My train up to the Jungfraujoch gave me much needed rest. I sat down in the most luxuriously plush chair, pleased to find fold-out desks and outlets available to charge my devices. About two hours into my ride, ticket enforcement walked the cabin to validate tickets and informed me that I was incorrectly sitting in first class (I had purchased a second class ticket). The woman checking tickets had previously helped me get onto the train and—knowing that I had absolutely no clue what I was doing—was lenient and allowed me to simply skip back to the second class cab rather than charge me a fine for riding in the wrong cabin.
As the train approached higher elevation within the alps, I forced myself to stay awake to admire the view. The hills were absolutely breathtaking and the scenery was so serene. A couple stops prior to Jungfraujoch, the train allowed us to get off and view the giant glaciers through huge, insulated windows. I’d seen glaciers in Canada on my solo trip to Banff NP, but nothing compared to the colossal mass of ice nestled within the crevices of the Swiss Alps.
My body protested as I stepped off of the train at Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe). I had just climbed 11,000ft in elevation within only four hours via train, and my body was not happy. I felt queasy and out of breath, huffing at every step. On my next trip to the alps, I’ll stay in Grindelwald for a few nights to acclimate before approaching the higher peaks in order to give myself time to adjust and fully enjoy the higher elevation without the restriction of elevation sickness. I’d also love to explore the Grindelwald area and hike around the Alps to soak in the beauty of it all.
Sadly the Top of Europe decided to throw a fit that morning and I arrived at the top to find it completely snowed over and stormy outside, with limited visibility (you could only see about 10 feet ahead of you, rather than all of Europe as shown in photos from Jungfraujoch on sunny, cloudless days). I enjoyed it nonetheless; how many people can say they’ve visited the highest peak of the Swiss Alps? The inside was cool as well, with the museum showcasing hand-made ice sculptures and fun Disneyland-esque attractions illuminating the creation and construction of the Jungfraujoch Funicular.
The Travels of a California Millenial 