Valais Hike Aug 27-Sept 4 2012

  • DSCN5097 Monday 27.08 Christine leaves Montreux
  • IMG 0080 Same day, Barb et al. leave Bursins
  • IMG 0083 Ian, Patricia, Sharon, Pascale and Barb get on the train in Gland
  • DSCN5101 Sharon brings out the wine, needed after train troubles
  • MG 0111 Ian relaxing at Hotel Ganterwald
  • MG 0112 Greg relaxing at Ganterwald
  • MG 0099 Christine relaxing at Ganterwald
  • MG 0114 Pascale looking elegant at Ganterwald
  • MG 0117 Sharon untypically subdued at Ganterwald
  • MG 0122 Geranium
  • MG 0124 Geranium and Flag
  • DSCN5104 Terrace at Ganterwald
  • IMG 0147 Tuesday 28.08 CP waiting for the bus to the Pass
  • DSCN5108 All of us waiting for the bus
  • MG 0160 Simplon Pass
  • IMG 0155 Sharon on her way to Bistinepass
  • MG 0174 On the upward trail
  • MG 0180 Ian at Bistinepass
  • MG 0205 The other side of the Pass, our trail visible on the far side of the valley
  • MG 0290 The Wanderweg signs that guide us
  • DSCN5116 Whattcha got for me?
  • MG 0243 White goats dipped in chocolate
  • DSCN5118 Disappointed with our offering
  • MG 0300 Now on the far side of the valley
  • MG 0324 Following the Heida Bisse
  • MG 0333 Tiny cabane: bisse tender's?
  • MG 0345 Evening at Giw
  • MG 0339 Site of dinner and breakfast
  • MG 0349 Wednesday 29.08 first light on Balfrin
  • DSCN5126 The start of a long day
  • DSCN5128 Breakfast table at Giw
  • IMG 9504 Okay, get going!
  • MG 0357 High spirits
  • DSCN5138 Ungrazed alpage
  • MG 0360 Looking across to where we will go
  • DSCN5139 Looking back from where we came
  • MG 0363 Clouds a bit ominous
  • DSCN5141 Mary runs past the spring
  • MG 0366 First big stop above Gpson
  • IMG 9506 Barb is super pleased with our progress
  • DSCN5161 Greg: "that's our route"; Barb:"this will take some calories"
  • DSC04737 Just can't take our eyes off Balfrin
  • DSC04738 or the Bietschhorn behind us
  • DSCN5159 the not-guide
  • DSCN5163 Ridges without end
  • DSCN5168 Heather forever
  • MG 0375 Approaching lunch
  • MG 0381 Lunch with a bench and a view
  • MG 0384 Really, they are enjoying themselves!
  • MG 0387 Quintessential Swiss tableau
  • MG 0434 Not quite tanked up yet
  • MG 0448 Off again:Pascale and falling waters
  • MG 0464 Saas-Fee beyond its glaciers
  • DSCN5179 Val d'Hèrens cows
  • DSCN5339 very butch cows
  • DSC04762 Bylenga sisters on the final stretch
  • DSC04767 Weissmeis above us
  • MG 0475 Kreuzboden across from Mischabel
  • MG 0484 Sharon headed down to restaurant
  • MG 0509 Restaurant at Kreuzboden
  • MG 0512 Dégust -ing
  • MG 0513 Laughing
  • MG 0523 Listening
  • MG 0538 Blanking out totally
  • IMG 9536 Dinner Saas-Fee Thursday 30.08 - rain-soaked hiking, so no photos
  • MG 0544 31.08 Ready to explore Saas-Fee
  • MG 0551 Traditional Valaisan architecture
  • DSCN5190 Ironwork
  • DSCN5210 Quite amazing gardens for 1800m
  • DSCN5192 More huts on pedestals
  • MG 0696 The resort
  • MG 0584 On our way to the lifts with our complimentary tickets
  • MG 0647 Pascale checking phone/photos
  • MG 0607 Greg receiving much-needed fairy dust
  • MG 0614 CP admiring her favorite: cables
  • DSCN5206 Barb checking photos in triplicate
  • MG 0620 Our motto
  • MG 0641 Which meant amaretto coffees at 3500m in a rotating restaurant
  • MG 0650 Madame inside the resto inside a cloud
  • MG 0732 Later in transit
  • MG 0741 Checking up on the Vaudois news
  • MG 0774 Stalden
  • MG 0780 Been there, done that
  • MG 0792 Floral and fruit
  • MG 0798 Swiss national hero
  • MG 0816 post-lunch at Stalden station
  • MG 0822 Maybe we'll get in before it leaves
  • DSCN5213 St-Niklaus
  • DSCN5215 Barb and bus to Gasenried
  • DSCN5217 Riot of geraniums in Gasenried
  • MG 0873 Curiously attractive barn with hay
  • MG 0912 Start of afternoon stroll up Europaweg
  • IMG 9557 Pascale and Gasenried
  • DSCN5243 Pascale and Greg go high above Gasenried
  • MG 1001 Meanwhile, other parties partied in the hostel
  • MG 0917 Gilles from Paris never knew what hit him
  • MG 0925 A good sport!
  • MG 0934 The party spirit was infectious!
  • MG 0938 We even started a fire...
  • MG 0976 but were then requested to extinguish it!
  • MG 1041 Still it was a highlight!
  • MG 1043 Jeremy Littell joins us in Gasenried
  • IMG 1064 Jeremy's dinner after 32 hours of travel from Anchorage, AK
  • IMG 0330 1.09- another wet day, so transit to Grüben
  • MG 1136 chapel bells in Grüben
  • IMG 9572 Afternoon stroll toward Turtmanngletscher, discussing Big Ideas
  • IMG 0336 Oberland Bernois across the Valais
  • IMG 0341 Lake, Cabane and Glacier
  • IMG 0342 Afternoon light and clouds
  • IMG 9607 We were late for dinner!
  • IMG 9626 But sometimes the time gets away from you
  • IMG 0344 in the mystery of it all
  • IMG 1229 Cozy in our dortoir
  • IMG 1231 Some of us reading from our roof tiles
  • IMG 1236 Others enjoying horizontality
  • IMG 0352 2.09 Back at it with determination!
  • IMG 0357 Hi-tech Grüben
  • MG 1280 Up through the forests
  • MG 1294 I want more vertical!!
  • DSC04774 Turtmann Glacier
  • DSC04780 Sisters in complementary colors
  • DSC04758 More clothing required as we climb
  • IMG 0392 Fuzzy fellows
  • IMG 0400 just their noses dipped in chocolate
  • IMG 0406 Dusting of snow, Bishorn and Weisshorn
  • IMG 0413 Patterns
  • DSC04789 Climbing toward Meidpass
  • MG 1577 Cold water
  • DSC04798 More clothes
  • DSC04801 Into the snow zone
  • MG 1456 Sharon at the Pass
  • IMG 0446 CP arriving
  • IMG 0461 Barb arriving
  • MG 1482 Jeremy, having been there a while, freezing
  • IMG 0467 More patterns
  • DSCN5261 Down the west side of Meidpass
  • DSCN5262 Back and forth
  • DSCN5276 Brilliant light
  • MG 1517 Lunchtime!
  • IMG 0479 I'm ready!
  • MG 1529 Chow time
  • MG 1535 High spirits still!
  • DSCN5278 Jeremy grooving
  • DSCN5281 Barb documenting
  • DSCN5287 Mont Tuono and alpage
  • MG 1612 Separate ways: girls to cabane, guys to Bella Tola
  • MG 1627 Floral
  • IMG 0502 From Bella Tola
  • DSC04815 Graphic
  • IMG 0506 Where you wanna be
  • DSCN5296 Meanwhile the girls arrive at Cabane Bella Tola
  • DSCN5295 View to Pointe de Zinal
  • MG 1682 Pointe de Zinal and la Dent Blanche
  • DSCN5309 Testing out the equipment
  • MG 1692 Testing out the wine
  • MG 1704 Are we cool or what?
  • MG 1741 from our dorm room window
  • DSCN5316 The afternoon progresses
  • IMG 0515 Sun down
  • IMG 0523 Last night over the high summits
  • DSCN5323 Skiable couloir on Mon Tuono
  • DSCN5326 Lenticular clouds I
  • IMG 0518 Lenticular clouds II
  • IMG 0522 Lenticular clouds III
  • IMG 0519 The end of the day
  • IMG 0531 Next day, Monday 3.09 - Mercury on the Way of the Planets
  • IMG 0536 Saturn much further out
  • IMG 0550 Barb full on energy
  • DSCN5315 Hotel Weisshorn, Pointe de Zinal and the east arête of the Dent Blanche
  • DSCN5333 Barb full of energy at the Weisshorn
  • IMG 0553 A stunning level hike along a balcony
  • DSC04829 with fabulous views
  • DSCN5337 followed by a long and unrelenting descent- Barb and Pascale a bit lower on the energy scale
  • DSC04836 Waiting in Mottec for the bus that will take us to More Fun!
  • MG 1828 Bus abandonning us below Moiry
  • DSC04839 Just a short stroll to the Cabane
  • DSC04842 Okay, maybe a little vert here
  • DSCN5347 Jeremy enjoying moraines
  • MG 1909 Pascale awaiting us at Cabane de Moiry
  • DSCN5357 A totally Zen place
  • DSCN5358 Zen again
  • DSCN5353 Guy talk
  • IMG 2069 Pascale photo-shoot
  • DSCN5356 The best dinner of the trip:lentils, saucisse, brown rice, leeks
  • MG 1932 Enjoying the meal and the company
  • MG 2005 Jeremy and Sharon
  • MG 2009 Cabane convivality
  • MG 1962 While outside, last light on the glacier
  • MG 2075 Amazing grace!
  • DSCN5366 The dying of the day
  • DSCN5376 Some went out via the road and the dam
  • DSCN5377 via the village fleuri de Grimentz
  • DSC04850 Others took the high road
  • DSC04853 across the valley and up toward Col de Tsaté
  • DSC04854 It took some juice admittedly to get there (but remember the Aussies!)
  • DSC04855 While others just scampered up to the top
  • MG 2300 Looking down the other side: Pointes des Veisivi
  • MG 2321 Going down involved some serious down
  • MG 2327 Past traditional chalets
  • MG 2329 To arrive at the end: La Forclaz, 04.09.2012