Gretchen Ho got herself an unexpected souvenir from her trip to Switzerland.
Earlier this month, the Frontline Pilipinas hied off to the magnificent Swiss Alps to gratify her passion for cycling.
Her Instagram caption read: "100% Women Cycling Challenge.
"Cycling in the Alps?! Switzerland has world class trails alright, but that doesn’t mean it’s just good roads, it also means elevation and difficulty [laughing emoji]"
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Still on a high anticipating the adventure that awaited her, she went on, "So.. Being our wise selves, we took a train up near Eiger North Face, and started our journey going down the mountain (from 2000m to 900m) from there. [tongue out emoji]
"UY naka-rent ako ng SPECIALIZED SWORKS!!! For 5500 pesos!!!
"We saw an HONESTY STORE along the way, filled with cheese, sausage & butter! May QR code at pwede ka dun magbayad!"
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However, things turned south when Gretchen got into an accident that resulted in minor body injuries.
On July 10, 2023, three days after arriving in the land of Alpine mountains, she wrote on Instagram, "Sumemplang nang malala sa Switzerland.
"Crash Landing on You?!! [laughing emoji]," referring to the hit Kdrama series that was shot in the Central European country.
She described, "Steep, sharp descent from the mountains filled with 180 switchback turns. It was a really bad fall."
In the photos posted, both Gretchen's hand and elbow were scraped.
It also showed her bicycle stuck on a fence by a cliff down one of the slopes of the montains.
Despite the mishap, she reassured fans that it was nothing she couldn't handle: "Don’t worry I’m fine. Malayo naman ito sa bituka [smiley]"
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By the end of it all, the 33-year-old former volleyball player counted the whole experience as something she wouldn't trade for anything else.
"There are many parts of Switzerland you can only reach by hike or by bike. Bruised and all, it’s been totally worth it," Gretchen shared.
"It gets so much easier to climb uphill with some assistance and makes for a much more enjoyable ride. Promise, kayang kaya niyo rin ito."
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