Alps 2023

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Sunday August 6, 2023
Sommer Ringkuhkampf "Königin der Gletscher"

Monday August 7, 2023
Matterhorn Alpine Crossing

Next
Tuesday August 8, 2023
Aosta

The weather for the nearby mountains and Mt Blanc has looked good, I'd try the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing today.
I woke up early, had breakfast, and caught the bus to Stalden, then caught the train to Zermatt.

The buses and trains in Switzerland are all online on the same website at sbb.ch, and you can buy tickets on their app.

The buses and trains in Italy are owned by different companies, sometimes from valley to valley.
Sometimes you can buy tickets online, sometimes only an Italian phone number will work, sometimes you can only buy tickets in person.
To get through Italy I'd need a bus from Cervina to Chatillon, a train from Chatillon to Aosta, and another bus that only runs four times a day to get from Aosta to Courmeyer.

I hoped to ride the lifts over Mt Blanc, spend the night in Chamonix, then take the train back from Chamonix, France to Martigny, Switzerland.
There is also a bus between Courmeyer and Chamonix, as a backup plan.

06:14 Alps time 22:14 California time

Leaving Saas Fee

08:52 Alps time 00:52 California time

Stalden - catching the train to Zermatt

10:00 Alps time 02:00 California time

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10:04 Alps time 02:04 California time
Bratwurst dude, the only affordable food in Zermatt other than McDonald and the frozen food takeout place.

10:14 Alps time 02:14 California time
No longer able to drink beer and watch the Matterhorn here like we did in 2012...

10:35 Alps time 02:35 California time

I arrived at the lift at 1020am and they told me Matterhorn Alpine Crossing is closed because of high winds on the Italian side!
This is the first day the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing was closed due to wind since it opened on July 1.
They don't normally sell tickets from Zermatt after 11am, but they were pushing that to noon to see if the Italian side would open.
It may open later today.
They gave me a card with their phone number to call.
So I found a place to hang out and wait.
I called shortly after 11am, still closed.
I called shortly after noon, still closed.
At this point I gave up and started wandering to find a hotel.
As I was approaching Hotel Beau Rivage where Kent and I had stayed in 2017 to book a room, the ticket counter called me back to tell me the Italian side was now open, but if I wanted to cross over I would need to buy a ticket quickly, and they would only sell me a one way ticket. I promised I would be there in 5 minutes, and I was. I would have made one last phone call in a few minutes to confirm they were still closed prior to booking the hotel room, but this was pretty close!

I was able to use my half fare card in person - online they only accept a digital half fare card, which is not the kind tourists use.

12:34 Europe time 03:34 California time
Kent: Sweet! So cool they called you

Meanwhile in Interlaken:

Kent's pic

12:36 Europe time 03:36 California time
Kent: I found a laundry in a coop
Kent: Gotta clean my hiking stuff! :)

12:39 Europe time 03:39 California time
Dusty: I missed the call and called them right back..
Dusty: That was awesome! "Since you have called us several times..."
Dusty: (it was only twice, I didn't correct her)
Dusty: Signs at Furi - last lift to Italy 1515

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12:56 Europe time 03:56 California time
Kent: Ricolla! What a place!

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The new (new to me, 2-3 years old) high speed lifts up to Klein Matterhorn

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Dusty: Mt blanc
Dusty: Freaking cold up here!

Kent: Nice! I had a sweet view of mt blanc landing and in Geneva
Kent: I like the no clouds part a lot! Very cool!

13:24 Alps time 05:24 California time

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The brand new Matterhorn Alpine Crossing at Klien Matterhorn.
In 2015 Paul, Jed, Kent and I used crampons instead.

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The border between Italy and Switzerland - the yellow line here - has moved considerably in the last year or two due to global worming.
I assume the yellow line is up to date but not sure.

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13:49 Europe time 04:49 California time
We'll see if they ever get to run the world ski cup on piles of rocks where there used to be snow...
Dusty: They've covered the scraps of snow that are left with tarps

Kent: Very cool Dusty! Carol probably deserved the first ascent more, but the British way snagged it

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Funny how run down it is on this side of the border.

14:45 Alps time 06:45 California time

I wandered town looking for the bus stop to no avail.
I saw a bus pull into town further down the hill.
If I was bright, I would have run in that direction, but I just kept wandering, figuring there had to be a bus stop in the heart of town somewhere.
I was wrong. If I had checked the map, there's only a single stop, and it is at the edge of town.
Then I saw a bus pull out of town - the only bus stop was down there, and I had just missed the bus.
Rookie mistake.
And a costly rookie mistake, timewise - I quickly realized I just lost about 2 hours since the next bus wasn't for another hour and the connection for the train to Aosta was also much longer.
Oh well.
I was in Italy and I wasn't going to be delayed by high winds today, just dumb mistakes on my part.

15:28 Alps time 07:28 California time
The one and only bus stop in Cervinia.
The other end of the line is the train station.

Kent's pic

15:24 Europe time 06:24 California time
Kent: I'm grabbing a nice Swiss fendant
Kent: Mission accomplished laundry

17:24 Alps time 09:24 California time

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17:26 Europe time 08:26 California time
Dusty: In Chatillon, waiting for the train to Aosta
Dusty: Warmer but not 130
Dusty: Added 2+h to travel time missing that bus in cervinia, longer connections everywhere

18:25 Europe time 09:25 California time
Paul: My neighbor just got home from 2 weeks in Venice, Florence and Rome
Paul: He anticipated the worst from the heat, but said it was bearable and sometimes even pleasant! They dodged the worst of it and rarely had days with highs over 85 somehow
Paul: Looks like Chamonix forecast is really nice for the next few days
Paul: Happy hunting to the both of you

18:50 Alps time 10:50 California time

Dusty: Walked in to Omama Hotel in downtown Aosta as found on booking.com, booked the room for 2 nights
Roman ruins in Aosta start at the train station and are everywhere, I should find plenty to do tomorrow.
Regardless I won't be riding any lifts....

18:53 Alps time 10:53 California time

View from the room to the south.
Not Mt Blanc.

20:09 Alps time 12:09 California time

While looking for dinner, tripadvisor showed me that Michelin rated Osteria da Nando was nearby.
I wandered over and was able to grab their last outside table for the 57 euro 5 course tasting menu
They have a series of beers "Beers of the Grand St Bernard"
We'll see how far I can work my way through it.
No beer for me until dinner today, moving too fast