Going Exteme in Switzerland

Going Exteme in Switzerland

Prior to planning my trip to Interlaken, Switzerland I called my friend who lives in Zurich and he was puzzled to why I was going to Interlaken of all places. His told me that it was “boring”. I immediately told him that I wanted to experience some extreme sports while I was in Europe. Though, I was not only keen on activities with large amounts of adrenaline, but also looking at the scenery of the Swiss Alps.

Deciding on what types of activities to do was really tough. There were many options advertised around the town of Interlaken in which I could choose from. There were two different types of bungee typing. One bungee was free fall of 150 meters. The other was over a canyon with an 80-meter free fall. Other than bungee jumping there was canyoning, skydiving, canyon jumping, and white water rafting. Unfortunately during my stay in Interlaken it rained the majority of the time and as a result my choices were severely limited.

Arriving to the extreme sports center I was disappointed to find out that canyoning was cancelled. Luckily, the center was flexible enough to fit me into white water rafting down the Lutschine. It was a surprise when they told me that a wetsuit was required in order to go in the raft because I had gone twice before and was never required to wear a wetsuit. Luckily, they were provided for us and it was a good thing because the water was about 50 degrees fareign height. Going down the river was really scenic because the river cut in-between the Swiss Alps. While I was going down the river I realized why many civilizations are formed upon bodies of water because I experienced first hand how easy it was to travel down the river.

After returning from white water rafting, I immediately prepared myself to go canyon jumping. Canyon jumping is a lot like bungee jumping but instead of going vertical the whole time, one jumps out and swings across the canyon like Spiderman or Tarzan. There is about a 100 meter free-fall, which is at first scary but after completing the jump it feels amazing. The amount of adrenaline flowing through the body after a free-fall like that is nirvana.

Once completing the jump from the canyon, the guides allow you to wander around the surrounding area for a while before jumping on the bus and heading back to the base. It is truly a special moment because the scenery is so beautiful. Looking at the snow tipped mountains truly makes for a great picture. Also the canyon from afar was a good shot too.

Once we got done with the canyon jump we took a 20-minute drive back to the extreme sports base. Once we got back we were allowed to purchase pictures of white water rafting and canyon jumping. Even though the pictures are expensive, they are worth it because they are funny to look at and in 15 years I will look back at some of the crazy things I did in Europe and remember Interlaken.

My time spent in Interlaken was well worth it because of the places I got to see. Never in my life have I seen a more beautiful place. The air was as clean as possible and everywhere I turned my head the Swiss Alps were present.

--Taylor Stephens