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Switzerland 2015


Previous
Saturday August 8, 2015
Tour de Monte Rosa
Rifugio Gnifetti to Alagna Valsesia

Sunday August 9, 2015
Alagna Valsesia to Saas Fee

Next
Monday August 10, 2015
Saas Fee to Thun

Peter (one of the owners of the Hotel Monterosso) warned us that it was a very long hike from Alagna Valsesia to Saas Fee, and he also warned us that the trail starts a few miles up the road.   We asked if there was any bus service in the valley and he indicated that there's a bus the picks you up in the parking lot up the road and takes you to the trailhead at 7:30.  Sure enough as we got to the parking lot a guy drove up in his car, hopping into this airport van, and motioned to us indicating he could give us a ride.  He didn't speak English but he didn't have to.  He was a very nice old guy with a Santa Claus beard and demeanor.

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tour de monte rosa trip report
Jed's picture

tour de monte rosa trip report
Jed's picture


Paul's pic


Paul's pic

Not too long after we started hiking it started to ran.  Not just any rain, but epic mountain flooding rain.  The hardest rain I've ever seen, at least hardest rain that latest more than a few minutes.  It just kept raining harder like it would never, ever stop raining.  Kent lead the way up, but after he stopped to wait up for us he announced he'd was turning around and that he was scared.  I'd never heard Kent be scared of anything.  Nonetheless the three of us pushed on.  In another few minutes we encountered a group of five Swiss friends we were retreating.  One of them was a mountain guide from Zermatt.  One of them spoke very good US style English and advised us that the trail ahead was very narrow and had steep dropoffs and indicated it would be very easy to slip and fall to your death in the driving rain and 'that's no way to go'.  Paul and I were covered up but Jed hadn't put on his rainpants and was drenched.  I concluded that the way forward was really not a great idea and that a lengthy retreat was the only way to go.  We slowly caught up to the five Swiss on our retreat.  By now the path was generally flooded, and there were dangerous torrents of water pouring across the trail in small torrential rivers.  I slipped and fell on the slick rocks a few times.  It really was fairly hazardous retreating.

Unfortunately it was raining so hard we didn't dare get our iPhones out to text Kent to tell him we were coming down the mountain.

When we got back to the parking lot the five Swiss were in the van with Santa Claus, and Santa had three seats left for us.  Santa drove us directly back to our hotel without us even having to ask! 

Once we finally got our iPhones out we discovered that Kent had also received a ride from Santa, had found a taxi at the TI, and was already on his way to the nearest train station in Domodosolla with three other guys he met at the TI.

We had Peter call about a taxi to Macugnaga - 240 euros for a 2-1/2 hour ride, and there was an 8 person van available to take the 3 of us and the 5 Swiss.  The taxi to the nearest train station in Domodosolla was 180 euros and about 2 hours.

Unfortunately they were already making up our rooms so we couldn't change and shower in them.  Also unfortunately the five Swiss started using the sauna room to shower and change, so we ended up waiting over an hour for them to change before we could change.  About an hour and a half later we called to get a taxi, and then ended up waiting about another hour for the taxi to arrive.  By the time we started down the valley in the taxi Kent was already in Domodosolla, and soon he was in Brig, about 2 or 3 hours ahead of us.

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The downside of living in the mountains....


Paul's pic


Paul's pic


Paul's pic

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The taxi to Domodosolla

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Paul's pic
Lago d' Orta

We spent a very long time driving down windy mountain roads passing a number of tiny villages. 

While driving we learned that the English speaker of the group attended the University of Chicago in the late 60s and studied business. 
Our grandfather taught economics at UC, but our new friend did not recognize his name. 

The group of 5 Swiss had stayed at Rifugio Pastore, a traditional overnight stop on the Tour de Monte Rosa.
Their guide told them it was impossible to return to Rifugio Pastore because the rain had caused the river to rise too much to cross safely. 
They asked how much the Hotel Monterosso had charged, and when we told them, they told us that they paid nearly that much to stay at the refuge.

Eventually we passed the town of Omegna and Lago d' Orta, and finally we were on a four lane highway.
After we'd been driving about an hour and a half the English speaking Swiss pointed to a valley off to the left and told us that Macugnaga was another 45 minutes or so up that valley. 
We were fairly stunned that it could take so long to drive to a place we had planned to hike to in a single day. 

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At last we were in Domodosolla. 
The three of us paid for our ride while the other five negotated with the driver to take them all the way back to Zermatt. 
They encouraged us to ride with them since the trains were 'so expensive'. 
We'd had more than enough of the taxi and we had Swiss half fare cards so we pilled into the train station. 
We struggled a bit in the Domodosolla station - the first ticket window we found was underground and shut down. 
Once we found the tracks we couldn't find the station itself to buy tickets. 
An older man pointed us in the right direction. 
At the ticket window we were told we'd have to buy half fare tickets on the train from the conductor, which sounded like a risky proposition. 
The same older gentlemen saw us on the tran and explained that the Swiss run the trains north of Domodosolla, which explained why we'd be able to buy half fare tickets. 
Turned out we never saw a conductor so we rode that train for free.

While on the train Paul got out his passport, half fare card, and other paperwork that were in a ziplock for protection.
The ziplock didn't work, and Paul's passport was a wrinkled mess and his half fare card pretty much destroyed.

By the time we reached Brig Kent was already in Saas Fee to retrieve his luggage. 
Kent and I had both sent a bag ahead from Zermatt. 
I followed Kent up to Saas Fee while Paul and Jed went to Murten for the night.

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I could see some mountain tops in Saas Fee, which was a slight improvement from the last time we were there.

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19:34

Our same room in the Hotel Popcorn.

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We managed to find the same Restaurant Chami Stuba we ate at last year for another dinner of the world's most expensive and best tasting chicken wings....

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Meanwhile..
Paul and Jed took the train to Murten


Paul's pic


Paul's pic


Paul's pic


Paul's pic


Paul's pic


Paul's pic


Paul texted us this picture of Jed being eaten by a pterodactyl.
We were horrified at the news.
He later confirm 'Jed's dead baby, Jed's dead'
He then went out to find Jed's remains in the pterodactyl nest.

Previous
Saturday August 8, 2015
Tour de Monte Rosa
Rifugio Gnifetti to Alagna Valsesia

Sunday August 9, 2015
Alagna Valsesia to Saas Fee

Next
Monday August 10, 2015
Saas Fee to Thun