I was lucky to have flown over the Swiss Alps in 2015. It was such an amazing experience that when the opportunity presented itself once more, I grabbed it with both hands.
It was a small 4 seater plane this time and certainly not for anyone who gets travel sick easily (like me).
A Flight over the Swiss Alps – Our Route:
Rixheim, France (just outside Basel) – Biel – Neuchatel – Lake Thun- Kander Valley – Gemmi Pass – Matter Valley – Matterhorn – <Stop in Sion> – Rhone Valley – Montreux – Gruyeres – Fribourg – Biel -Seewen (to fly over my parents in law’s home and wave at them) – Basel (along the Rhine river) – Rixheim
The Flight and My Impressions:
The scenery was very green at the start as we flew over the Jura. An abundance of low hills and mountains coupled with beautiful lakes in view greeted us, as we flew towards the city and lake of Biel, before heading east to where the Alps are.
The pilot made many sharp turns which caused my stomach to lurch and turn. It was possibly worse when he started to ascend higher in the air.
Peter was learning a lot about flying during this time and took controls of the steering and height controls.
I started to get very excited once I could see Lake Thun and Interlaken in the distance.
All the famous mountains started to appear before our sight – name them: Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, Niesen, Schilthorn, even Mont Blanc!
It has to be said that the higher we flew (after Lake Thun), the more turbulent was the flight. I really suffered.
The “highlight” had to be when I overturned my handbag to empty it and threw up into it as we were approaching the Matterhorn.
I was reminded of the feelings I had had during the flight over the Nazca lines in Peru – I wished it ended as soon as it began. (Please someone remind me to stop doing these flights – I clearly never learn my lesson!)
Seeing the Matterhorn from so close up high is truly a different experience from that if you were to be in the village of Zermatt. It looks very raw. It is a stunning, huge, massive, as if it was perfectly carved, rock, with so much presence, that rises above the clouds – all the reasons someone cleverly chose it to be the logo of the famous Toblerone chocolate.
We circled around the Matterhorn and made our way back north and turned west towards Sion airport. We could see Leukerbad (Ilyas’ now second favourite place in the world, after Whitepod) and also Oeschinensee where we were for the second time just a month back.
It is really amazing how different a bird’s eye view is. It makes me appreciate every moment I have experienced, viewing this beautiful country, at every chance, from every viewpoint.
After what was a slightly harrowing flight (for me) due to the unbearable turbulence, the one hour stop at Sion airport was a welcome break. (Beware of the CHF 12 chocolate mousse…)
We went into the pilot’s room to key in our return flight plan before leaving. I had initially wanted to fly back over the Aletsch Glacier and over Lake Luzern and Lake Zurich before heading back to Basel/Rixheim. Alas the clouds came in and blanketed that whole area, which meant we had to make our way west instead.
Leaving Sion airport, we flew in the Rhone valley towards Lake Geneva, spotting Whitepod on the mountains on our left (reminding us of the most amazing night we had there the last winter and how much we would love to go back there once more) and soon flew over Chateau du Chillon and Montreux before making a right turn and flying north.
We were saying goodbye to the Alps now and the scenery changed once more. It became more green with rolling hills and meadows below us.
It was fun to fly around the famous little cheese town of Gruyeres and the castle which we were at some years ago. We later flew over Fribourg with its iconic bridge.
From there we flew to my parents in law’s village called Seewen and waved at them as they stood waving back at us from their balcony.
I couldn’t wait for the flight to be over but it was still a while to get back to Basel and from there to Rixheim.
We flew along the Rhine with views of Switzerland’s tallest building, the Roche tower, making a bold statement from afar.
Finally we were back on land and I vowed I would never step foot into a four seater plane again till the day I die. Will I remember this vow I have made not for the first time in my life? Knowing me, probably not…
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Have you ever done a flight over the Swiss Alps or a scenic flight over any mountain range? Share your story with me in the comments below!
