I visited Reichenbach falls recently and was taken by how accurate this illustration by Sidney Paget is (the waterfall itself is significantly diminished in strength because of a hydroelectric dam upstream).
Also, if anyone is curious what Holmes and Moriarty might have seen while they were falling, here is the view backwards from the same spot, overlooking the town of Meiringen:
Also, Watson was not kidding when he wrote this in the Final Problem:
"In a tingle of fear I was already running down the village street, and making for the path which I had so lately descended. It had taken me an hour to come down. For all my efforts two more had passed before I found myself at the fall of Reichenbach once more."
It is a long hike from Meiringen to the falls, and fairly steep too.
@itsnobodysproblem had some more detailed questions which I am answering here! If anyone else has questions please let me know, I would love to answer.
Q1: Firstly what does it look like if you look down, where the waterfall.. falls. Is it a river? A lake? Something else? Do you know if it's deep enough for a body not to be found if it falls there?
Currently, the flow of Reichenbach falls is so reduced that it's really more of a pond than anything else. However, I can imagine that in ACD's time, it would have been a deeper lake, with runoff down the mountain through a river. Even so, the basin of the waterfall is fairly shallow. I think that the reason that a body couldn't be found likely had more to do with the strength of the waterfall than the depth of the lake. It is one of the highest waterfalls in the Alps, and with that torrential water pouring down it probably would have been impossible to have someone swim around in the lake in search of bodies.
As Watson writes,
"Any attempt at recovering the bodies was absolutely hopeless, and there, deep down in that dreadful caldron of swirling water and seething foam, will lie for all time the most dangerous criminal and the foremost champion of the law of their generation."
This is the view down the falls from the Holmes/Moriarty ledge. Sorry if it's hard to tell the scale of things from this picture but the water is essentially the depth of a wading pool at the moment:
Q2: If you were right on that path, is there a quick way to get to whatever is at the bottom of the waterfall? I say quick meaning 5-10 minutes. Yk if you saw something in the water below and wanted to get there quickly.
Yes, there is a path from the bottom of the waterfall to the Holmes/Moriarty ledge, at least in the current day. It winds up the side of the mountain. I would estimate it took me about 10 minutes or so, although I don't remember exactly.
Q3: Is there a street or a dirt road or something that a car could take to get from Meiringen to the waterfall? Or near the waterfall, u get it. If not i suppose a sturdy car with a desperate driver could just.. go for it. Off road. Or is it absolutely too steep and/ or rocky?
In the current day, there is a funicular that will take you to the top of the falls in like ten minutes. However, it only operators during the peak season (mainly summer).
If you're asking about during ACD's time, the answer is yes and no. The first third of the way to Reichenbach falls from Meiringen is fairly gentle, with sloping, grassy hills (and a lot of sheep)! This part even has a road, and you can drive up this.
However, once you reach the base of the mountain, it's a different story. This hike is fairly steep over unpaved, rough, forest terrain. The path is narrow and sometimes faces out into drops with no railings. It is not an extremely difficult hike (I managed it with no hiking experience), but I would not drive over it, even if I were desperate.
Q4: I know from Wikipedia that there's like a cluster of waterfalls. But. Are there any other attractions in or near Meiringen? Or on the way to the fall? Something that let's say if you stay in Meiringen you might visit first cuz it's closer than the waterfall or for some other reason?
There is plenty to do in or near Meiringen! Of course, the most famous is Reichenbach falls. As Watson says,
"We had strict injunctions, however, on no account to pass the falls of Reichenbach, which are about half-way up the hill, without making a small detour to see them."
In the present day, the main other attraction is the Sherlock Holmes museum, which boasts the world's only reproduction of 221B Baker Street, with all authentic, period-accurate objects:
Even in ACD's day, I can imagine Meiringen was a beautiful Alpine town to visit. Here are some of the views:
There's also the ruins of a 13th century castle nearby (although I didn't have time to visit), and Meiringen is the birthplace of Meringue, so there is some very good Meringue.
Meiringen is also pretty close to other Alpine towns such as Interlaken, only 1-2 hours away by train. Watson writes in The Final Problem:
"For a charming week we wandered up the Valley of the Rhone, and then, branching off at Leuk, we made our way over the Gemmi Pass, still deep in snow, and so, by way of Interlaken, to Meiringen."
If I may interject my opinion, I've traveled to many places across Europe and Switzerland is one of my absolute favourites. Holmes and Watson have good taste in vacation spots!
Q5: And. The dam. I see Wikipedia says "A hydroelectric power company harnesses the flow of the Reichenbach Falls during certain times of year, reducing its flow." That's the dam you mentioned right? And did you happen to find out when the flow is reduced and when not?
Yes, this is the dam! I don't think there is a way to find out when the flow is reduced, as it is unpredictable and depends on energy demands. In fact, there is a sign near the bottom of the waterfall that warns that swimming there can be deadly, since the dam can turn off at any time and send a torrent of water downstream.
The other factor that affects water flow in the falls is glacial melt from higher up in the Alps, which feeds into the waterfall. For this reason, the flow is usually much stronger in the summer months. For context, I visited the falls in late April, only a week before Holmes and Watson supposedly visited (the 4th of May, according to The Final Problem).
Q6: Ok i think i haven't forgotten anything.. oh wait. Besides the little path, are there any other vantage points? Somewhere you can stay to enjoy the view. I guess i don't really need this one but i figured I'd ask anyway.
Yes there are multiple vantage points, to enjoy views of either the waterfall or the Alps. There is a spot at the base of the falls, the Holmes/Moriarty ledge (which is around 3/4 of the way up), the peak of the waterfall, and another vantage point on the other side around halfway up. Here are some views from those points:
Q7: Okayyy that's it i think.
I'm assuming i can rely on acd's writing to say you get to the waterfall in two hours and back down in one..?
Yes! That was almost exactly the time it took.
Funny story, I was actually having a lot of trouble finding reliable information online about how long this hike would take (I had a flight to catch that evening, so this was critical to my planning). I found estimates online saying everything from 1 hour to 5 hours. It's only after I finished the hike that I realized Watson literally tells us. in The Final Problem. how long the hike takes.
Trust Watson. He'll set you right.
P.S. the hike itself actually took me around an hour longer because I hiked further up to see the peak of the falls before coming back down.
Also THANK YOU so much for the view of Meiringen i had a Very good idea bc of it hehehhehe. And i would never have thought to ask if Meiringen is visible. I knew the waterfall *is* from the village bc i saw a video on here but i would not have thought of.. the reverse.
You're very welcome! I've always wondered what Holmes might have seen while he was awaiting what he thought was his death and writing his final note to Watson. I like to imagine that he would have been looking out over Meiringen and at his dearest friend, from however far.
And as you say, the Reichenbach falls are also visible from Meiringen, albeit pretty faintly. The flip side of this is that it must have been painful for Watson to run back to Holmes, with the waterfall in plain view but knowing that he would be too late.
Apologies for the long post, I hope this information was at least somewhat helpful. Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any more questions. Also, if anyone is planning on visiting the falls, let me know--I would love to share travel tips!
I visited Reichenbach falls recently and was taken by how accurate this illustration by Sidney Paget is (the waterfall itself is significantly diminished in strength because of a hydroelectric dam upstream).
Also, if anyone is curious what Holmes and Moriarty might have seen while they were falling, here is the view backwards from the same spot, overlooking the town of Meiringen:
Also, Watson was not kidding when he wrote this in the Final Problem:
"In a tingle of fear I was already running down the village street, and making for the path which I had so lately descended. It had taken me an hour to come down. For all my efforts two more had passed before I found myself at the fall of Reichenbach once more."
It is a long hike from Meiringen to the falls, and fairly steep too.
@itsnobodysproblem had some more detailed questions which I am answering here! If anyone else has questions please let me know, I would love to answer.
Q1: Firstly what does it look like if you look down, where the waterfall.. falls. Is it a river? A lake? Something else? Do you know if it's deep enough for a body not to be found if it falls there?
Currently, the flow of Reichenbach falls is so reduced that it's really more of a pond than anything else. However, I can imagine that in ACD's time, it would have been a deeper lake, with runoff down the mountain through a river. Even so, the basin of the waterfall is fairly shallow. I think that the reason that a body couldn't be found likely had more to do with the strength of the waterfall than the depth of the lake. It is one of the highest waterfalls in the Alps, and with that torrential water pouring down it probably would have been impossible to have someone swim around in the lake in search of bodies.
As Watson writes,
"Any attempt at recovering the bodies was absolutely hopeless, and there, deep down in that dreadful caldron of swirling water and seething foam, will lie for all time the most dangerous criminal and the foremost champion of the law of their generation."
This is the view down the falls from the Holmes/Moriarty ledge. Sorry if it's hard to tell the scale of things from this picture but the water is essentially the depth of a wading pool at the moment:
Q2: If you were right on that path, is there a quick way to get to whatever is at the bottom of the waterfall? I say quick meaning 5-10 minutes. Yk if you saw something in the water below and wanted to get there quickly.
Yes, there is a path from the bottom of the waterfall to the Holmes/Moriarty ledge, at least in the current day. It winds up the side of the mountain. I would estimate it took me about 10 minutes or so, although I don't remember exactly.
Q3: Is there a street or a dirt road or something that a car could take to get from Meiringen to the waterfall? Or near the waterfall, u get it. If not i suppose a sturdy car with a desperate driver could just.. go for it. Off road. Or is it absolutely too steep and/ or rocky?
In the current day, there is a funicular that will take you to the top of the falls in like ten minutes. However, it only operators during the peak season (mainly summer).
If you're asking about during ACD's time, the answer is yes and no. The first third of the way to Reichenbach falls from Meiringen is fairly gentle, with sloping, grassy hills (and a lot of sheep)! This part even has a road, and you can drive up this.
However, once you reach the base of the mountain, it's a different story. This hike is fairly steep over unpaved, rough, forest terrain. The path is narrow and sometimes faces out into drops with no railings. It is not an extremely difficult hike (I managed it with no hiking experience), but I would not drive over it, even if I were desperate.
Q4: I know from Wikipedia that there's like a cluster of waterfalls. But. Are there any other attractions in or near Meiringen? Or on the way to the fall? Something that let's say if you stay in Meiringen you might visit first cuz it's closer than the waterfall or for some other reason?
There is plenty to do in or near Meiringen! Of course, the most famous is Reichenbach falls. As Watson says,
"We had strict injunctions, however, on no account to pass the falls of Reichenbach, which are about half-way up the hill, without making a small detour to see them."
In the present day, the main other attraction is the Sherlock Holmes museum, which boasts the world's only reproduction of 221B Baker Street, with all authentic, period-accurate objects:
Even in ACD's day, I can imagine Meiringen was a beautiful Alpine town to visit. Here are some of the views:
There's also the ruins of a 13th century castle nearby (although I didn't have time to visit), and Meiringen is the birthplace of Meringue, so there is some very good Meringue.
Meiringen is also pretty close to other Alpine towns such as Interlaken, only 1-2 hours away by train. Watson writes in The Final Problem:
"For a charming week we wandered up the Valley of the Rhone, and then, branching off at Leuk, we made our way over the Gemmi Pass, still deep in snow, and so, by way of Interlaken, to Meiringen."
If I may interject my opinion, I've traveled to many places across Europe and Switzerland is one of my absolute favourites. Holmes and Watson have good taste in vacation spots!
Q5: And. The dam. I see Wikipedia says "A hydroelectric power company harnesses the flow of the Reichenbach Falls during certain times of year, reducing its flow." That's the dam you mentioned right? And did you happen to find out when the flow is reduced and when not?
Yes, this is the dam! I don't think there is a way to find out when the flow is reduced, as it is unpredictable and depends on energy demands. In fact, there is a sign near the bottom of the waterfall that warns that swimming there can be deadly, since the dam can turn off at any time and send a torrent of water downstream.
The other factor that affects water flow in the falls is glacial melt from higher up in the Alps, which feeds into the waterfall. For this reason, the flow is usually much stronger in the summer months. For context, I visited the falls in late April, only a week before Holmes and Watson supposedly visited (the 4th of May, according to The Final Problem).
Q6: Ok i think i haven't forgotten anything.. oh wait. Besides the little path, are there any other vantage points? Somewhere you can stay to enjoy the view. I guess i don't really need this one but i figured I'd ask anyway.
Yes there are multiple vantage points, to enjoy views of either the waterfall or the Alps. There is a spot at the base of the falls, the Holmes/Moriarty ledge (which is around 3/4 of the way up), the peak of the waterfall, and another vantage point on the other side around halfway up. Here are some views from those points:
Q7: Okayyy that's it i think.
I'm assuming i can rely on acd's writing to say you get to the waterfall in two hours and back down in one..?
Yes! That was almost exactly the time it took.
Funny story, I was actually having a lot of trouble finding reliable information online about how long this hike would take (I had a flight to catch that evening, so this was critical to my planning). I found estimates online saying everything from 1 hour to 5 hours. It's only after I finished the hike that I realized Watson literally tells us. in The Final Problem. how long the hike takes.
Trust Watson. He'll set you right.
P.S. the hike itself actually took me around an hour longer because I hiked further up to see the peak of the falls before coming back down.
I visited Reichenbach falls recently and was taken by how accurate this illustration by Sidney Paget is (the waterfall itself is significantly diminished in strength because of a hydroelectric dam upstream).
Also, if anyone is curious what Holmes and Moriarty might have seen while they were falling, here is the view backwards from the same spot, overlooking the town of Meiringen:
Also, Watson was not kidding when he wrote this in the Final Problem:
"In a tingle of fear I was already running down the village street, and making for the path which I had so lately descended. It had taken me an hour to come down. For all my efforts two more had passed before I found myself at the fall of Reichenbach once more."
It is a long hike from Meiringen to the falls, and fairly steep too.
Hc that stim shots (which already sounds a hell of a lot like state sanctioned heroin to me tbh) are a spice derivative product, which is why the republic constantly just has buttloads of the stuff lying around whoever every they need to pay a ransom or bribe hondo or something
Just saw someone say "Anakin couldn't have been complicit with the enslavement of the clones if he didn't know it was happening" girl they were shooting children
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Anakin Skywalker was the Jedi who knew the most about the chips. He was personally present when Tup’s chip malfunctioned. Fives sought him out personally to talk about his suspicions with about the chip. Rex believed Fives, so Anakin, who could have felt Fives’s intentions through the Force and surmised that Fives was telling the truth, had every reason to know that Fives had a valid concern. He had every reason to know that there was something wrong that needed to be investigated, and when the order to drop the matter came down, he could have ignored that order and continued investigating. But Anakin deliberately turned a blind eye, which forced Rex to do the same.
Maybe if someone Anakin actually cared about had been hurt as a result of Tup’s chip malfunction? If Ahsoka had been the one Tup shot in the head? If Obi-Wan had been the one who discovered the chips’ true purpose and gone on the run? If Padmé was the one dragged before Palpatine as a conspiracy theorist? Maybe Anakin would have done something differently…maybe. But that’s not how it happened. Ultimately, Anakin just did not care enough about Tup, Fives, or even Rex, to investigate the matter further. Anakin was closest to the matter, and he was the Jedi most willing to disobey orders, but he willfully washed his hands of the matter.
Anakin Skywalker was not ignorant of the clone’s enslavement. And he was complicit in that crime, even before Palpatine issued Order 66.
Anakin was fully invested in Five's story until Palpatine was mentioned. Then he purposely kept the information from the Jedi, even when they discussed the BS theory that it was a virus.
Even after he discovers that Palpatine is a Sith he still remains silent about the possible chips.
I've said it once and I'll say it again - Anakin Skywalker ALWAYS had a choice, and he chose wrong at every turn.
Was he manipulated by Palpatine? Yes. But he still made all of these decisions.
And the irony is, he too became Palpatine's slave.
I haven't seen much discussion on it outside of this post, but it sealed it for me when we learned that Anakin purposefully hid Rex's report about what happened with Fives and his concerns.
Rex would have had to file that with his commanding officer first.
He did. And then Anakin sealed it.
And the deaf ears Rex said the report would fall on were Anakin's. Rex knew as soon as he made the report that it would be disregarded.
hello folks @pyrrhicvictor-blogging - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
