Raul and Lauren awoke to yet another cloudy day. They deliberated over whether to do their mountain excursion today or tomorrow and ended up choosing to stick to their planned itinerary. They purchased their gondola tickets for Mount Pilatus and got in line to board. Ahead of them was an Asian couple, and Raul and Lauren decided to let them ride alone in the gondola, even though there was room for four per cabin. Thinking they would get to ride in private, they boarded the next one but quickly realized that the two older gentlemen behind them were more focused on efficiency than courtesy.

The first order of business in this excursion was a few hours of Alpine recreation. Disembarking at Fräkmüntegg, the tree-line of Mount Pilatus, they were the first in line for the mile-long summer toboggan run. Raul breezed through the run quickly, while Lauren rode the brake most of the way down.

After this quick diversion, they proceeded to the Seilpark (Rope Park). Here, there are ten courses of varying difficulty, wherein one must negotiate a series of challenges utilizing ropes and platforms high among the trees. They donned their harnesses, helmets, and gloves and listened to the comprehensive instructions. Then they completed the obligatory, introductory course. Lauren was ready to quit, but she found the willpower to go through a second, slightly more challenging segment. It wasn’t long until she was in tears, and this was the last one she did. Raul was eager to continue and chose a blue course, marked Difficult, while Lauren watched and photographed from below. Here, the height was ramped up considerably and lacking were the handholds present in the previous courses. There were also sections with netting that were annoying because one has to stop to hook and rehook the safety carabiners with every step. Lucky for Raul, his memory has already erased the terror he too felt at the dizzying heights in the trees.

After a few more courses that culminated with a leap of faith from the top of a tower, Raul and Lauren ascended to the summit of Mount Pilatus via cable car. They took in the views and ate the sandwich they had packed. Finally, they descended the other side of the mountain on the world’s steepest cogwheel train with grades up to 48%. That’s more than halfway to a right angle!

At the base of the mountain, they boarded a ferry that would take them back to Luzern. The evening was spent eating on the riverfront again–this time, traditional Swiss fondue.

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