Previous
Thursday August 3, 2017
Zermatt to Saas Fee
Friday August 4, 2017
Allalinhorn
Next
Saturday August 5, 2017
Saas Fee to Andermatt
2017-08-04 06:34
Kent's pic
Allalinhorn
4027m / 13,212' is on the left Alphubel 4206m
13,799' is in the middle Täschhorn
4491m / 14,733', Dom,4545m
/ 14,911', and Lenzspitze
4294m / 14,088' are on the right
From here Dom appears as two peaks close together, the real peak is on the left.
2017-08-04 06:34
Kent's pic
We woke up early, packed, checked out, left our backpacks downstairs at
the front desk, hiked over to the lift, and started up.
my pic from the lift
It turned out that with our half fare cards, the ride up Metro Alpin
was less than the discount from the Saas Fee hotels - 44 chf.
2017-08-04 07:35
my pic from the lift
Alphubel 4206m
13,799' is on the left Täschhorn
4491m / 14,733' is right center Dom,4545m / 14,911'
the second highest point in Switzerland and the highest point entirely
in Switzerland, is in the clouds Lenzspitze
4294m / 14,088' is on the right Nadelhorn
4327m / 14,196', which Kent climbed on a week prior on Friday July 28,
is
behind Lenzspitzse
2017-08-04 07:51
Kent's pic
The tunnel between the Felskinn gondola 2980m / 9,777' and the Metro
Alpin underground funicular.
Metro
Alpin is the world's highest funicular, and also the world's highest
subway.
The railway is 1749m / 5,738' long and 476m / 1,562' high
Kent's video
Kent's pic
I knew there would be ski lockers at the top to store extra crap.
2017-08-04 08:20
Kent's pic
We're departing Mittelallalin, 3456m / 11,339'
Allalinhorn is center
2017-08-04 08:30
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 08:36
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 08:36
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 08:46
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 08:47
Kent's pic
my pic
PANO - scroll right Allalinhorn
4027m / 13,212'
on the left Feejoch
col 3826m / 12,552' Feechopf
3888m / 12,756 is the next rocky peak to the right Alphubel 4206m
13,799' is the large wide glaciated mountain in the center Täschhorn
4491m / 14,733', Dom,4545m
/ 14,911', and Lenzspitze
4294m / 14,088' are the next three high peaks Nadelhorn
4327m / 14,196', which Kent climbed on a week ago on Friday July 28, is
behind Lenzspitzse
Mittelallalin 3456m / 11,339' is on the far right
my pic
Now we're leaving the ski area and starting the trail
2017-08-04 08:57
my pic
Kent is the lone climber a ways ahead
2017-08-04 08:57
my pic
Kent's several minutes ahead of me
2017-08-04 09:03
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 09:03
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 09:07
Kent's pic
Hmmm.... a ladder!
2017-08-04 09:08
Kent's pic
a very large ladder!
2017-08-04 09:09
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 09:09
Kent's pic
I'm ahead of the people below on the trail, I'm pretty much directly
below Kent now
2017-08-04 09:11
Kent's pic
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 09:15
my pic
I'm approaching the ladder
Kent is past the ladder at the top of center of the picture with his
arms wide
2017-08-04 09:15
Kent zoomed in
I hate ladders..
However as I quickly approach the ladder I decide this ladder is quite
doable and I will have no problems with it.
My only concern is what to do with my hiking poles.
I watch someone in front of me collapse their poles and hold onto them
on the way up the ladder, I immediately decide to do the same.
It takes me a minute or two to collapse my poles, and a Swiss
guide and his party of 2 catch up to me at the base of the ladder.
He starts whistling, implying that he doesn't have all day to wait for
me, after less than a minute.
I finish up and start climbing the huge 4x4 rungs, throwing both arms
over the rungs.
The rungs are easy to climb with crampons.
I struggle a bit up the ladder but make it up with no issues.
Meanwhile the Swiss guide passes me on the right and belays his party
up the ladder.
At the top as I'm getting off the ladder - a bit of a tricky exposed
move - he starts chastizing me
"Do you know there are crevasses up here?
Why are you up here without a rope?
You wouldn't believe the things I've seen.
Do you expect someone to rescue you?
Oh I supposed I'd at least phone the rescue services for you."
I immediately reply "Thanks, I'd appreciate that, that would be really
nice of you"
He was a total and complete ass, he was trying to impress his clients
that this
was really dangerous and they were right to pay him to drag them up
this climb instead of trying it themselves.
Kent and I weren't the only one up here alone without a rope, I saw at
least a few others without really searching them out, and honestly
being roped up is no real gaurantee of anything, sometimes entire roped
parties die when one pulls the rest off the mountain.
Kent says all Swiss guides are like this, so it didn't shock me too
much when I
heard this crap.
I didn't let it get to me, but the more I thought about it the more I
realized what an ass he was for trying to make me feel insecure and
raise doubts when I'm putting my butt on the line.
Kent's video
2017-08-04 09:42
Kent's pic
The trail quickly turns to a narrow slanted ice ledge - the ice is
darker and dirtier in the top of the picture above
Kent continues on ahead.
It is quite steep.
He gets to Feejoch
col 3826m / 12,552'
I keep looking up for Kent but I don't see him.
I'm behind the ass/guide who just gave me crap and his party of two
patrons.
I am in decent shape and I can keep up with them, they aren't very
fast...
We quickly come up to a party of four, they aren't moving very fast at
all.
After a few minutes the ass/guide takes his party off the trail to the
left and starts hiking past the four.
I don't leave the safety of the trail, I fall in behind the four.
It feels safer to climb with others, but I quickly realize if anything
happens to anyone above me, the first thing that happens is they will
take me out...
I don't get too close to them, but I'm directly below them.
Kent continues past Feejoch, above.
2017-08-04 09:45
Kent's pic
Kent stops after the ice, turns around, and takes a picture of me and
the party of four ahead of me.
2017-08-04 09:45
Kent's pic of the Matterhorn and me approaching Feejoch
col 3826m / 12,552' Feechopf
3888m / 12,756' is on the right
2017-08-04 09:48
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 09:48
Kent's pic
Monte Rosa
is hidden on the extreme left behind Rimpfischhorn
4199m / 13,776', the very prominant peak Lyskamm 4527m /
14,852' is the long glaciated peak Castor 4226m /
13,864' is next, then Pollux
4092m / 13,425', then
Breithorn 4164m
/ 13,661', then Matterhorn
4478m / 14,692'
2017-08-04 09:48
Kent's pic
My pic of the Breithorn and the Matterhorn from Feejoch
col 3826m / 12,552'!
The view was amazing.... everyone seemed to take a break here, I did as
well.
I didn't want to stop too long and lose momentum, but I needed a quite
break.
You can see two people on the ridge on the far right on their way over
to Alphubel, another relatively easy climb (though Alphubel is much,
much harder than Allalinhorn)
My pic - the way ahead
My pic - the way back down the trail
Notice the clouds gathering quickly on the peaks, when we started there
was a wisp of a cloud on Dom.
my pic
Feechopf
3888m / 12,756, Alphubel 4206m
13,799', and peaks in the clouds
Feejoch
col 3826m / 12,552' Feechopf
3888m / 12,756 is the next rocky peak to the right Alphubel 4206m
13,799' is on the far right
Monte Rosa
is hidden on the left behind Rimpfischhorn
4199m / 13,776', the very prominant peak on the left Lyskamm 4527m /
14,852' is the long glaciated peak Pollux
4092m / 13,425 is next, then Castor 4226m /
13,864', then
Breithorn 4164m
/ 13,661, then Matterhorn
4478m / 14,692' Feechopf
3888m / 12,756 is the nearby rocky peak in the center Alphubel 4206m
13,799' is on the right, followed by Dom and other peaks that are now
in the clouds.
The trail back down is on the right.
I got a drink, appreciated the view, then looked up at the trail ahead.
It did not look pretty, but I didn't realize it was solid ice until I
was on it.
My hiking poles could not penetrate the ice at all - I had nothing
solid to balance on!
I wasn't gripping anything but ice.
My crampons were holding, but I was not at all happy with the situation.
Kent's discussion of the differences between my crampons and better
crampons with sharper longer points immediately came to mind..
I kept walking very slowly ahead.
The farther I went the more I realized I was not happy, and I was never
going to enjoy a second of the trail ahead because I didn't want to
come back down this.
After a good 20' or 30' of ice I decided I wasn't going any further, I
was done, I was turning around now.
However turning around here was a dangerous proposition.
I didn't want to turn around here, but I didn't want to continue ahead
either.
A misstep would be the last mistake I ever make.
I very slowly pulled my right foot back and placed it across the trail
so my shoes were at 90 degree angles... on ice in crampons on a narrow
trail...
I successfully surpressed a panic attack.
My foot held and my mind held.
I pulled my left foot even with my right foot.
So far so good, I'm halfway turned around.
I slowly repeated the manuver to get fully turned around.
Now I headed down.
I'm very high up on this thing, but I've got
a long way down to go before I'm done.
Every step down was one step closer to the lift.
I knew I'd feel much better once I was below the ladder, but even then
there was quite a ways to go.
2017-08-04 09:59
Kent's pic
Meanwhile Kent was continuing up - this is his pic of the trail back
down
2017-08-04 10:06
Kent's pic of the summit of Allalinhorn
2017-08-04 10:06
Kent's pic - the trail up to the summit of Allalinhorn
2017-08-04 10:11
Kent's pic
Kent's pic - the ridge of Allalinhorn
2017-08-04 10:11
Kent's pic - the summit of Allalinhorn
2017-08-04 10:11
Kent's pic
Kent's summit video
There was a line of people waiting to take their turn on the very
summit at the cross.
As Kent waited in line a guided group came up behind him.
When it was Kent's turn, the Swiss guide started to cut in line and
guide his party up.
Kent told the guy he'd been waiting and it was his turn.
The Swiss guide turned on Kent, telling him he should be roped up,
giving him the same kind of nonsense that the other guide had given me.
Kent asked him 'what gives you the right to cut in line'
The ass guide muttered some crap about it being his country under his
breath.
What a jerk.
Kent didn't back down and took his rightful turn.
Kent's pic - the Allalinhorn summit cross
2017-08-04 10:20
Kent's pic from the summit of Allalinhorn looking north toward the Saas
Valley
2017-08-04 10:20
Kent's pic - Kent on the Allalinhorn summit!
2017-08-04 10:20
Kent's pic
The line to get on the summit of Allalinhorn
2017-08-04 10:37
Kent's pic from Feejoch - he's come down from the summit to Feejoch in
only 17 minutes
2017-08-04 10:37
Kent's pic
my pic from below the ladder
One other reason for heading back now was I knew there were alot of
people ahead of me on the mountain, and I wanted to get down before
they all caught up with me.
Passing someone on this very narrow trail was not easy or fun, but it
was relatively safe assuming you pick a decent spot.
Once I got off the trail and waited for someone to pass and they asked
if I was alright - I replied 'you'll hear a scream if I'm not'...
(I really was fine)
When I got to the ladder I decided to go down the far side to allow
others to pass me easier on the near side.
It didn't matter which side you want up or down, they were the same..
Once I got down below the ladder I took another break and took some
pictures.
I was also waiting for a few parties below me to get past me on their
way up so I wouldn't have to pass them on the trail down.
These pictures probably do the best job of showing how steep it really
was.
PANO - scroll right
PANO - scroll right
2017-08-04 10:45
Kent's pic from above the ladder and below Feejoch
2017-08-04 10:45
Kent's pic - same place as the pic above, but zoomed in
2017-08-04 10:20
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 10:20
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 10:50
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 10:50
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 10:50
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 11:12
Kent caught up to me after I got back on the ski run
my pic
2017-08-04 11:45
Kent's pic of a zipline at Mittelallalin
2017-08-04 11:55
Kent's pic
I opened the locker, changed out of my snow gear, and we both had a
beer and a snack on the patio.
Far free being disappointed at not summitting, I was really happy to
have done as well as I did.
Seeing the Matterhorn and the rest of the Mattertal valley from Feejoch
was fantastic.
This was one of the most amazing things I'd ever done.
The only other day that came close to this was crossing the Grand Desert
alone on the Haute Route in 2014 in a near whiteout ...
I had tried Allalinhorn, I turned around.
I didn't need to try it again.
I did 370m / 1,213' vertical from Mittelallalin to Feejoch
Kent did 571m / 1,873' vertical from Mittelallalin to Allalinhorn
2017-08-04 11:55
Kent's pic
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 12:55
2017-08-04 15:01
Kent's pic
2017-08-04 15:04
Kent's pic
We went back to the Hotel Tenne.
They only had one room left, it wasn't cheap but we took it.
It was much nicer and larger than our first room.
We had earned it!
We relaxed the rest of the afternoon, spending much of it on our
balcony.
Dusty's video
Kent's video
2017-08-04 18:20
We had dinner at our Hotel Tenne
Kent got the pork cutlette and fries..
2017-08-04 18:20
I got rosti with wild mushrooms!
2017-08-04 19:22
2017-08-04 21:27
This was a neat little addition to our room, embedded in the wall..
Meanwhile in Italy,
Ray went and picked up his motorcycle!
Paul: 'Naples and I are both sweaty bitches'
Their room at the Hotel Rex in Naples was not ready when Paul got
there, he headed out for pizza and beer and the 2pm underground tour
He then headed to the one at piazza san gaotano 68
East and a little south of the arch museum
Supposed to be 37m walk from the Hotel Rex
Paul telling Ray how to find the hotel - 'hotel is easy to find, just
look for nowhere, and its smack in the middle of it'
Ray: 'my nerves are slightly shot after requisite wrong turns and toll
booth mayhem'
The toll booth ate his Ray's toll ticket, then it took him nearly 15
minutes to find someone finally charged him the lost ticket fee of 89
euros.
Paul: 'i am making my way [to the museum] slowly. very slowly'
Ray: 'taxi driver wanted 20 euros' should I walked? maps say 35m... I
will walk over
Paul: 'you will be drenched [in sweat] as I was - I am temporarily dry
if I don't move!
Paul: 'underground roman / greek tour kicked ass and was freezing cold'
Ray 'hailed another cab after your message - I have been drenched all
day' next cap only wanted 7 euro
Paul ' ok meet up at piazza dante - its only a 3 m walk from the museum'
Ray 'need birra desperately'
Paul and Ray got pizza
Previous
Thursday August 3, 2017
Zermatt to Saas Fee
Friday August 4, 2017
Allalinhorn
Next
Saturday August 5, 2017
Saas Fee to Andermatt
