Some thoughts, but probably not final :) from Rhonda

Jon has done a marvelous job on the blog, he always does! Like he would say, I need to get my ten thousand words in...so I have some thoughts about our adventure. 

As I sit here in Zermatt listening to Sunday morning church bells I am amazed at what we have gone through in the last two weeks. The bells are tolling constantly, probably to call people to worship because this is the first time I have heard them right outside our window. Well, God definitely showed up in a big way on this trek. First, delivering the much prayed for bags at the last and final moment to possibly make our deadline to mail our things to Zermatt. Next, for protection on the route. As Michelle said yesterday, " we didn't need our first aid kits once, except for blister care & ibuprofen"! For allowing four couples to work together, care about each other and truly laugh enjoyably about all circumstances!  

There were many hard times that tested our endurance and expectations. And to quote Troy, "but you sure couldn't beat the view." It was one of those activities where you had to dig deep and find that next gear to keep going.  The mountains are BIG and demanding. And like everything else, the reward is great when you persevere. Our adventure was an accomplishment of goals for each of us everyday.

We had a few down moments, like after hiking in the rain for about 2 hours & we get to a sign telling us we had 4 hours to our next town :(. (We did make it in about two hours by taking a different route.)  We laughed hysterically on Troy & Michelle's anniversary when we got stuck in the mountain hut without electricity, potable water or a shower! Plus all eight of us had to share a room that night.  Together we played cards, enjoyed the sunshine, and met new friends along the way. Andy Smith was the best trip arranger & Margaret Smith has the best memory with attention to details. Each day was exciting and challenging.

God was good & evident daily! 

Gruben - Zermatt

Traffic Jam

Last day on the trail

The Hotel Schwarzhorn is a quaint alpine hotel, worthy of a visit. It is appropriately located for the walkers last night on the trail (although some do plan one more night between here and Zermatt). Every room was booked for walkers flooding into the home stretch. When we arrived there was a pyramid of red duffle bags with a trekking company's logo stamped on their side.  A large group soon followed. 

Although we, I mean Andy, made all our arrangements last winter, others can opt for a fully supported and guided route where all but your daypack with lunch water and maybe a jacket will be waiting for you at each nights destination. Others are self guided, but have a company make their arrangements and also shuttle your gear each day or so.  Anyone can do this. 

Not us. We humped all our gear on our backs each day. My pack weighed nearly 40 pounds, which for a standard back pack trip doesn't seem all that heavy. Still, 12 days staight over 100 miles and about 40,000' of climbing wore me out. Maybe later I'll post my "what I would do differently" list. For today, I just wanted to enjoy our last day on the Haute Route. 

The organized Trekkers were getting an early start. I'm sure they wanted plenty of time to hump those 5-10 pound day packs up the 1000 meters to our last Col. Our troupe started the hike around 7:30. As we climbed the Swissbacks up through the trees, then the meadows with their cow bell chorus, we began picking off small groups.  I would wipe the sweat off my face and control my breathing before I passed.

By the time we entered the tundra weaving through the boulder fields traffic jams appeared. At the summit the was a large, almost "trumped" size group, resting, eating, breathing. The extroverts made new best friends. I took their pictures. 

Years ago, back in the early 80's, there was a summer with the "Hands Across America" movement. During our annual Beartooth Backpack trips, whenever we see a large group of hikers, we call them "Hands Across America". It appeared this movement just came to the Alps (ok, it wasn't that bad and I'm sure it's pretty normal here, but we haven't seen these large groups on our trip).  

As we wound our way down the other side, we soon passed all the groups.  We rounded a corner looking south and saw the most wonderful view where we stopped for lunch. Anders and Eva were there, but we had the spot pretty much by ourselves for most of our lunch. No one seemed in a hurry. 

About another 300meters below was the Hamlet of Jungen where we would take a small cable car another 800 meters down to St Niklaus and then a train to Zermatt. The single car holds only 4 people. We feared a long wait with Hands Across the Alps gaining on us. So we left our lunch perch and headed down. 

When you arrive in Jungen, you load your packs on the outside of the car, get in and use the phone to call the operator below. Two French speaking ladies were there and we thought we would let them go first. The operator below would have none of that! A camera let him know there were enough people to fill the car and even though we could not understand his words, his tone was perfectly clear.

The ride took 10 minutes or even more. As one car descended, another came up. By the time the first load was down, 4 Brits caught up to us. Andy and I would be the final two in our group. So the next four went down and during that trip, Anders and Eva arrived at the tram. The 4 Brits suggested Anders and Eva join us and they would go down together later. We learned that Anders and Eva are retired librarians and after that, developed software for managing libraries. They have trekked extensively throughout Europe. Anders has a keen sense of humor. They are actually going to extend their hike on an optional Europaweg segment. So we said our good byes at the bottom. 

The train station was just around the corner. Tickets were bought just as the train arrived and we rushed onto the car. As the train left the station Frau Beuhler checked our tickets. The young girl ahead of us got a stern second warning about putting her shoes and feet on the chair. We knew Frau meant business, so when we learned our tickets were 2nd class and we were on a first class car, it was Mach Schnell to the next car. 

We entered the station in Zermatt and just like that, our Haute Route was over.  What an adventure! So much to absorb, so many memories. It will take time to process. So stay tuned. In the meantime, Zermatt awaits us for the next three days. 

Swiss Bovine Standoff

Last night's sunset was just spectacular. Everybody was outside watching as the sun dipped behind the Bernese Alps. Then all was quiet!  Where did the kids go? There is an observatory not far from the Cabane and they walked to watch the night sky. We never heard them come in. In our dorm the eight of us slept side by side in two rows one above the other. We are in an older addition of the Cabane separated by a 1/2 meter stone wall from where the 24 kids sleep. I'm sure we made more noise.

A standard hut breakfast was already waiting for us in the morning. We just needed to turn the coffee on. The Cabane guardian entrusted us to the hut without any staff! 

After breakfast we started walking up 400 meters toward the Meidpass. The route was not as well marked, but we wandered toward our goal. We were greeted by a chorus of cows playing a hymn from their bells. The lead cow was making a bee line to intersect us on the path. Who would make it to the road intersection first?

We arrived at the intersection at the same time and we had a Swiss Bovine standoff. I performed some cow whispering with the lead herd cow who was giving me the stink eye.  I held her off as our troupe started up the trail. Our pace quickened as the cow chorus followed us up! 

Soon we parted directions and weaved and floundered our way to the Meiden Pass, which is the Swiss Mason-Dixon Line. We are now in German speaking Switzerland. I can almost remember my high school language lessons. 

After a 1000 meter descent we landed on the valley floor in the small village of Gruben and it's only lodging, the Hotel Schwarzhorn.  We arrived a little too early to check in so we sat out on the grass patio just "to be". 

The Hotel Swarzhorn is all I would imagine a Swiss alpine hotel to be. Very nice. Individual rooms but shard facilities. Dinner and breakfast included. There are no other options. Gruben is near the end of the valley. Trekkers, hikers, climbers and folks on holiday join us. Our Swedish friends Anders and Eva are with us, as they have been every night since Mont Fort. 

Rhonda is resting her knees and feet for tomorrow's final day of hiking. We are all tired and sore, but I hate thinking of ending this journey, so I'll just close off and you will have to wait for some final thoughts. 

Zinal-Cabane Bella-Tola

Feeling older at the end of the day

Breakfast in the Hotel Europe was filling and nutritious. Boiled eggs were added to the standard fare and I had two. There were a couple of tour bus groups and breakfast was a bit competitive. Don't get in the way of 60 retirees and their buffet. 

The hike today was 14.5km or 9 miles. We gained elevation directly from Zinal and climbed more Swissbacks before we leveled off on a traversing trail high above the valley floor. The scenery was absolutely stunning. The trail took us above the trees and then undulating  through alpine meadows. 

After 10km we stopped at the Hotel Weisshorn, a destination stay accessible only by walking. The hotel looks over the valley, across the Rhone towards the Bernese Alps in the front and back towards the Weisshorn. Stunning. 

After some ackward cultural faux pas we ordered some cappuccinos and then were allowed to eat our picnic lunch.  

Corie has been hiking with us for a couple of days now. When we were ready to leave this morning she asked if she could join us today, at least as far as the Hotel Weisshorn where she has reservations.  The hike was simply pleasant. However we had to say goodbye to Corie as her journey ends tomorrow and our paths part. I shall miss her smile. 

We had another 4 1/2km down and around the basin to the Cabane Bella-Tola. The trail is not as straight forward or marked as expected, but some friendly elderly ladies hiking to the Hotel Weisshorn saw us bewildered and gave us confidence in our directions. 

Cabane Bella-Tola is simply breathtaking. We look back up the valley towards Zinal with the Hotel Weisshorn in view. They say we should be able to see the tip of the Matterhorn but clouds are on the horizon. 

After a couple hours of peace and quiet, about 24 high schoolers invaded. Unsupervised youth act the same world wide. The very good potatoes and kabob with veggies, sausage and chicken was only overshadowed by the noise 24 kids can make. They are actually a high school outdoor outing intended to take the kids outside, but most are rampaging in the dorm area with earbuds and iPhones. 

The sun is setting. It's time to take in the views.  

Cabane de Moiry - Zinal

Evening below the Moiry Glacier and Icefall brought more cool and crisp air. There was plenty of our beef, veggies and rice dinner to refuel us from the day's hike. But we fretted over the next morning's descent down from the cabane's rocky perch. 

After a restless night we awoke at dawn, ate a typical alpine hut breakfast, settled our tab from yesterday's refreshments and put on our boots and those instruments of pain, the backpack. The walk down the 1500' rocky "Swissback" trail felt much better on fresh legs. Rhonda cruised on down. 

Then we veered right at another intersection that took us on a traversing trail high above the river and then the Lac de Moiry created by the Barrage de Moiry. After several miles we reached the dam and realized we lost more elevation than expected. We now climbed 462meters back up to the Col de Sorebois. 

Once again we were given more incredible views, this time of the Zinal valley. The village of Zinal lay nearly 1200 meters below. The hike up to the Col nearly did me in. Rhonda is the encourager going up. The only encouragement going down was the Tram we found halfway down. Last night's hut crew gave us free tram tickets and we took full advantage. 

Tonight we are in Hotel Europe in Zinal. Zinal is a smaller resort area that promises some nice skiing. It is now bustling with tourists. 

I'm looking forward to a pizza later on. 

Les Haudères - Cabane de Moiry

Intersections 

The Alps are bisected with trails every which way, often intersecting. At each intersection you have a choice in direction each leading to its own journey. Some of them eventually lead to the same place, you just get different views; some are longer, some are steeper. Sometimes people are intersections and you can choose a path into their lives....

Les Haudères is a great place to just "be". Quiet, peaceful, welcoming.  After a simple breakfast we were saddling up in front of the hotel and preparing for a nearly 4700' walk up the valley wall when a 78 year old local walked by and greeted us in French. Our feeble replies altered him to ask, "English or American?"  His father was once a mountain guide and he had travelled the same path we were about to start. He didn't follow in his father's footsteps but joined the Swiss army and became a medic. He told us how grateful he was for the English and American's sacrafice of their youth during WWII. Otherwise all of Europe and Switzerland would be speaking "Deutch". Pretending to wipe a tear from his eye he thanked us and wished us a good hike. I wish our schedule would allow for even more time and maybe a coffee with him. 

Our path started staight up the hill through the village and then through the chalets of the hamlet Forclaz, another place I would like to spend more time. What do these folks do? The chalets are a mix of old and new, utilizing amazing wood craft. The path took us among the chalets, their gardens, backyards....their lives. 

After checking the route and determining which path to take, we made our way up the steep trail to the Col. Far off in the distance we could see the Cabane de Moiry perched on a rock out crop overlooking the Glacier de Moiry. It looked as if we could touch it. However it took us another three hours to walk down a couple thousand feet to the foot of the glacier through more "Swiss backs", much more direct and steeper than the switchbacks I'm used to. 

At the bottom there was a parking lot and a closed refreshment stand where we joined others for a rest. Then we began the climb to the mountain hut. After 1 1/2 hours, bringing today's vertical ascent to over 6000' through more Swiss backs we reached the Cabane de Moiry, an awesome modern mountain hut with all the conveniences of a highly rated hotel. And the view of the glacier is total awe. 

While sitting on the deck a gentleman asked if we spoke English. He was originally from Germany but now lives in the Phillipines. When asked what brought him to the Alps he says he is on "fourlough" with his family. He is a missionary serving the needs of the poor who live in the slums of Mindanao.  Christian and two of his kids are enjoying day hikes in Europe before joining his wife in Germany next Sunday. He was very attentive and loved talking about missions work around the globe.  We exchanged email addresses and I suspect we shall meet again. 

During a delicious and filling supper we visited with Cory. She is from Minneapolis hiking through Switzerland. Her father encouraged her to take this trip, although I'm pretty sure he worries for her. I'm glad she chose to sit with us during supper. I hope we were able to provide her with some assurance and familiarity as she travels alone. 

Tomorrow we travel to Zinal. There is promise of a tram ride down the steep hill. Rhonda's knee can use a rest. Pray for her recovery and strength. 

In search of the perfect rösti

I, we have grown to love the rösti. It appears to be the dinner of choice. We are now in search of the perfect rösti. 

Tomorrow our destination is another mountain hut. We will be without internet for a couple of days.

Enjoy. 

Arolla - Les Hauderes

No such thing as bad weather, only bad gear! 

The Hotel Kurhaus in upper Arolla is on the Swiss historical registry. And what a magnificent and welcoming home for the night. The accommodations rival anything so far and the base price per room is the same as the no shower hut from the previous night. The rooms had hot showers for us and the hotel staff washed and dried all our dirty clothes. We are very refreshed. Arolla is a Mecca for alpinists. A large group of Brit, Germans and I think Scandinavian climbers had gathered for either training or a climb and shared the hotel with us. 

The resteraunt served us Hikers Rostis which I will learn to cook when I return. I really want to own the special stoneware or porcelain coated dishes they are cooked and served in. The breakfast was another buffet spread and I just could not eat all the variety of fair I wanted. The coffee is rich, dark and flavorful. As it was raining all night and as we ate breakfast I could have sat there for hours sipping cup after cup.  

However, we had reservations in Les Haudères to make in less than 10km. The guide book claims only a couple hundred meters of climbing and 554 meters of descent. The walkers trail is designed to avoid highway walking by climbing steeply out of Arolla. There are warning signs for a few exposed stretches of trail where fixed chain and cable are set to grab onto so you can focus on something other than the drop to your right. These warnings were written for trail use when it is dry....

The rain was constant and cool, but not unbearable. It kept my mind off the fact that we were supposed to be descending down the valley, although my legs kept balking at the steep grade up. Because of the rain I don't have many pictures of the trail hike. I was focused on using my hands to grasp the fixed chains and cable. Besides, my camera was getting wet and I stowed it in my pack. 

The trail eventually wound its way down the side wall of the canyon to the highway. We only had to back track a few hundred meters to drop onto a nice and wide trail with an easy grade into Les Haudères. The rain has let up some and after we checked into our old but pleasant hotel, we strolled through the village. It is early afternoon and most shops are closed for a few hours each afternoon. I did find my daily cappuccino to warm me up. Rhonda is out looking for a pastry.  All the buildings are adorned in flowers and makes you warm inside after a wet and cool hike. 

The Lord was gracious to hold off the weather during yesterday's ladders. 

Anybody can do the Haute Route when the sun shines. 

Cabane De Prafleuri to Arolla Day 6

Good afternoon, this is Rhonda today!

We could not get up & out of the hut early enough this morning. Margaret's alarm went off at 5:00am and we all got our stuff put in our packs. We had a more adequate breakfast today then out the door to the trail by 6:45, just as the sun rose. 

We knew we had a long distance day so we wanted to get an early start, plus we just wanted to say goodbye to the Refugio. We started up the next Col as soon as we hit the trail, we were all were breathing hard & trying to warm up. Then we strolled by Loc des Dix for 5 kilometers with the company of cows. They were fine with sharing the road with us while playing a beautiful melody with their bells. Our breakfast wore off fast and we were ready for snack just as we prepared to go up the next set of climbs. We had been anticipating this day since the beginning of the trek... The ladders! 

Jon started sending YouTube videos of the ladder section to Michelle in June & it has caused her anxiety ever since. She actually went to Bogus with her loaded pack to practice so she knew what it would feel like. We climbed a really steep section for about an hour and then we took another break because we were hungry again. Thinking this would give us enough energy to tackle those fearful ladders. The ladders are a series of four ladders with platforms to move horizontally to the next ladder. They are the way to summit the Col by climbing to the top of a rock face (probably 50 feet high). But unbeknownst to us was the treacherous climb through a boulder field just to get to the ladders. A rock slide took out the trail & now we had to navigate our way up a loose field of boulders just to get to the ladders. It was the most challenging part we had done so far. Next, we held on to chains attached on the rock face to circumvent the area below the ladders. By the time we got there, it truly was easier & less scary than we ever imagined. So up the ladders we went!!

The descent was really long (my knees are not happy) and at the bottom was a nice outdoor pub with drinks & treats. We walked about ten more minutes to our wonderful hotel for much needed showers, laundry and an amazing dinner of rosti. Rain is in the forecast but Jon would say, "anyone can do it in the sunshine", so we will head out for a shorter day tomorrow.