Aug. 9, Sunday, Hohenweg Grachen-SaasFees

Post date: Aug 9, 2009 7:21:13 PM

Forecast: Overcast and periodic storms. But, being the optimistic folks we are:

• Woke at 7am to sunny skies. Miracle!
• Drove to Grachen (10 minutes) for hohenweg (high trail) trek.
• 6900' start. 4 hours along Grachen-SaasFees hohenweg and junction to summit pass.
• Summit 9900', with approximately 4000 loss/gain elevation along the way.
• Spectacular 360 degree views (dozens of peaks over 12000' (some up to 14000)). Glaciers everywhere.
• iPhone: called my son Darren from summit. He just got back from an early morning run with David Jordan --- a runner I met back when he was running for WOSC.
  • Strange feeling talking from the top of the Alps with 360 degree panorama to my son half way around the world. iPhones rock. Take pic on iPhone and immediately send to Twitter for family to see. Way too cool.
• Descend to 9450 (Gleitschirm) on other side of mountain to a Gondola to take us 5000' back down the valley.
  • Gondola: no power, so stuck up on top. Bummer --- Panorama for hours under blue skies. Not a more beautiful place to get stranded. Worst case we could descend 5000' to Glachen, but decided to gamble.
  • Met two retired Japanese trekkers and fumbled along with stories. One mans sister lives in Portland. Small world.
  • Several hours later got it fixed. They didn't charge us, so saved about $20.
• Japanese men were now late to catch their train, so Frank drove them down the mountain to St. Nikolaus. I walked back to our pension from Grachen. No hurry and legs were all refreshed from sitting for several hours.
• Shortly after arriving back at pension, storms quickly rolled in from nowhere. Continous thunder and lightening and rain. Felt like Oregon. Another day I'd rate a 10.
• More pics in Slideshow.