So where have we been since you last heard from us? Well our plans have changed faster than our underwear in the past week. I´m kidding of course... maybe. After the post we made we had intended to climb Gran Paradiso (4081m). Coincidentally, this mountain is located in Gran Paradiso National Park. However, shortly after the post it became obvoius that I was missing a critical piece off safety equipment. The anti-ball plate for my crampons. (sits on the bottom of your crampons and prevents snowballs from accumulating and making the crampons ineffective) After looking all throughout aosta we were unable to find a suitable anti-ball plate we were presented with a suitable excuse for not climbing Gran Paradiso and for heading towards Chamonix. If you can´t find a specific piece of gear in Chamonix, you will not find it anywhere in the world... or so they say (and said). Of course lesser acknowledged excuse was that we had bought the new Harry Potter novel.
So rather than making the hike up to Gran Paradiso, we drove off to Chamonix. Emilie read Harry Potter to me while we drove. Since we had been unable to decide who would be able (or lucky enough) to read it first, we took turns reading to each other or just reading together (how cute heh?). Once in Chamonix we looked for the anti-ball plates. But of course were unable to find some. A clever employee suggested a trick I had read about but forgotten. The use of duct tape to achieve the same goal. Seems a little skechy but really not too bad at all. Perhaps not as good as the real thing but it served the purpose.
The following day Emilie and I took the cable car up to Auguille di Midi (3800m) on the Mont Blanc Massif where we had planned to do a glacier traverse to Helbringer on the Italian side of Massif.
We intended to do the traverse and then take a cable car back to Auguille di Midi and then back into Chamonix. It really and truly felt like cheating as we were wisked above the tree tops up to the Auguille di Midi. It also felt like cheating because we spent a fortune on the tram ride. But it was worth it I think as there is no easier way to get to altitude. In fact, we enjoyed the experience so much that should anybody be considering travelling through France and into Italy, we recommend finding a way into Chamonix then taking the cable cars up to Augiulle di Midi and towards the Italian frontier and then down into Valle d´asota. Well worth the cost.
Once at the cable car station at 3800m Emilie got cold feet. So we dressed her up a bit warmer. It was quite windy and the first section of the glacier traverse was a razor edged ridge... ok more like a kinda thin ridge but wide enough for two people to walk beside eachother comfortably (in some spots only...). (Anyone else feel queezy by the ridge in this picture???)
The discomfort came from the snow and the fact that if you fell one way you would quickly arrive back in Chamonix and if you fell the otherway... well lets just say that niether of us fell or even came close. The rest of the traverse was comfortable if a little breathtaking. The thin air and altitude affected both of us and often we were out of breath. I can´t really describe the scenery but we will upload photos at the bottom of this post. Suffice it to say that Mountains are beautiful. (View from the return cable car of the route that we took. Its not as bad as it looks!)
("Summit Picture" At the end of the hike...)
After the traverse Emilie and I finished Harry Potter back in Chamonix. Quick review: good and entertaining novel and a really good end to the series. I think that JK Rowling finished the series extremely well and didn´t screw it up when there was plenty of potential.
At this point something weird happened to my eye and I was felled by the eye infection that had been growing since the second day of the Alta Via 4. Of course wearing contacts again whent the infection was still in full force was a dumb idea but you need to wear sunglasses on glaciers. So anyway saturday was a Doctor day (making full use of this insurance I paid for!). The doctor prescribed an antibiotic that stings and an eye wash. The eye is getting better.
On sunday we had been planning on doing a couple day hike to see some dinosaur footprints near a lake. But of course, we ended up sleeping too long and the weather wasn´t co-operating so instead we drove to Zermatt. Zermatt in a word - Matterhorn.
Zermatt in two words - Very Expensive. Zermatt in some more words - First place in Europe I have been able to find Chicken Wings!!! (Any guesses as to how much 10 small chicken wings cost in Zermatt?)
Our first day in Zermatt included walking around the town and getting some information about the climbing in and around. We broke a bank (they have a ton here in Switzerland... probably where they store all the tourists money) and ate a fondue. Quite tasty. (Money seems to fly away, even faster than it has before.... scary)
Today we did the Mammut Climbing Path... ... ... now that you have wondered what the heck that is, I will explain. It´s a via ferrata. I know, I was surprised aswell when I found out. Anyway, it was a 3 hour waltz over metal things stuck into the rock. The highlights included a short section of overhanging ladder, walking along flexible wooden planks that Emilie declared were Emilie ONLY sections. So I had to wait. A weird wire ladder that swayed as we went up. It was some good fun, but neither Emilie nor I will become Via Ferratista´s or Ferratisto´s.
Oh a brief glimpse into the future: Emilie and David will find Switzerland too expensive and find their way back into Italy... Emilie and David will spend three nights sleeping with strangers... Stay tuned...
This one was just funny...
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