Kent and I walked up from Luek train station to Leuk-Stadt in 2014.
It was early, I didn't need to visit the church yet...
08:14 Switzerland time 00:14 California time
08:15 Switzerland time 00:15 California time
08:26 Switzerland time 00:26 California time
As soon as I left Leuk-Stadt it got sunny..
It was pretty awesome weather and scenery
I took the road to Erschmatt
Some of large radar facility Satellitenbodenstation on the right is
part of Onyx, Switzerland's secret system to eavesdrop on
telecommunications.
There are other facilities near that site that are not part of Onyx,
and there are two other sites for Onyx facilities.
I took the steeper route in order to stay in
the sun...
The road went through tiny farm towns Obere Lichten and Brunnen before
meeting back up with the main road at Grächmatten
09:26 Switzerland time 01:26 California time
Approaching Grächmatten
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Grächmatten and Guttet
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Leaving Wiler
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1310 meters vertical
The road to Stricha and Galm, but the signs don't mention Galm...
I've rarely had trouble navigating in the Alps cause
- there's often only one road uphill
- the signs almost always tell you the way to the top of the mountain
I needed to consult google maps to figure out which way to Galm..
09:49 Switzerland time 01:49 California time
I was now pretty alone on a gorgeous road....
10:01 Switzerland time 02:01 California time
10:01 Switzerland time 02:01 California time
Above Guttet
1440 meters vertical
10:09 Switzerland time 02:09 California time
10:15 Switzerland time 02:15 California time
Still no signs to Galm...
I used google maps again to confirm where I was going...
10:16 Switzerland time 02:16 California time
Detail of same signs
The road to Albinen is the highest road that cuts over to the next
valley containing Leukerbad...
I'm going up the road to Oberu
10:23 Switzerland time 02:23 California time
I finally found a roadsign with Galm on it...
10:43 Switzerland time 02:43 California time
10:45 Switzerland time 02:45 California time
At about 1800 meters vertical I encountered this sign.
Not sure I've ever seen a private road in Switzerland.
Other than stopping to take a picture, I ignored the sign and kept
riding.
11:10 Switzerland time 03:10 California time
PANO - scroll right
Oberu 2040 meters, along a very steep road at the top of a
cliff.
The clouds were so close you could almost reach out and touch them, it
was magic.
11:20 Switzerland time 03:20 California time
Teugmatte 2134 meters
The signs said they had a couple of music festivals in the summer...
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the end of the pavement at the parking lot in Galm 2234 meters
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Galm
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Galm
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Kappelle Galm
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I walked my bike out around corner on the farm road so I could see
Torrenthorn and the mouintains above.
I knew Wysse See - a small lake - was at the end of the dirt road, but
there wasn't any pavement so I was done, I didn't need to see the lake.
The red and black box holds a battery to charge the electric cattle
fence.
11:44 Switzerland time 03:44 California time
11:46 Switzerland time 03:46 California time
PANO - scroll right
11:57 Switzerland time 03:57 California time
I had heard birds a few times on my ride but I hadn't see many, I
couldn't determine where the sound was coming from.
Suddenly there were thousands of birds flying up the valley over my
head.
I've never seen anything like it, it was beyond amazing.
It was the opposite of the scene in the Lord of the Rings, these birds
were beautiful.
The video below isn't bad on a big screen.17:54 Europe time 08:54
California time
Kent: Murmuration of birds! Cool word.
11:57 Switzerland time 03:57 California time
PANO - scroll right - Galm (far right) from the farm road
12:05 Switzerland time 04:05 California time
12:09 Switzerland time 04:09 California time
Galm
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PANO - scroll right
Galm
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Fortunately there was no restaurant (or anything else) in Galm, so
I headed back down the mountain.
(If Galm had enough traffic to support a restaurant, it wouldn't be
Galm).
12:20 Switzerland time 04:20 California time
I couldn't take a picture of Oberu that did this place justice, but I
tried.
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PANO - scroll right
Oberu
12:30 Switzerland time 04:30 California time
13:03 Switzerland time 05:03 California time
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One of the few signs anywhere that listed Galm
13:18 Switzerland time 05:18 California time
I unintentionally came down a different way through Guttet, which
worked out great, I got to see different stuff.
When I reached the main road to Leukerbad I found Chlämpuschleif, a
restaurant along the road.
13:41 Switzerland time 05:41 California time
Lamb, fries, beer, and a sunny Alp
What more could I ask for?
I wolfed it down.
14:02 Switzerland time 06:02 California time
I hesitated to go into Beinhaus
Leuk since I was dressed in stinky sweaty cycling gear, but I
figured the dead don't get many visitors and wouldn't mind much.
14:03 Switzerland time 06:03 California time
14:03 Switzerland time 06:03 California time
14:03 Switzerland time 06:03 California time
This happy picture is so faded it is barely visible to the naked eye in
low light, the iphone 11 camera did wonders with it.
18:32 Switzerland time 10:32 California time
I had a salad at one restaurant while waiting for my French restaurant
to open...
19:21 Switzerland time 11:21 California time
Perch again.
Last time I savored it, this time I wolfed it down.
19:27 Switzerland time 11:27 California time
Galm was a truly special ride.
Kent: Lake geneva perch! Very cool
Dusty: 3 times including the fish and chips i got..
Dusty: yummy....
