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Switzerland 2025
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Saturday July 26, 2025
Geneva

Monday July 28, 2025
Brig
Next
Tuesday July 29, 2025
Abbey of Saint-Maurice d'Agaune and
"From Rembrandt to Van Gogh"

I would have had to get on the train in Geneva at some absurd hour before dawn Monday morning to arrive in Grindelwald 4h later to start a 5+ hour hike to Schreckhornhütte, and the weather said Grindelwald has been under a severe rain alert since Saturday morning, 48h ago. 
This was a wildly optimistic plan under the best conditions.
Around 8am I called the cell phone number for Schreckhornhütte's warden Gabriella to cancel my reservation for tonight.
She said it had snowed up there but she didn't say the trail was obviously impassable.
She had no problem letting me cancel my reservation last minute and i got an email confirmation shortly afterwards.

I bought a ticket to St Maurice, hoping to see the Abbey on the way from Geneva to Brig...

I arrived in St Maurice shortly after 11am and walked with both backpacks (heavy and cumbersome) to the Abbey, maybe a 10 minute walk.

The Abbey was closed, the tripadvisor app out front should have told me... but it did not (google maps, which I generally tolerate but don't like, does tell you what days an attraction is closed)

Then it started raining as I walked back to the train station.  Fortunately I had my umbrella...

It was mostly dry in the Rhone valley today before and after St Maurice on the train ride.

I should have gone to the museum in Martigny, but I have spent alot of time in Martigny in gorgeous weather and had no desire to spend a minute there in the rain.

I bought a ticket for Brig since I have never been there and it is close to Zermatt.

Finally I texted the group:
Arrived in Brig, checked in to Adhhoc hotel for 2 nights, i am paying a bit more to stay near the loud busy road instead of the loud busy train station.
Maybe Brigerbad tomorrow and/or Blatten, the town that was buried in an avalanche in May.
(I later discovered Blatten's entire upper valley is closed on google maps, ibex out front shoulda told me.)
Right now staying dry and doing nothing, very jet lagged....

I wandered Brig to see Stockalperschloss.  It was too late to get inside, which didn't bother me at all, I got pictures of a few carraiges with the names of passes I've ridden :)



11:42 Switzerland time 03:42 California time



16:57 Switzerland time 08:57 California time

Looking to the south / Simplon pass



17:00 Switzerland time 09:00 California time

Looking north from my room.



17:06 Switzerland time 09:06 California time



17:21 Switzerland time 09:21 California time

Stockalperschloss



17:23 Switzerland time 09:23 California time

"Grimsel - Gletsch - Furka"
I've only biked 2 of these 3 passes....
Getting the pic of the carriage coming down Gotthardpass in 2021 was awesome


17:24 Switzerland time 09:24 California time



17:25 Switzerland time 09:25 California time



17:36 Switzerland time 09:36 California time



17:47 Switzerland time 09:47 California time

"Buffet" next to the Brig train station was a reasonably rated cheaper restaurant,
The train workers all ate there, which probably meant it didn't suck and wasn't too overpriced.
I decided it would do, it was fine.



17:55 Switzerland time 09:55 California time



19:46 Switzerland time 11:46 California time



21:33 Switzerland time 13:33 California time

15:53 Europe time 06:53 California time
Kent: Oh man
Kent:  Good idea canceling your hike
Kent:  Cool you got cancellation and confirmation
Kent:  Some huts are better about that than others
Kent:  The guys at the dent blanc hut didn't confirm my online reservation
Kent:  So i called up
Kent:   Warden told me he was too busy to confirm reservations
Kent:  The guy seemed to have been up there a long time
Kent:  Weekday closures suck too!  Consider an umbrella purchase
Kent:  ;)

me:
I brought an unused umbrella and the kitchen sink, but i am just tired of wandering at the moment.
 
Matterhorn app says the wind is currently blowing at 216 km/h at kleine matterhorn, which is only 135 mph at a balmy 8 degrees f.
Jungfrau app disappointingly does not show wind speed.

Ray texted a pic of an Apple Weather forecast and a link to "Lessons from 13,000 Feet" about climbing Breithorn

17:12 Europe time 08:12 California time
Paul: Looks like Zermatt forecast way better than the Lauterbrunnen?

17:53 Europe time 08:53 California time
Dusty: the storm came in  (or will keep coming in?) from the north, so yeah it may be somewhat better...

18:06 Europe time 09:06 California time
Paul: Eesh
Paul: Ray, don't use the Apple weather app
Paul: Complete garbage

18:06 Europe time 09:06 California time
Kent: Agreed.

18:08 Europe time 09:08 California time
Kent: Weather almost always says rain in afternoon in mountains
Kent:  Generally true
Kent:  There's rain and then there is rain
Kent:  :)

18:19 Europe time 09:19 California time
Kent: Switzerland is big on live cam shots because one mountain can be clear and adjacent socked in
Kent: They know how to roll

Ray:
These forecast change all the time but Thursday is still looking good.
The Apple weather app is very convenient and easy to screenshot :)
Wait, it rains in the mountains??!!
I'm ready for launch!
It was quite a trick packing an ice axe and crampons for the first time!
Got room to spare with two carry-ons (roller suitcase and daypack and one checked bag, my 60+10 backpack.
Super-stoked.
Will head to CVS for an umbrella and deck of cards.

Kent:
It’s like the eiger sanction there now!
A fern has arrived, but you can’t see it coming! :)
You guys got it!
Just don’t let the man on the inside make decisions for the man on the outside. :).
How exciting for you guys!
Wishing you clear weather!

Ray:
Happy Birthday, Dusty!

00:39 Europe time 15:39 California time
Kent: I thought it was a good article about someone's first Swiss alpine climb
Kent:  You'll be some of the oldest guys, if not the oldest, up there
Kent:  I was proud as can be having done it, both times
Kent:  I had climbed a bunch of them before I did the Breithorn, and never would say it's easy or a doddle
Kent:  It'll be thrilling on the steep part near the top
Kent:  Especially if the wind is howling! 

00:55 Europe time 15:55 California time
Ray: I still think you should write up a short article for them about your Swiss climbing and show them what a real boomer can do
Ray: I will be proud of all my climbing efforts on this trip unless I fall into a crevasse without a chihuahua.

Kent: You'll be fine on the Breithorn
Kent:  I like your nervous banter though
Kent:  :)

23:39 Europe time 14:39 California time
Kent: Although, snow has covered what crevices there are
Kent: Could be bad.

02:16 Europe time 17:16 California time
Paul: Good point
Paul: Happy birthday Dusty!

02:27 Europe time 17:27 California time
Kent: Oh man!  Yea!  Happy Birthday Dusty!  I hoped to stand on top with him, but he beat me to the top!  I tried to catch him very hard!  Couldn't! 

07:12 Europe time 22:12 California time
Dusty: thanks!


Previous
Saturday July 26, 2025
Geneva

Monday July 28, 2025
Brig
Next
Tuesday July 29, 2025
Abbey of Saint-Maurice d'Agaune and
"From Rembrandt to Van Gogh"