Hi, I'm Jeff Wilson.
Picture yourself in a tiny alpine village high up in the mountains surrounded by equal parts scenic splendor, Swiss culture, and thrilling wilderness fun.
Well, this episode we soar thousands of feet above sea level, and we leave the cars and pollution far behind to explore the mountain regions of the Schilthorn and the Matterhorn.
Announcer: Major support provided by Volkswagen.
Hanalei: For surfers, it's such an innate feeling of being surrounded by beauty and wanting to preserve it.
Patrick: We're real passionate entrepreneurs.
We love creating environmentally-friendly products.
Hanalei: Teaching Canyon the love of the ocean and the importance of the environment, every day I feel like it's a fun adventure.
Jeff: Tucked up high in the Alps amid glacial canyons and flower-lined fields, there are small towns that are truly the apex of travel adventure.
These are idyllic places where the air is so fresh, the mountains so close, and the nature so pristine... you'll want to come back time and time again.
We've been traveling through Switzerland with an electric vehicle, but this episode is a little different.
EVs are great at getting you where you need to go while still feeling good about your carbon footprint.
But there are places that are so special that it's worth parking the car and going on car-free.
And that's the theme for this episode-- car-free mountain towns that model sustainable practices and still offer the ultimate in mountain adventure.
But don't think for a minute things won't get charged up.
From solar driven cable cars to electric trains and buses, we're embarking on an alpine odyssey that's fully powered for fun.
We'll explore two destinations featured on the E-Grand Tour of Switzerland, which is an organized mapping of the country's very best sites.
The E-Grand Tour is the world's first road trip for electric vehicles and features a network of hundreds of car charging stations.
We'll start in Mürren, a village located in the Lauterbrunnen Valley just below the Schilthorn mountain.
Then we'll head to Zermatt, tucked underneath the iconic Matterhorn.
The Lauterbrunnen Valley.
It's like something out of a fantasy novel, perhaps even Middle Earth?
That's no surprise.
The "Lord of the Rings" film series may have been shot in New Zealand, but it was actually a trip to this area that inspired writer JRR Tolkien.
It's hard to believe that such places even exist.
This is land of giants, towering rock faces, and dramatic cascading waterfalls.
When Tolkien's son visited the Alps, the author wrote to him, "I am delighted you've made the acquaintance of Switzerland "and the very part I once knew best and had the deepest effect on me."
Hanging more than 5,300 feet above the valley floor is a shelf of Alpine pasture.
It's a spot that seems destined to host the archetypal Swiss village.
Looking for one of those special places lined with traditional chalets, colorful flowers, and enough activities to keep you busy for days?
Mürren fits the bill.
You're hard pressed to find a spot in town that doesn't have an amazing view.
And the icing on this alpine cake is that the town is car-free.
I am very excited about my first activity.
Via ferrata is Italian for iron way.
Oh, man, is it a way to test your mettle.
Via ferrata refers to a mountain route that's been equipped with devices such as steel cables, ladders, and bridges, designed to assist climbers.
It allows adventurous types, even those with little climbing experience, to traverse difficult mountain ledges and vertical walls.
You wear a harness that attaches to a steel cable to reduce the risk of dangerous falls.
The origins of via ferrata reach back centuries.
The practice became more popular with the early alpine tourism of the 1800s.
Later, the routes were used by Italian soldiers in World War I to move weapons along steep mountain slopes.
The Mürren via ferrata is about a mile and half long, part hiking trail and part assisted route.
It takes you along exposed rocks and spectacular vertical cliffs.
Here, the daunting power of glaciers is on full display.
As you hang 2,000 feet above the valley floor, cast your mind back about 35 million years when the Alps were formed by a collision of tectonic plates that pushed the ground upwards.
Now jump forward to the last ice age.
Flowing rivers of ice drag gravel through the V-shaped valley, rubbing, scraping, and grinding, and slowly transforming it into the U-shape it is today.
Let's celebrate the power of water.
I mean, without it, none of us would even be here.
We've seen how the force of glaciers can shape the land.
And these dramatic waterfalls help make this valley one of the most beautiful places in the world.
The name Lauterbrunnen actually means many fountains.
Water also provides 100% of the electricity for the people who live here.
Man: In the Lauterbrunnen Valley we have the hydropower plant, which is submitting the power for the whole valley actually.
Jeff: How long has hydropower been used here?
[Speaking German] The plant has been built in 1905, and since then, power is produced here for the whole valley.
What needs to be added is that the power supply from the valley is all right in the summertime, but for the wintertime, we need to get the hydropower from another plant a little bit outside the valley.
There's a lot of value in producing green energy, and how is that reflected in what your customers are willing to pay for this power?
[Speaking German] Well, people are aware of this green energy and are willing to pay more for their electricity as it is a green product, especially the Schilthorn Cableway.
As one of the main clients, they are paying this extra amount of money to get the clean energy.
But actually, Switzerland's already producing renewable energy since a hundred years, and that's how it works.
Jeff, voice-over: I know, I know, I spend a lot of time talking about the views in Switzerland.
But this next one is worth all the accolades.
Today's destination-- the Schilthorn.
There's only one way to get to the Schilthorn, and that's from Mürren via cable car.
On a clear day, the views from the Schilthorn are nothing short of spectacular.
At an elevation of 9,700 feet, you get an unparalleled look at that famous triad-- the Eiger, or ogre, the Mönch, and the Jungfrau, or maiden.
See how the monk is fending off the ogre to protect the maiden?
The Schilthorn dazzled international audiences and secured its place in Hollywood history when it was chosen as a primary location for the 1969 James Bond film, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."
Bond fans from around the world were slack-jawed at the hair-raising stunts that played out on these alpine slopes.
The Restaurant Piz Gloria, which doubled as the mountain-top hideaway of Bond villain Blofeld, is famous for being one of the world's first 360-degree rotating restaurants.
We toast the Alps with glasses of sparkling Prosecco and dive into the James Bond brunch buffet.
I've often wondered how the Swiss manage to get supplies to their well-equipped mountain resorts and restaurants.
Take this bread, for example.
The loaves are baked early in the morning in Lauterbrunnen on the valley floor.
They travel up the mountain via cable car and are offloaded at stations all along the way.
According to experts, this series of cable connections is the longest and most technically challenging airway ever built.
It's been operated using hydropower since the early 1990s, and today solar panels generate even more energy.
Finally, the still-fresh bread lands here at the Piz Gloria Restaurant.
To come down the mountain, consider taking the cable car back to the station at Birg and hiking the rest of the way.
Here, you'll find a steel and glass footbridge that clings to the mountainside.
It's the most exciting aerial adventure you can have on two feet.
They don't call this the Thrill Walk for nothing.
It's a ways down.
Jeff, voice-over: About 650 feet long, it snakes its way down along the sheer vertical drops of the rock face.
And the glass floor makes you feel as if you're descending through a surreal, alpine dreamscape.
If all that fresh mountain air makes you hungry again, you've got plenty of choices.
Stop for lunch in Mürren and order up a traditional fondue.
It's the perfect way to warm up after a misty mountain hike.
If you like meeting people, having personal travel experiences, and delicious food, you need to visit a Swiss farm.
Check with local tourist offices for farms that are open to visitors.
I'm hanging out with a few of the friendly cows that belong to Thomas Rubin in the tiny town of Gimmelwald.
Thomas invites me to sample some of his fresh meats and cheeses.
Try this piece.
Mmm.
It's good?
It's really good.
Mm-hmm.
It's buttery, but it's-- it has a lot of flavor.
And you like schnapps?
I love schnapps!
And it goes with-- it goes with the food, right?
So you should taste the cheese and have the schnapps, right?
OK. What do you say?
Pröschtli.
Pröschtli.
Mmm.
Oh, it tastes like fresh pears.
With a little kick.
Jeff, voice-over: When most people think of Switzerland, they think of Alps.
For our next stop, we've got a premier alpine destination in store-- Zermatt and its lofty neighbor the Matterhorn.
It's the icon of all alpine icons, an image that's figured in countless travel fantasies and inspired a Disney ride, the incomparable Matterhorn.
At nearly 15,000 feet, it's one of the highest peaks in Europe.
The Matterhorn was first summited by a party led by Edward Whymper in 1865, a triumph that soon turned tragic when 4 of the 7 climbers fell to their deaths on the descent.
But every year, mountaineers still try to reach its daunting heights.
Researchers note that climate change is making the already risky ascent even more dangerous.
Melting permafrost is causing more frequent rockfalls, landslides, and other hazardous conditions.
There are still lots of ways to safely view the mountain, but we'll get to that in a minute.
First things first.
I parked my electric car in a garage in the town of Täsch, a few miles from Zermatt, and left it to charge.
A shuttle train drops me at the station in the center of Zermatt.
It's easy to get around town on the city's electric buses and taxis.
These vehicles, with their distinctive rectangular shape, have been around for decades.
They're emissions-free, and most are built right here in town.
They make up the backbone of Zermatt's transportation system.
Zermatt is one of Switzerland's most sustainable resort towns.
Local businesses have demonstrated a real commitment to responsible use of resources.
Before I take on the mountains, I drop my bag at the Cervo Mountain Resort.
I like this hotel because it was the first one in the region to be awarded an Ibex Fairstay label, which is a Swiss guarantee of sustainability based on EU Ecolabel standards.
The hotel has its own geothermal heat pump and solar panels.
And it generates up to 95% of its own energy requirements for heating and hot water.
Man: We recollect the heat of the water, say, if you shower here at a certain temperature, we gain that heat.
Of course, not the water, that's only used once, but that all helps.
And it's--including the spa, we achieve to heat the entire resort within that extension with it.
That's one thing.
Jeff, voice-over: Cervo's restaurants use only local products and emphasize vegetarian food.
The goal is to eventually become a zero-waste hotel.
One of the things that surprises visitors is just how accessible the Matterhorn really is.
I mean, you don't have to be an experienced trekker or have any special gear to get that "so close you can almost touch it" feeling.
From the valley station in Zermatt, I need to take several cable cars to get high up on the mountainside.
The gondolas soar over the forests and meadows just outside Zermatt, heading up to the rough, rocky slopes of the Alps.
At the Trockener Steg station, we change to another car.
The company that runs this station has been using a photovoltaic system since 2010.
The 99 solar modules here generate around 20,000 kilowatt hours per year.
There are two parallel cars that cover the final stretch of the ride.
If you can, hop on the Matterhorn Glacier Ride.
Man on P.A.
: Welcome to the Matterhorn Glacier...
It's ultra-high tech, especially the 4 cabins known as the crystal ride.
A few minutes into the ride, the opaque glass floors turn transparent, showing a phenomenal view below as you fly over the glacier that wraps around the base of the Matterhorn.
The effect is done using an electric current that turns the white glass to clear.
The car drops us on Klein Matterhorn at more than 12,000 feet of elevation.
[Inhales] Ahh!
Breathe in that fresh alpine air.
OK, it's a little thinner up here.
I mean, some people find that exhilarating, but others, well, it saps their energy and takes some time to acclimate to.
So, take it slow and see how your body reacts.
Jeff, voice-over: The Matterhorn is a mountain that won't be constrained by manmade maps.
Straddling the border of Switzerland and Italy, the name literally means peak in the meadows, which seems unexpectedly benign for such a force of nature.
Nearly 50 feet below its surface, the glacier conceals an icy, mystical realm.
A network of tunnels, infused with soft music and lighting, forms the world's highest glacier palace.
Intricate natural formations and crevices line this frozen labyrinth.
And tucked in the tunnel's alcoves are luminous sculptures, regularly reimagined by local ice artists.
Everywhere I turn in Switzerland, I discover impressive efforts at sustainability.
This is where we generate the solar power.
Yeah.
It's enough power to feed about 15 households.
Jeff, voice-over: Besides having terrific views and great food, the Restaurant Matterhorn Glacier Paradise has a Minergie-P certificate, which is a Swiss certification program for buildings with low-energy-consumption.
Pretty impressive for being Europe's highest mountain restaurant.
This makes us more or less self-sustaining.
Jeff, voice-over: To keep their environmental footprint small, they use a microbiological wastewater treatment plant and circular heating systems.
With more than 240 miles of marked mountain trails in the Zermatt area, hikers will think they've died and gone to heaven.
I'm exploring the Gorner Gorge, an easy hike that winds through a spectacular mountain canyon.
The gentle incline takes a couple of hours, but there are several options depending on how much you want to walk.
Wear sturdy shoes, as the trail is rocky in places, and be prepared for fickle weather, even in the summer.
It's hard for me to come to Switzerland and not think about trains.
Well, I've got the perfect train to highlight for our sustainability theme.
The Gornergrat Bahn is actually Switzerland's first electrically-powered rack railway.
Today, virtually all of the Swiss rail system is electrified, but back when this train opened in 1898, it was considered a sensation.
Now it's Europe's highest open-air cogwheel train.
It gently chugs its way up the mountainside, passing by its namesake, the massive Gorner glacier, on the way to the 10,000-foot summit.
The viewing platform at the top delivers 360-degree views of the surrounding peaks.
This is a chance to savor the immensity of the Alps, to allow the sheer power and beauty of the mountains to filter through you.
For me, being here is both humbling and inspiring.
It creates within me an even stronger sense of protectiveness toward the environment.
A century ago, there was talk of building a railway to the summit of the Matterhorn.
But developers soon had to drop the plan because of outrage from Swiss citizens.
They proclaimed that the Alpine peaks were the ideological property of the entire Swiss population and hence, not for sale.
[Sheep bleating, bells clanging] [Man speaking German] Jeff, voice-over: The last time I visited Zermatt, I trekked to a barn to visit with some friendly locals, aka blacknose sheep.
This time I'm meeting my old pals on their own turf.
Hi, guys.
Like to be scratched right behind the ears.
You're pushy.
Yeah, you're pushy.
But, you know, that's what makes a successful blacknose sheep.
[Sheep bleats] Man: This blacknose sheep is especially in this area.
Twice a year they're cutting the wool.
In springtime and in falltime, they're cutting the wool, and then the whole summer, they're up here then.
Jeff, voice-over: The blacknose sheep originated here in the alpine canton of Valais and have frolicked in these parts for at least 600 years.
They're hardy and well-adapted to grazing on mountain terrain.
But these days, even the sheep are going high-tech.
In my time, I also had a lot of sheep like that.
Then the bells.
I knew exactly what kind of sheep has what kind of bell.
Then I go, "Ahh, they're way over there."
That's exactly the right bell.
And today, this one here has a GPS.
Ahh.
Right.
GPS is the newest thing.
Sure.
You know exactly, you can see on your phone.
Where your sheep are.
You see where are the sheep.
Makes it easier for the shepherd.
Yeah, sure, the sheep app.
That's all I need is to get myself a sheep app, and I can have my own herd.
It's a lot easier now.
Jeff, voice-over: Their legions of fans dub them the cutest sheep in the world.
I mean, let's face it, all sheep are pretty cute, but these little faces do kick it up a notch.
[Bells clanging] There's no shortage of outdoor fun in Zermatt.
I just got a tip that the nearby Sunnegga Paradise area is a great place for mountain biking, so that's where I'm headed next.
You can rent bikes in Zermatt, then take a 5-minute funicular ride to the park.
The name Sunnegga translates to sunny corner, since this spot reportedly gets the most rays in Zermatt.
Today, it's definitely living up to its name.
I am loving riding these trails.
Sunnegga has more than 60 miles of hiking and biking trails, offering a fantastic opportunity to explore.
The tracks are well-maintained, and there are published guidelines to help make sure wildlife isn't disturbed.
I fly across along ski runs where in winter downhillers find fun.
And I coast into the hush of forest passages.
And the best part?
What else, the views.
When I first visited the Alps, it was the start of a life-long love affair with Switzerland.
It's so heartening to see all the forward-looking work that's being done here to preserve the land's natural beauty and mountain wonder.
Thanks for coming along as we explored the car-free towns of Mürren and Zermatt and the peaks of the Schilthorn and the Matterhorn.
Join us again as we find more sustainable destinations on "Real Road Adventures."
Announcer: Major support provided by Volkswagen.
Hanalei: For surfers, it's such an innate feeling of being surrounded by beauty and wanting to preserve it.
Patrick: We're real passionate entrepreneurs.
We love creating environmentally-friendly products.
Hanalei: Teaching Canyon the love of the ocean and the importance of the environment, every day I feel like it's a fun adventure.
Additional "Real Road Adventures" information, clips, and links are online at realroadTV.com.
3 "Real Road Adventures" DVDs are available for 24.95 each, plus shipping.
Each DVD includes two full programs, plus extras and bonus video.
"Real Road Adventures" DVDs may be ordered online at realroadTV.com.