Hiking From Einsiedeln To Brunni

Trailhead in	Schwyz, Switzerland
Started on	May 31, 2020 at 09:00
Weather	sunny
Hikers	J, L
Effort	low
Distance	11.3 km
Files	GPX
Elevation
Slope	↗2%
Ascent	243 m
Descent	26 m
Max Elevation	1097 m
Min Elevation	882 m
Time
Total Time	~2h
Moving Time	~2h

Last weekend we hiked from Einsiedeln to Brunni as part of Via Jacobi’s stage 5.

We did this same hike four years ago, but this time we had sun with us from the beginning. The intense contrast with the previous time reminded me of the impact that changing my perspective about certain things has had in recent times.

Another thing that was different this time was that I kept my attention more on the trees, the breeze, the grass, and the sky, and less on the planned destination, which, by the way, we didn’t reach. One thing I did that helped me with this was to consciously slow down my inhalations and exhalations and to try to completely fill up my lungs during inhalations. I believe I enjoyed the hike so much more this time because it felt like I was “scoring happiness” with each breath being present, instead of scoring only at the end.

Something else that happened, and which has also happened during many of the last few hikes, is that when I’m surrounded by these beautiful natural environments, I can’t help but wonder how they looked like tens of thousands of years ago, and who my ancestors were. Even though I can only imagine them, the thought that I’m alive thanks to thousands of couples humbles me and blows me away. The feeling is even stronger these days because of covid-19 and the incredible luck of being born where I was born and working writing code instead of working as a doctor or a nurse saving lives and facing a deadly virus on a daily basis.

After reaching Brunni at the end of the valley, we decided to take the bus back home because our bodies were starting to complain of the hours of walking.