Father Stretch My Hands (Pt. 3) – Jung Moola (Jungfrau, Switzerland)

You’re the only power (power…)

Yoooouuuuu’re the only power that can…

You’re the only power (power…)

Yoooouuuuu’re the only power that can…

Ohhhhhhhhh….. Ohhhhhhhhhhh……… Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh…………

Fa-ther…… If young metro don’t trust you…..

About 6-7 years ago I was talking with my good friend Laura Lynn Brown at work when she revealed to me that she had spent some of her formidable years living in the Swiss Alps. Dumbfounded at this revelation I sat jaw agape, trying unsuccessfully to wrap my head around what that must have been like. We ended up zooming in on her small town via the satellite view on Google Maps which revealed an adorably quaint snow-filled village still equipped with the very same VW school bus that she rode to school on as a child. At that moment I committed to eventually following up that small digital journey with an actual trip to the Swiss Alps. I wanted to confirm my suspicions about how dope that region must be. I would indeed eventually make said trip, a trip I think back on as an entirely spiritual experience best encompassed by Kanye West’s masterpiece Father Stretch My Hands pt. 1…

Let’s just take a moment to break down the layout of this insanely beautiful region shall we.

Tucked away in Western Switzerland are the Bernese Alps, the eastern portion of which contains the famous trio of peaks Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. At the foothills of the these massive peaks lie the town of Interlaken, nestled inter two beautiful lakens … obvi. From here you can drive by car to either Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen, but from there everything is pretty much only reachable by train baby. An extensive network of always-perfectly-on-time trains and gondolas then connects you to countless ski slopes as well as the more secluded towns of Wengen and Murren. Andi and I were based out of Grindelwald (see below) but over about 1 week we were able to get the most out of our unlimited rail passes and ride basically every route on that map.

Grindelwald Station with Schrekhorn and Wetterhorn peaks

The jewel of the region is Jungfraujoch, which at 11,371 feet is the highest rail station in Europe. Originally built in 1912 (19 F’ing 12!!!) the rail tunnels through both Eiger and Mönch before bursting out onto Aletsch glacier. It’s innnnsane… So to be clear you drive to a town where you have to take a train to another town before you ride another series of trains up and through a mountain before you reach a train station atop a glacier that looks like this.

Aletsch glacier from Jungfraujoch… some real bananas-in-pajamas type shit

There is a term in literature (as well as aesthetics, philosophy, and art) referred to as ‘the sublime.’ While interpretations of the term have varied over time, I am referring to the English Romantics who intended it to represent physical grandeur transformed into spiritual grandeur. The term typically arises from the terrors of awe-inspiring natural phenomena, reminding one of (wo)man’s smallness in this world. For us non-religious hyper-rationalists these moments can be fleeting. For me it is the height of spirituality, however transient. The Alps, for now obvious reasons, are the original inspiration for this term. Frankly that’s the extent to which I can even describe the feeling. You really just have to see and experience it for yourself.

I have noticed that there’s something about trains that speaks to me. I think it started when that d-bag George Will called them un-American in an op-ed. Sure I love to drive, but I appreciate how you are almost forced to be present on a train. The communal seating connects with those around you while the linear path cuts through the terrain in a manner wholly different from the mobile bubble that is a personal vehicle. I’d sell my car in a moment’s flash is the public transit system around me could better pick up the slack (lol…Seattle). This has been one of my favorite themes during my travels abroad. Whether in a matatu, French subway, or Swiss train, I love public transportation.

What more can I say? The landscape pretty much speaks for itself. Not every trip can be a culturally immersive experience, but man what a lovely opportunity to slow down for a bit and reconnect with nature. Just go already…