Several of the hikes really stood out as memorable. The first day we hiked to Rotstock hut. We were so excited to get started at last. That day we ran into a lot of clouds after we climbed over the first large ridge and headed across the long pasture toward the hut. The clouds actually turned out to be really interesting though as they were patchy enough that things were constantly changing and we found that they would open up a little window to the mountains beyond, then close again, only to open again for a different view. It was memorizing and the scenes reveled were amazing and made us keep an eye to the sky. At the same time we were watching the sky we found the wildflowers along this trail to be amazing. My wife who is a botanist counted at least 40 different species, non of which we had ever seen before. Occasionally it was hard to get her to move along as she was so busy looking at the flowers. We found lots of areas on our trip where the flowers were good but this was the best. When we arrived at Wasenegg ridge we found a bench and spent over an hour just sitting and watching the changing landscape as the clouds moved around. When the clouds built up on one side of the ridge, we turned around and there was a show on the other side. Great stuff....we arrived back at Murren that afternoon tired but totally jazzed and so thrilled at the first day on the trail.

A couple of other hikes really stood out to us. One was the hike up to the Grindelwald glacier. As we were sitting at that hut and watching the glacier on a warm, no wind day there were a series of high thin clouds passing over and as they hit the mountain peaks, they swirled and broke up making an amazing scene. On that hike we took the lift up from Grindelwald but walked all the way down following the path along the mountain to the other glacier. The hike to the Hornli Hut at the base of the Matterhorn was simply amazing. The trail was very crowded but the scenery was simply stunning. It took us a while to get up to the hut as the elevation here was pretty high for us but it was worth it. The Mountain was at it's photogenic best that day and we took full advantage of it. We had intended to walk all the way back to Zermatt that day but when we got to the top of the lift a very nice draft beer reached out and grabbed me and I as forced to ride down as a result. Zinal was also amazing. What a wonderful, quiet place. We hiked up to Petit Mountet overlooking the glacier the day we arrived and enjoyed the view but the highlight was the hike the next day up to Roc de la Vache which was the perfect ending to the trip. All of our hiking before that had gotten us in pretty good shape so we though we could do a 3000 climb. We made it....slow but sure...and were rewarded with maybe the most stunning view we saw anywhere. The decent down from the pass with the Zinal glacier in front of us and the Moming glacier coming down from the Wiesshorn to the left was simply breathtaking and we had to constantly stop to take it all in. It was a view that so few people see too because it is so off the beaten path.

We also enjoyed our overnight stay in Kandersteg on the way to Lucern. We had a relaxing hike up to the lake that afternoon and just thoroughly enjoyed the village. All of the hotels that you booked for us were first rate but the best was the Hotel Europe in Zermatt. Our room was fully equipped with a stunning view of the Matterhorn. The food and service at this hotel were just wonderful. We did note that we were in the English speaking minority at all of the hotels....most seemed to be filled with Swiss and German tourists. We had little trouble communicating with the hotel staff with the exception of the hotel in Zinal. They spoke very little english but we did manage to communicate in the end.

I have very pleasant dreams of hiking through the Alps now –very pleasant. You’ve given me much on this trip: I thank you much. The Bernese Oberland has an exceedingly intimate, tangible meaning to me now. A very broadening experience for me in many different ways –far, far beyond my expectations. I apologize but do not really have a high or low point I can share: all of it was indescribably wonderful for me. Well done!

Your directions and words of wisdom were "right on" everyday and in every way. The people we met, the weather, the food, the countryside...all perfect. We have already had friends inquire about this unique trip and you can bet we will recommend Alpine Hikers to anyone who asks.

Another wonder we had involved the proper way to tip, as our dinners were included in most of our accommodations. We wanted to properly show our appreciation for the meal services and were not quite sure if there was a proper protocol or not. Hopefully we did not offend anyone before or after we finally asked a friendly waitress in Wengen.

We haven't a complaint about anything unless you consider that the magnificent 5 and 6 course meals we kept enjoying were eventually too rich for our less refined stomachs. On our last night we decided to cancel dinner and instead sat riverside in Grindelwald and shared some fresh baked bread, wine (which we chilled in the river) and cheese that we had bought the day before from a lovely family at the Schiltalp. I really hope you continue to offer the unguided option as it really was ideal for the type of travellers we are. I can't say enough good things about the Hotel Des Grande Alps. The location, accomodations and service were by far the best we enjoyed and that's saying alot since the Riffelalp is probably considered by most to be a superior accomodation.

If there is anything we can do to help you promote your trips please don't hesitate to contact us. I would be happy to provide reference and will surely be recommending you to our friends and family. Thanks again for helping to make our honeymoon so memorable.

Each hotel was special with our favorite being the Riffelalp of course. They upgraded our rooms to chalet and the food and service was simply amazing.

I'm sure Ron will fill you in on our trip but for me I simply want to tell you that the Hotel Julen in Zermatt was probably one of the best hotels I've stayed at in THE WORLD (and I've got about 25 different countries under my belt as of today!) I'm not exaggerating at all when I tell you that the food we were served there tickled my taste buds with adventures of flavors and textures that I (a novice chef myself) would have NEVER brought together in a meal. If anyone is looking for their typical "chicken, beef or fish", they won't find it there but what they will discover is a cuisine which if you close your eyes will bring fabulous colors with each bite. NO FOOLING!

I also want to tell you that the weather was fantastic and my only regret is that we couldn't see more of the country on this journey; hopefully someday soon we will be able to return as Switzerland is indeed one of the most majestic places I've ever seen. My husband has twice as many countries under his belt as I but I could definitely see in his face the same tranquility that I experienced there. Needless to say, the Matterhorn literally moved me to tears. I never could understand or appreciate a man/woman having the need or desire to climb such a thing until I set my eyes on it for the very first time.

I have one more (of MANY things to say about our trip) but then I'll let you go....FONDUE! Never thinking that cheese, bread and pieces of meat fried in boiling oil could be appetizing, I rushed right home after enjoying our meal our first night in Geneva at the Hotel Edelweiss to research the close to thousand cookbooks I've collected through the years to see if there was hope of my duplicating that experience. Ron and I even passed on a Fondue restaurant on a recent journey to the Falls of Iguazu in Argentina and Brazil but you can rest assured that will NEVER happen again. We have one Fondue restaurant here in Houston and you can bet your bottom dollar we'll be dining there very soon.

You probably think I'm about 500 pounds but trust me I am not....although if I had to spend any length of time in Switzerland I could certainly be well on my way!! Ron collects flags for his office from the countries he/we have traveled to and I collect charms for my Italian charm bracelet (working on the second bracelet now). When I first began to travel I thought I'd be your typical American always searching out the burger joints, but instead I have made it an absolute point to enjoy typical cuisine from whatever country I am visiting and I have to tell you that whether it was the Pho I ate in Vietnam, the Goulash I ate in Hungary, the Poffiges in Amsterdam, the Tortellini in Bologna, Italy, or the tiny fried fish critters I ate in Taiwan, the Fondue and the INCREDIBLE variety of cheeses I ate while in Switzerland will forever rank right up there with the absolute BEST!

Thank you again for such an incredible brief kiss of your lovely country. Someday I hope to return again for a more extensive journey. Oh and thank you again for the hat info...I know it's goofy but Dad collects these ridiculous hats from our travels...funniest of all has got to be either the Vietnam cone hat or the furry Russian soldier hat.

I apologize for taking so much of your time but I just can't tell you enough how wonderful everything was.

I just had to share this with you....Ron absolutely abhors cuckoo clocks. He hates the way they sound...the way they look...(you get the picture). Well one of the things we do when we travel is purchase something authentic or indigenous to whatever area of the world we happen to be visiting. (You can only IMAGINE the decor in our home!) There are certain things that can only be purchased in certain places and since I was in Switzerland, I NEEDED one of two things but they had to be authentic in every way. I wanted either a cuckoo clock or an Alphorn. Frightened that our pet parrot would begin to imitate the sound that Ron already dreaded more than life itself by a cuckoo clock, he made a deal with me. He would purchase me an Alphorn if I gave up on the clock! Needless to say, he claims that it well worth the premium he paid between the $300 clock and the $850 horn and I in turn toted that 6.5 ft horn all the way back here to Houston just so that it can stand next to our fireplace...God knows I doubt seriously I will have an opportunity to have Alphorn lessons here in Houston, Texas!!!!! I suppose that's just good luck for our neighbors though!