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