Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger in Sun and Clouds

 I spent a week (31^st July to 6^th August 2010) in Mürren, almost "across the street" from the three giants of the Bernese Alps, the Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger.  I could see the Jungfrau from the bedroom window of my rented apartment:

To see the Mönch (right) and Eiger (left) I had to go out on the porch:

Later on Sunday (1^st August) I went for a hike, and got a chance to see all three together the way they are meant to be seen (from left to right the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau):

For two more photos of what I call the "big three" click here and here.

Here are individual shots of each; first the Jungfrau:

then the Mönch:

and finally the Eiger:

with its notorious North Face dark.

The chain of mountains extends SW beyond the Jungfrau, ending in the Lauterbrunnen Breithorn (there are many Breithorns in Switzerland, hence the qualifier).  This photo extends from just beyond the Jungfrau to the Breithorn:

Later that afternoon clouds moved in:

a prelude to a couple days of on and off drizzle.  Not enough to prevent me from hiking, but enough to abolish all views:

On the morning of the 4^th the clouds lifted a bit:

 and I planned to hike to the Schilthorn with its 360° views.  The Schilthorn is associated with the James Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" as well as with a ski race and a half marathon, both called Inferno.  In fact, the half marathon was to be run on the 21^st, and I met several runners training for it.

Clouds quickly moved in, and by the time I reached the hut I was hiking in the clouds:

I had a second breakfast at the hut, continued for about another kilometer, and shortly before the final ascent decided to call it a day:

On the way down I noticed that, while there was no sign of the clouds lifting, some peaks were occasionally peaking out of the clouds.  I sat down and, for about twenty minutes, took a huge number of photos.  The vast majority were uninteresting and were discarded, the survivors are here, and a few of the most interesting follow.

The Jungfrau timidly peaking through the clouds

before revealing herself in all her splendor:

The Mönch trying to emerge:

and finally succeeding:

Dark clouds above the Eiger:

but it eventually also emerges:

The weather remained cloudy with frequent drizzle for the duration of my stay, but on the morning of my departure cleared spectacularly.  I just got two good photos before leaving, one of the "big three":

and one of the end of the range, with the Grosshorn and Breithorn:

From Mürren I went to St-Luc for a week, with another set of mountains!