It’s 9 PM. Just returned from the second hike of the day. One was better than the other.

I woke up thinking there weren’t many options left here. Nothing new on the map, and the trails I hadn’t done were far. But the weather was clear — bright sun, no clouds — and it was the last sunny day before three days of rain. That was reason enough to stay one more night. Even if it meant repeating hikes, I could still enjoy them under the sun.

So I started walking. The plan was simple — revisit a known area, but take a slightly longer loop. And that loop turned out to be absolutely stunning. It led me into valleys I hadn’t seen before, hidden just beyond the ridge. It was a long walk, physically demanding, but beautiful. A route that opened new perspectives. I couldn’t go everywhere, but I saw enough to know there’s more to come back for.

The trail itself kept shifting — a little down, a lot up, down again, then a long climb, and finally back to the car. By the end of it, I was in awe at how the landscape had changed in just one hike. New angles, new views, new possibilities.

After the loop, I cooked a simple pasta — delicious. Rested for a bit. 20 kilometers behind me, legs tired. But the day was still warm and clear, and I hadn’t hit my elevation goal yet — 200 floors. So I went out again.

This time I headed up another trail. As I climbed, I found a new path I’d never taken. After about an hour, it opened into a new valley — wild, rocky, raw. A different world from the forests of the first hike. The path kept going, far into the mountains, but I knew I couldn’t follow it forever. So I turned back.

Standing on the ridge, I remembered Alpistock. Last time, I turned back because of snow — too risky, not knowing if crevices were hidden underneath. But today was warm. The snow was gone. So I climbed higher than before. Scrambling up, testing the slope.

Near the top, the rock got too loose, too sketchy. I didn’t push it. Instead, I turned to another nearby peak — sharper, safer. I climbed up and just stood there. Mesmerized by the view — the lake below, the endless lines of mountains in every direction.

Every 100 meters of climb, everything shifts. New valleys appear, new patterns in the land. You think you’ve seen it all, but you haven’t. There’s always something more — one ridge further, one step higher.

Eventually, I descended. This was the last day of a month trekking the Alps. Not the longest in distance, but probably the most elevation I’ve done in a single day. Up, down, up again, endless. Fulfilling. These four days in Sachseln — almost 70 km, about 5,500 meters of elevation — gave me more than I expected.

Even today, I found climbing walls, paragliding spots, mountain bike routes. This valley is alive. You can hike, climb, fly, ride — or just sit still and take in the view.

I don’t know if I’ve enjoyed any other place in Switzerland as much as this. These days weren’t about walking for the sake of walking. I just couldn’t stop. The joy kept coming — despite the sun, the snow, the tired legs.

It was all just… amazing.