UNFORGETTABLE MOUNTAIN
It’s not the only day I shall remember on my deathbed, but it’s definitely one of them, a memory of our first magical tour through Europe.
It was 1972, and the summer seemed comprised of a succession of glorious days. It was no different as we set off after breakfast in a tour bus from our Swiss hotel on the shore of Lake Lucerne to Kriens.
Here we boarded a chair-lift, the first stage in our ascent of Mount Pilatus, and glided effortlessly over fertile meadows and green forests to Fräkmüntegg. From there, an aerial cableway, a daring feat of engineering, swung us up to the peak.
On disembarking, we found ourselves on the terraces of the Pilatus-Kulm and Bellevue Hotels, 2 132m above sea level, with restaurants offering teas and lunches and the breathtaking panorama of Lucerne. We could see the lake and the lowlands of Switzerland as far as the Black Forest and the Vosges Mountains, with the magnificent view of ranges upon distant snow-capped Alpine ranges.
My young son, ever adventurous, had meanwhile discovered some steps cut into the rock, leading up to a stone wall. With finger on lips, he beckoned us to join him up there.
As we were leaning over the parapet above the valley wreathed in mist, the sound of cow-bells drifted up to us from far below, creating a heavenly harmony.
A HAUNTED BEAUTYLegend has it that Pontius Pilate was banished to Switzerland after he’d sanctioned the crucifixion of the innocent
Pontius Pilate was banished here after the crucifixion. He committed suicide and was buried on the mountain. That’s why it’s called Pilatus
man Jesus. He supposedly hated the perpetual ice and snow and longed for the warmth and fleshpots of Rome. There are several stories about his death, but one is that he committed suicide and was buried on the mountain, and that’s why it’s called Pilatus. This, however, cannot be proved. For centuries, it was believed that the mountain was haunted.
THE SCARY DESCENTThe time to leave came all too soon and great was our surprise when the means turned out to be the steepest electric cog-wheel railway in the world, with a maximum gradient of 48%, down the other side of the mountain.
It was a bit scary at that angle, creating the impression of going down head-first, but when we realised that the cogs were easing us down safely and the driver was in full control, we could enjoy the view from the windows, of beautiful trees and wild flowers of every hue.
The cog-railway is 4.6km long and climbs a vertical distance of 1 629m. It uses the original rack rails, now over 100 years old. When they became worn down, the rails were simply turned over, providing a new wearing surface for the next century as well.
The fascinating journey ended at a landing-stage, where a small steamer was waiting to take us back to our hotel. The steamer serves as a type of leisurely water bus. There are landing-stages every quarter hour or so, where people embark and disembark. With beautiful homes and gardens at the lake-side and several cograilways up to hotels perched high above on thickly-wooded cliffs, every bend in the lake held a new delight.
Arriving at our destination at dusk, we took a last lingering look from the hotel garden, heavy with the scent of roses, across the lake to where the flood-lit buildings were reflected in the water and proud Mount Pilatus stood silhouetted against the sky.
The day ended with a charming Swiss group entertaining us with flag-throwing, yodelling and folk-dancing.
Who would not agree this was a day infinitely worth remembering?
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