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Zwischbergen of one of the canyons in Switzerland still standing on my list. One of the highlights in canyoning for Switzerland. A beautifull environment, with extreme jumps and rappels. As it was a long drive we had to get up at 4.00 on a Sundaymorning, which wouldn't have been that much of a problem if we didn't stayed up that late on Saturday evening. So with two hours of sleep, and I long drive ahead of us, you couldn't call us the best prepared canyoners. Luckily that we hired a small van, so we could catch up some sleep while driving. At eight o'clock we arrived at Gondo. A lovely place at the Italian border, surrounded by huge granite walls and mountains. It was still cloudy when we arrived and it was a bit raining. But as the Zwischbergen canyon is being controlled by a flood-control dam, rain is not that an important factor as it was in Saxeten. After a good italian espresso, we drove up fifteen minutes to the entrance from the canyon which was marked with a sign. Still half a sleep, but impressed from the beautifull nature-scene in the 'Zwischbergental', we arrived at a small wooden bridge crossing the small mountainriver. That was the entrance, we had to jump down 12 meters into a small pool, with freezing cold water coming down from the Glaciers higher up in the mountains. I can tell you that 5 minutes later I was cleary awake, and was asking myself again what the hell I was doing in the cold freezing water at a sundaymorning. But it didn't took long remembering what I was doing there. As adrenaline was filling up my veins, and helping me to overcome my lack of sleep. Beautifull huge stones filled up the canyon, embedded between beautifully shaped mountains. The canyon had a lot to offer, from small to very high jumps. I tried all possible jumps, exect from one: a twenty meter precise-jump. A few rappels from 10 untill 30 meters in very powerfull waterfalls. Slides in nicely naturaly shaped tobogans. And as the sun took the place from the rain, I was totally sure again that I did the right thing coming here.
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