Nif
New member
Link to Part 1:
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=22119
Thursday April 10 - Headed in the general vicinity of Finsteraarhorn Summit without much expectation in moderate visibility. The original plan was to summit, but we knew there was little chance with the weather. The summit is at around 15K. Went up for a while (~12K) until it looked like the visability was going into the tank completely again, then we skied back towards the hut. Our tracks had filled back in on the way. So we went back up again for a while and enjoyed the freshies. Someday I will need to go back and get that thing climbed.
Friday April 11 - Headed from the Finsteraarhorn hut to the Oberjocheshutte, in low visability once again. The original plan had been to summit the Grosse Wannahorn on the way, but today we would be happy to pick our way to the next hut . Keith got to try a new route through the glacier instead of off to the side as he had done the past year, which saved us about 1/2 an hour. We got to the hut pretty early and sat down for cheese fest (AKA Fondue and wine). This was a nice older Swiss Hut complete with ladder and little rock ramp entrance. The hut keeper spoke no english. For the afternoon we went out and scaled oversized snowbanks practicing our crampon and axe technique. In the event that it should ever be necessary we also learn how to climbed through a cornice, with our little mocked up version, should it be necessary (More group silliness) In the event that the snow conditions, visibility, and wind cooperated we would be ready for a summit!!!
The evening was spent blowing ourselves around the hut with cheese farts. In addition to HAPE and HACE, HAF - High Altitude Farting is another altitude aliment which can kill if left unchecked. This was a continual problem on the trip.
This was my favorite hut, but it quite frankly had the stinkiest toilet I have ever run across. I smelled the lingering odor in my mind for a couple of hours after leaving.
Saturday April 12 - Exit day. Since we had a fresh new 30 to 40 cm overnight in addition to various wind deposits Keith picked out a nice route over some ridges which avoided the route down the valley (with excellent skiing) he had taken out the year before. The first minor avalanche was triggered right outside the hut when Keith stepped on the edge of a drift to pee. The second was set below our first summit. Yes we finally got summit. It was so close to our route down, you could have fallen on it, but what the hell, it was a summit.
We knew the next face would slide, so Keith made a ski cut to give us a nice bed surface to ski. We then skirted down and around to the next little ascent. This did provide some nice tracks and a little bit of fun in the powder. We spaced out and Keith set the track so that no one was really in a direct line with anyone else as we went up. Should anything have slid this would have meant that one person would be caught. This was preferable to heading into the direct gullies to the valley. At this point the clouds started to show up again.
Once at the Plateau Keith ferreted around the various options up there for a little while. We got to practice putting our skins on and off a couple of times. He picked the route we were taking at which point the crazy Swiss snow shoers, who had been at the last hut, caught up. They had been using our tracks today, which was fitting, because we borrowed some of their earlier in the trip.
Their guide belayed Keith for the next round of slope maintenance. Then we skied around that bowl and the clouds dropped again. This was a pretty steep pitch over 45, but below 50. In spite of the fact we know they had a rope the snowshoer chose to make a sitting glissade from what we could tell. They tumbled then got up and continued walking….Only one really looked in control.
We wound our way up and down for a while setting a few more minor slides along the way. Pretty much skiing one at a time, point to point for a while, as again we could not see squat. Finally we got to a point where an actual 'other', even though old, ski track was spotted and our faith in Keith was restored
- Just Kidding, we knew he knew where he was going all along.
At that point we knew we were finally at the slope to begin to head into town which we did and we were below the cloud layer. Our skiing went from great to glop as we got into the trees. In the end we found ourselves, as planned, in the town of Munster. So we hopped the train and went back to Interlaken for a lovely dinner.
Sunday April 13 - Breakfast then out. I took the train back to Zurich. Keith and Krista went to Geneva then back to CO to finalize the wedding plans. Celin hung in Interlaken for an extra day. I'm not sure what became of Cecilia as she disappeared from the hotel right before I left. She sort of wanders the planet and wasn't exactly sure where she was going next.
Pictures Here:
http://community.webshots.com/album/563212956ensDAh
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=22119
Thursday April 10 - Headed in the general vicinity of Finsteraarhorn Summit without much expectation in moderate visibility. The original plan was to summit, but we knew there was little chance with the weather. The summit is at around 15K. Went up for a while (~12K) until it looked like the visability was going into the tank completely again, then we skied back towards the hut. Our tracks had filled back in on the way. So we went back up again for a while and enjoyed the freshies. Someday I will need to go back and get that thing climbed.
Friday April 11 - Headed from the Finsteraarhorn hut to the Oberjocheshutte, in low visability once again. The original plan had been to summit the Grosse Wannahorn on the way, but today we would be happy to pick our way to the next hut . Keith got to try a new route through the glacier instead of off to the side as he had done the past year, which saved us about 1/2 an hour. We got to the hut pretty early and sat down for cheese fest (AKA Fondue and wine). This was a nice older Swiss Hut complete with ladder and little rock ramp entrance. The hut keeper spoke no english. For the afternoon we went out and scaled oversized snowbanks practicing our crampon and axe technique. In the event that it should ever be necessary we also learn how to climbed through a cornice, with our little mocked up version, should it be necessary (More group silliness) In the event that the snow conditions, visibility, and wind cooperated we would be ready for a summit!!!
The evening was spent blowing ourselves around the hut with cheese farts. In addition to HAPE and HACE, HAF - High Altitude Farting is another altitude aliment which can kill if left unchecked. This was a continual problem on the trip.
This was my favorite hut, but it quite frankly had the stinkiest toilet I have ever run across. I smelled the lingering odor in my mind for a couple of hours after leaving.
Saturday April 12 - Exit day. Since we had a fresh new 30 to 40 cm overnight in addition to various wind deposits Keith picked out a nice route over some ridges which avoided the route down the valley (with excellent skiing) he had taken out the year before. The first minor avalanche was triggered right outside the hut when Keith stepped on the edge of a drift to pee. The second was set below our first summit. Yes we finally got summit. It was so close to our route down, you could have fallen on it, but what the hell, it was a summit.
We knew the next face would slide, so Keith made a ski cut to give us a nice bed surface to ski. We then skirted down and around to the next little ascent. This did provide some nice tracks and a little bit of fun in the powder. We spaced out and Keith set the track so that no one was really in a direct line with anyone else as we went up. Should anything have slid this would have meant that one person would be caught. This was preferable to heading into the direct gullies to the valley. At this point the clouds started to show up again.
Once at the Plateau Keith ferreted around the various options up there for a little while. We got to practice putting our skins on and off a couple of times. He picked the route we were taking at which point the crazy Swiss snow shoers, who had been at the last hut, caught up. They had been using our tracks today, which was fitting, because we borrowed some of their earlier in the trip.
Their guide belayed Keith for the next round of slope maintenance. Then we skied around that bowl and the clouds dropped again. This was a pretty steep pitch over 45, but below 50. In spite of the fact we know they had a rope the snowshoer chose to make a sitting glissade from what we could tell. They tumbled then got up and continued walking….Only one really looked in control.
We wound our way up and down for a while setting a few more minor slides along the way. Pretty much skiing one at a time, point to point for a while, as again we could not see squat. Finally we got to a point where an actual 'other', even though old, ski track was spotted and our faith in Keith was restored
- Just Kidding, we knew he knew where he was going all along.At that point we knew we were finally at the slope to begin to head into town which we did and we were below the cloud layer. Our skiing went from great to glop as we got into the trees. In the end we found ourselves, as planned, in the town of Munster. So we hopped the train and went back to Interlaken for a lovely dinner.
Sunday April 13 - Breakfast then out. I took the train back to Zurich. Keith and Krista went to Geneva then back to CO to finalize the wedding plans. Celin hung in Interlaken for an extra day. I'm not sure what became of Cecilia as she disappeared from the hotel right before I left. She sort of wanders the planet and wasn't exactly sure where she was going next.
Pictures Here:
http://community.webshots.com/album/563212956ensDAh
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