Above Les Diablerets: the abode of devils

Ramble Worldwide leader Avril's horizon expands in more than one way atop the Glacier 3000

The cable car to Glacier 3000 carries us into another world entirely. As we take our first steps at altitude, we're rewarded by a majestic 360-degree panorama of white snow-capped peaks. Those who want to can walk on the snow or ice field for a few kilometres, earning a view down into the Creux de Champs amphitheatre we had walked to days before. We are truly above the abode of the devils now!

But first, that amphitheatre deserves its own story. This village gets its name from old folklore that many devils lived in the rock massif behind it. They hurled stones and caused avalanches to tumble down from their hiding places on high. The local people lived in fear of these devils. Perhaps this backstory helped preserve the village, keeping it as we find it today: small, beautiful, authentic.

A short walk from the hotel brings us to this natural rock amphitheatre with its 28 waterfalls cascading down. The Creux de Champs may have harboured devils in the past, but today it's home to cattle, eagles (they're there, though we haven't spotted them yet), and the occasional hiker who makes their way here to sit quietly and take in the majesty of what nature can do.

Part of us wants to tell people about the devils to keep them away. But another voice says to tell everyone to come and experience some time here. Standing now on Glacier 3000, looking down at where we've walked, we understand both impulses. This is what defines our rambling worldwide: not just reaching summits but understanding the stories, the folklore, the living culture that gives meaning to these mountains.

As we descend back to our Alpine haven, cowbells echoing across the valleys, we know we'll return. Les Diablerets has woven its spell, proving itself anything but the 'abode of devils' its name suggests. Instead, we've found a doorway to peace, authenticity, and the Switzerland that time forgot.