I live half an hour from Zurich. It’s a fantastic place with very friendly people and an amazing lake. I have an incredible panoramic view over the mountains and the lake. One look out the window is better than watching TV. Except from November to February. Then, we’re plagued by fog. But what fog! On some days, it’s so white and thick that it reminds me of baby food. Eating baby food is one of my fondest childhood memories, but being surrounded by it is just gross. The fog is very persistent, easily sticking around from morning until night. You can’t see anything. Absolutely nothing. Just gray, white, or black. The difference between day and night can only be detected by the brightness. After a few hours in this thick fog, I start feeling physically ill. Not just a little bit – truly unwell. Two things help: exercise and sunshine.

The fog has now lingered for several weeks. It’s not as impenetrable as it can be in February, but it’s there every single day, without a break. I can’t stand it anymore. In Switzerland, there’s a remedy: drive for an hour and a half, and you can escape. So, I headed to Interlaken. I needed to get up into the mountains because the fog line is at 1100 meters, and above that, beautiful, cloud-free sunny days await. It was still dark in the morning, and you could tell dawn was coming only by the shift from blackish-milky to grayish-milky. I set off, and about an hour into the drive, the first sunbeam greeted me like a good morning kiss. You can see the thick fog lying below, like a cushion left behind, while enjoying the still-green slopes of the mountains (snow is coming soon) and the sunshine.

Ahead of me was a hike up to the Gemmenalphorn, at an altitude of 2061 meters. Clearly, many others had the same idea – it was far from a lonely ascent. It felt more like a migration. It was a good feeling, though, because everyone was greeting each other, as if meeting neighbors. Everyone out today seemed cheerful and was smiling at one another. What a brilliant day! My breathing started complaining a bit, especially on the last part of the trail, as it was truly steep. I had no desire to slow down, though. I might have sore muscles tomorrow; we’ll see. With each step and every drop of sweat, I felt better. It was pleasantly warm, with most people just in T-shirts, a sweater was enough, and you could easily leave your jacket in your backpack.

At the start of the hike, I came across an old house. All the windows and doors were open, and I could hear the sounds of demolition work inside. In front of the house was a dumpster filled with old wood and other debris. Curious, I took a look inside. They were just tearing down the thin wooden wall between the kitchen and living room. Back then, newspapers were used as insulation. I picked one up off the floor and saw it was from August 1945. It was perfectly preserved, so I flipped through it. It was much thinner than today’s papers, with most of it dedicated to advertisements. I read a real estate ad offering a villa with 9 rooms, a 2000 m² garden, and a stunning view in Zurich for 220,000 Swiss francs. Too bad my grandparents didn’t have the funds to buy such a property. It would probably be worth tens of millions today.

The climb rewarded me with an unbeatable 360-degree view. I could sit here for hours in the sun on the dry grass, taking in the vast landscape, the surrounding mountains with already snow-capped peaks, and the lake below. But as it gets cold and a bit uncomfortable after sunset, I took a half-hour break and then began my descent into the valley, watching the many paragliders launching from the slopes and gliding down to the valley below.

Summary I can confirm that the best cure for the fog blues is sunshine combined with exercise. Good shoes and a bottle of water are highly recommended. Unfortunately, I forgot my water bottle on Saturday. It made drinking at the bottom even better!