THE MARVELLOUS SUBTERRANEAN WATERFALLS (PART--II)

 
                                                                             

staircase through the tunnel

Lauterbrunnen Valley

  The Trummelbach Waterfalls is formed from a series of ten glacier waterfalls formed  at ten levels  inside the mountain, a rare natural phenomenon indeed. To view this waterfall inside the rocky mountain, a tunnel lift was provided to carry people up to a platform from where flights of steps give us scope to see the gushing waters at different levels. The thundering sound of water echoes inside the rocky mountain producing a deafening sound. Hence the waterfalls is named as Trummelbach which means a stream that sounds like a drum.

Surging flow

                 

water flowing through gorge

                                                    

  This is the largest subterranean waterfall located in Lauterbrunnen valley, often called the valley of seventy-two waterfalls. The snow melt from glaciers of Jungfrau, Eigher and Monch forms a powerful torrent through caves and cuts through rocks forming many shapes in different colors and sizes. There are view points or small look outs  to see the ten chutes that fall into the Trummelbach river. The total height of the waterfalls is four hundred and sixty feet with an approximate width of forty feet, with ten levels or drops.
These waterfalls carry up to twenty thousand liters of water per second flowing over an area of twenty-four square kilometers. Half of its drainage area is covered by snow and glaciers. The swirling waters with swelling foam is an enchanting spectacle to see. The outburst of flow revolves and plunges into narrow crevices and gorges and emerges mysteriously at another level. The spiraling waters through rocky fissures creates a magical view of the rushing waters which appears like a tornado scattering showers of water all over our heads from above. The surging white waves circling through rocky gorges made us wonder at the roaring might of these waters which carry tons of debris along with its energetic flow. In winter it is not open for tourists and the rushing water becomes frozen and no sound is heard then.

  As we descended, a calm view of spacious pasture appeared in sharp contrast to the turbulent commotion we saw inside. Oh, what a contrast at the same spot ! The lines of Lord Byron, the rebellious Romantic poet, written on the board attracted our attention.
                                                     
                          "The sunbow's rays still arch
                           The torrent with many hues of heaven
                           And roll the sheeted silver's waving column
                           O'er the crag's headlong perpendicular." (From Byron's Alpine Diary)

In 1816 Byron standing at the base of one of these waterfalls described that it looks " like the tail of the white horse streaming in the wind."
                            
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