 — It’s 12:30 p.m. After grabbing a snack at the Migrolino in Thun, we set off on a slope that’s surprisingly steep. Our hearts are light, and the conversation is flowing as we tackle this IAFL combo we’ve never attempted before.

H+2 — Oberbärgli. This marks the end of the big climb; the terrain levels out. We find ourselves in magnificent tiny valleys skirting the tree line, which makes us feel like giants. The hardest part is behind us. We’re starting to look forward to the fondue.

H+3.5 — At the Sigriswiler Rothorn, the views remained breathtaking. The summit was only 120m from the trail, so we added this short stretch. On one side, the Bernese Pre-Alps and the Jura Range—a veritable wall stretching from south to north—and on the other, the impressive sheer cliffs of the Niederhorn Range. We feel refreshed.

H+5 — We arrived at the campsite. We’d feared it might be a tricky spot to pitch the tent, but not at all—we could have accommodated 20 neighbors. After exploring the surroundings, we tried our hand at a few photos straight out of Instagram.

H+6 — Finally, it’s 6 p.m., and we can dig into the fondue after already spending a quiet hour at the campsite. The cheese melted so fast—in barely three minutes. I lugged three gas cartridges for nothing; I can go for a “ultralight-packing” fondue next time.

H+7 — Lucas is egging me on to try some “mountain” games: stick throwing, kern time-trial, shouting all the way to Bern, and smashing rocks against other rocks. Let’s be honest—who hasn’t dreamed of smashing rocks? Our thoughts are with Camille, Alex, and Fabio, who should be arriving in Zermatt for their “anti-bivouac”.

H+9 — Lying in the tent, we’re playing a cooperative card game called REGICIDE. A great find from Lucas, especially since it uses a standard deck. Deep in the game, we’re gently distracted by the first glimmer of red light. We rush outside onto the adjacent rocky outcrop to enjoy a cloudy sunset—one that transforms all the lakes of French-speaking Switzerland into dazzling lines.

H+17 — 5 a.m.—what motivation! All that for a nonexistent sunrise. We’re not giving up—we got 7 hours of restful sleep. We enjoy the mist with three young folks from the village who started climbing the slope at 3 a.m.

As we head back to bed until the sun’s real rays appear, we picture our friends on some ridge or another after a long night by headlamp. Life is so different.

H+21 — After enjoying our morning porridge, we’re now on our way. What would an adventure be without a little spontaneity? We decide to take an old, disused path and go a bit off-trail so we don’t have to descend too much after the pass. Incredible! We have to watch where we step; we need to stay focused. Around the bend, we stumble upon an army firing range. The definition of happiness for me. Later, we stumble on a family of Ibex, making Lucas the happiest man at this moment.

H+26 — We’ve arrived at the Niederhorn. The view on Lake Thun and Brienz is breathtaking. Such a nice blue. Since it’s always more fun with more friends, JP joined us to ride down on scooters. After a few alpen macronen and a schnitzel, we’re off on the descent.

H+28 — We have made it to the lake, with more options than necessary. We’re faced with a tough choice: take the bus or the boat? The scales tip in favor of the magnificent “Belle Époque” with its exposed machinery, much to Lucas’s delight. With our hair (and lack thereof) blowing in the wind, rocked by the waves, we think one last time about the brave group of ultra-IAFLers who should slowly finish by now.

These kinds of projects require a fairly precise time management—without stressing out, but still managing to squeeze in all the moments of relaxation. Could I still visit the Beatus Caves? How fast can I go on the scooter? Can I break that other rock?

I don’t think the point is necessarily to keep cramming in more and more activities. However, this kind of outing is a reminder that there’s no limit to the fun—and just how reluctant we sometimes are to dare to stray from the planned itinerary. Most of us will never really find out.

And every now and then, something completely unexpected comes your way, and you end up enjoying it more than you ever imagined.

That’s probably what I enjoy most about these projects: going somewhere with a specific goal in mind and then adapting the plan to include unexpected surprises, like meeting JP or taking a boat ride. The hike was the same as always. You just enjoyed it a little more.

More to come. Obviously

Tim

(Thanks Cam's for the nice inspiration and the obvious copypasta 🙃)