Guide to Swiss hiking difficulty levels

For those from flatter locales, here's a quick reference on how Swiss hiking trails are graded.

• Easy - steeper than anything in Illinois
• Medium - climb the Sears tower using the stairs.
• Difficult - climb the Sears tower again, only using the outside.

The Swiss trail system is a lot of fun. The trails are usually well marked, and even offer an up-close view of the local bovine population.

There was one spot, though, where it appeared as though the trail dropped off the edge of a cliff (we were descending). We thought maybe the person marking the trail had a sense of humor, but no, the trail really did continue weaving down, we just couldn't see it from above.