From Monday morning until Thursday lunchtime, the Dutch Work Party actually does work to earn their stay, This way we help out the limited number of off-season volunteer staf, affectionately known as Pinkies, because of the colour of the T-shirts they usually wear. Our task for this season was to replace the wooden fence around the “Workhof”.
After tearing down the first part of the fence, we quickly discovered the job wouldn’t be as simple as one might think… Luckily the steel in concrete foundations could stay, so we wouldn’t have to dig in the frozen and rocky ground, but that is where the luck ended. Keeping the foundations also meant we had to make the new wooden beams fit the—as it turned out—each slightly different steel supports. The size of the beams also meant we had to be creative, since a lot of the tools present were not big enough to make the necessary cuts and holes in one go…
Whiter than yesterday…The “Workhof”Part of the fence we need to replace.Future fence posts.Creating the odd one out: a 45° corner beam.Drilled, slotted, tapered to size, ready to be sanded and oiled.
After solving all the problems, we managed to finally start constructing the fence. However, when our scheduled time was up, there still wasn’t much to show for all the time and effort we put in… So, during our free Thursday afternoon—more about that in the next post—we collectively decided to work Friday morning as well, and actually screw some planks onto those cursed posts!
Sanding and oiling continues.First beam installed, on to number two!Adding more beams…The last beam of the day…Job done! Sort of…The next work party will have to do the rest.
The first Sunday of a Dutch Work Party is usually spent getting (re)acquainted with the other participating scouts, and a simple hike in the area. Considering the recent snowfall, we decided we wanted to go snowshoeing.
After waking up in the white Alps, having breakfast and preparing a packed lunch, we started looking into the different options for the day.
The view from my room the first morning.The breakfast buffet.The breakfast buffet.
Plans and mountain conditions don’t always go well together though, and our first choice—going up with the Sunnbuël gondola lift and follow a snowshoeing trail from the top station—fell through: the trail was closed because of the high avalanche risk. The alternative we then picked, was a lower trail starting in the valley.
After strapping the snowshoes to our backpack, the five of us headed off. The trail started out snow free, but sure it would be covered higher up? It wasn’t… We reached the viewpoint—the highest point of our trail—without ever needing to put on our snowshoes.
Ready for a day of snowshoeing!Not quite enough snow for snowshoeing…
Back in the centre of Kandersteg, we rewarded ourselves with some pastry at the Marmotte tea room, and a beer in the bar of Hotel des Alpes, affectionately called “Dessie’s” by KISC staff and regulars.
Pastry and coffee break at MarmotteAnd a beer at ‘Dessie’s’ (Hotel des Alpes) of course…
While we were there and on our way back to KISC, it didn’t stop snowing, so by the end of the day, there probably was enough snow on the trail to use snowshoes…
A familiar sight to anyone who has ever been to KISC.Some newer additions…Some newer additions…And home again!
For the first time in a little over ten years, I’m off volunteering at the Kandersteg International Scout Centre again! I joined the Dutch Work Party for this four times before—spring 2008, autumn 2008, spring 2010, and autumn 2013—but studies, work, relationships, and just bad timing kept me from returning… until now. As the only participant from Belgium, I offered to travel to Kandersteg by myself by train. This conveniently also enabled me to plan a extended stop in Bern for some beers…
As usual for trips to the east, the first leg of the trip was an ICE to Köln. You’d say by now I know how to get in Brussels Midi station on time, but thanks to the Brussels public transport company, this turned out to be quite a challenge: the metro broke down four stops before the train station, so when it still wasn’t moving after five minutes, I decided to call an Uber for the last bit. With only a minute to spare, I eventually made it onto my ICE…
Back on an ICE to Köln! This time with my Deuter backpack as well…My ICE after arrival in Köln Hbf.Breakfast at Heberer in Köln Hbf.The special but wrong train I almost got on…
After grabbing some breakfast in Köln station—it was only a quarter past eight by then—I boarded the EuroCity 7, going straight to Bern. No solo seats on an EC, but the passenger who was to sit across from me from Koblenz, never showed up! My seat was all the way back in the last carriage, so I noticed the door with a view to the back, giving me the opportunity to do film from it, like train vloggers do!
Since this train also had a dining car, and I would be travelling until well after lunchtime, I decided to take full advantage of it and already get a taste of Swiss cuisine with some Ghackets mit Hörnli and a Möhl Shorley.
The train I actually needed, the EC 7.My spot on the EC 7 for the next six hours…The dining car on the EC 7.Not very busy in my carriage…Ghackets mit Hörnli for lunch, in the dining car of the EC 7.
Due to accumulating delays however, my comfortable EC 7 was terminated at Basel, so I had to change onto an Intercity for the remainder of the trip to Bern.
Unplanned change at Basel SBB.And off we go again, another hour until Bern…Arrival in Bern
After eventually arriving in Bern and putting my bag in a locker, I headed to VERSA for a proper coffee! The delay meant I didn’t have to spend a lot of time there killing time until the bars would open, and playing tourist was reduced to a minimum as well.
No need to lug around my bags…Sightseeing in BernSightseeing in rainy BernCoffee at VERSACoffee at VERSA
The first bar on my list was OnTap. They had quite an interesting list of beers from all over the world, but I of course had to start with something local: A Slice of Red by Riot Act Brewing, a brewery in Zollikofen, a suburb of the city of Bern.
OnTapA local beer in OnTapOnTapOnTapOnTapOnTap
Next up was Biercafe au Trappiste. As you can imagine, they do like Belgian beers here, and it was actually the only Swiss location to celebrate Cantillon’sZwanze Day, today! Unfortunately the event would only start at nine in the evening, and even flashing my tattoo didn’t help to get an early taste of the Zwanze 2024… Still, I had to drink a Cantillon as well!
Biercafe au TrappisteBiercafe au TrappisteBiercafe au TrappisteBiercafe au TrappisteBiercafe au Trappiste. Thomas didn’t mind I was sitting there…Biercafe au Trappiste. You have to drink a Cantillon beer on Zwanze Day…Biercafe au Trappiste.
The final bar before getting back on the train, was the beer minded metal and rock bar Ebrietas.
Sightseeing in BernEbrietasEbrietasEbrietasEbrietasEbrietasSightseeing in Bern
Bag picked up, back on the train—an SBBRegioExpress this time—and an hour later I arrived in a rather cold and very white Kandersteg.
Bern stationReady for the last leg…Views from the RE1: a first glimpse of the Alps!The whole route. Arrival in Kandersteg.
From the station it was then a twenty minute walk to my home for the next week: the New Chalet of KISC.
Views from my walk to KISC.Views from my walk to KISC.Dinner kindly put aside for me, waiting in my room.My room for the coming week.And there it is!
