Austria & Switzerland

A blast from the past here. One of my January 1989 slide shots taken on skis, at sunset from Kleine Scheidegg, Wengen, Switzerland. I was reminded of this scene whilst photo-site travelling today. Some viewers here might remember this being in my Panoramio account too. A favourite spot for me, especially after reading the famous 'White Spider' (North face climb attempts) by Heinrich Harrer.

The Matterhorn (Monte Cervino) at 4,478 metres (14,692 ft) is certainly an impressive mountain, in fact one of the highest in the Alps and Europe. This Eastern face is taken from Switzerland near the iconic village of Zermat, some time back in 1986 whilst on a skiing holiday in Cervinia on its Italian side. A Fuji slide conversion, dormant after its projection many years ago and then conversion in 2012, until today. As always, better full screen.

Taken whilst travelling from Italy to Switzerland on the famous Gothard Pass in September 2013. I think we are looking here backwards southwest towards the Swiss Ticino mountain range around Basòdino. An added bonus of this almost painterly view was the unusual colouring of the middle heights -maybe sandy clay? Notice the now ancient Olympus camera that took this. Another from my old Panoramio album. A must full screen view

It seems a while now since I was here on this lake in Switzerland and so I share some of the memories of it with you. This one taken from the Swiss town of Lugano itself. The lake actually border's Northern Italy and Southern Switzerland. Nice full screen.

In these days of self-isolation we can reminisce on our past adventures and holidays through our photos that we have carefully preserved (haven't we!). Here is an example of a trip taken some 35 years ago now. Taken on one of Interlaken's two lakes, Switzerland in 1985 whilst on a skiing holiday in nearby Wengen. This is Lake Brienz on a very cold winters day. Original on a 35mm slide. Originally in Panoramio. (PiP shows the nearby Eiger a year or so later) Nice full screen!

Here is a selection of the trains running on those mountains at that time, now long superceded. The Wengernalp Railway (WAB) is a 19.11 kilometres long, rack railway line in Switzerland. It runs from Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald via Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg at 2,061 metres above sea level, making it the world's longest continuous rack and pinion railway. The name refers to the seasonal mountain pastures above Wengen. It has a track gauge of 800mm (2'7", UK=1435mm) Originals on 35mm slide. Nice full screen.

Another retro picture here for the lack of brand new exciting photos in this C19 lockdown. Taken whilst on a skiing holiday some forty years ago at the nearby village of Zell-am-Ziller, in the Austrian Tyrol. I took this just a short time before taking the same cable-car to the top ski slopes. The original on Kadachrome 64 35mm slide film Enjoy full screen

Taken with a long lens whilst travelling up to the Jungfraujoch in its train, from Kleine Scheidegg via The Eiger. Scanned from a 1983 slide Enjoy full screen.