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Link to 101 Favorite Alps Pics and Video Clips
July 10, 2007. Tuesday. Departure from PDX.
PDX > Greenland > Iceland > Ireland > Frankfurt (transfer) > Rome
July 11, Wed
Trek to the Coliseum, the Forum, Constantine Arch, Palentine and Capital Hill
July 12, Thr
Metro "A" to Vatican. Bus to Olympic Stadium (Golden Gala T&F Diamond League Meet).
Watched Nick Symmonds in his first Golden League race (800) + paraplegics events.
July 13, Fri
Trek to Forum, all around Old Town hitting main historic sites.
July 14, Sat
Rome > train north to Orvieto. Hotel Picchio. View the Tuscanny's. Historic Civita. Cobblestone lane, average age of locals (90's).
July 15, S un
Train thru Tuscanny's to Florence. Hotel Andrea. Walking tour: the main plaza's, Duomo Santa Croce (replica), open markets, River Arno & old bridge, up to Giardino (open air concert), the gardens @ Forte Belvedere.
July 16, Mon
Train to Pisa. The "Leaning Tower" is very cool. Pics. Train to Cinque Terra. Lodging in Riomaggiore (hostel). Boat to Porte Venere (filmed Guns of Navarone).
July 17, Tue
Cinque Terra: 10km hike > Riomaggiore >Manarola > Corniglia > Vernazza > Montevosso. "Stinger jellyfish in the bay while swimming". Steve's cats in one village.
July 18, Wed
Cinque Terra: Train to Bolgna > Bolzano > bus to Selva (DOLOMITES) Val Gardena. Walk 1500m to town and tour
July 19, Thr
Selva: bus to P. Sella (pass). Trail August H > Pertini H > Plattkofel > Langkofel Hut > Rif Vicenza up to Toni Demetz Hut, descent to Langofel H > winding thru forest back to Selva.
July 20, Fri
Dantercepies gondola. Climbed Gran Cir. Hiked counterclockwise to Puez Hut. Descended steep valley back to a TH. hitchhiked back to town. Dinner @ Muline Restaurant. Awesome meal and view.
July 21, Sat
Selva: Train to Innsbruck > STORY: a 10km section of tracks were under repair so they had us transfer onto a bus to the next village. However, the train station was no where in site. After several minutes we observed 2 nuns several blocks ahead walking really fast ... and figured they were headed to the station. Ran after them (full packs) and made it with but a few minutes to spare. Note they turned several corners and we temporarily lost them now and then.
Train to Brixen then on to Salzburg.
Stayed at Brigitte Langlachner. 2-mile walk from train station. Nobody home so we settled in what we THOUGHT would be our room. Washed clothes and hung on clothesline. Brigitte arrives and in broken English, WRONG decision, guys. Your room is upstairs. Oops. "And we're not a laundry mat". Oops.
July 22, Sun
Rented bikes. Rode down the river to smaller communities. Nite: trek through Old-Town (outdoor concerts), Mozart Gardens, Fortress above town, cafe's. Afternoon: trek through Old-Town (outdoor concerts), Mozart Gardens, Fortress above town,
July 23, Mon
Salzburg: Train to lake then boat across to Hallstatt. Hike past 'falls' up to Simony Hut. Steve joined us, then returned to town and toured the salt mines.
July 24, Tue
Simony Hut > back down to Hallstatt. We were informed the hostel was closed AND Steve had to scramble and find alternate lodging. Whew.
July 25, Wed
Hallstatt > Salzburg > Munich (drop off Steve). Lee/BJ train to Füssen > Reutte > Ehenbichl (Pension Hohenrainer).
July 26, Thr
Ehenbichl (Austria): Hike up to Ehrenburg Ruins (castle). Stopped in Reutte for dinner.
July 27, Fri
Rented bikes: biked to Reutte > Füssen > Pinswang > Hohenschwangau. Hiked up to Marionbrüke Bridge above Castle Neuschwanstein. Ascended to Tegelberkopf Hut, then descended other side back to our bikes; and biked home. Long day.
July 28, Sat
Ehenbichl > train to Oberstdorf (Bavaria/SW Germany). Lodging Gausthaus Liberia. Afternoon: ascended SeeAlpe > Rubihorn (3500' ascent). Descended via Gaisalpsee and stopped at Cafe Breitenburg. 14+ miles, long day.
July 29, Sun
Oberstdorf: Hike to Kemptner Hutte (after hitchiked with priest/hiker from the area to get us to the TH). Cold, rainy, cold showers. Met one person who spoke English and said he'd climbed Mt Rainer when in the States. Cool.
July 30, Mon
Kempitner Hut > "snowing". Markers obliterated in thick clouds. Met a father/son up there and we figure-eighted until we located cairns. Ascended to Madelegabel > Heilbronner Weg (ladder) > Rappensee > Einodsbach Hut. Spotted several steinbock (protected and rare).
July 31, Tue
Einodsbach Hut > Oberstdorf (lodging @ Glattnerhaus in old town). Rest day.
Wed, Aug 1
Obersdorf: Train to Grindewald, Switzerland via Immenstadt > Lindau > Zurich > Interlachen > Lauterbrunen. Lodging @ Naturfreundhaus. Swiss Nat'l Holiday. Celebrations.
Thr, Aug 2
Grindewald: out the back door and ascent up to the Faulhorn via Waldspitz and Bachalpsee. THUNDER/LIGHTENING, river in the trail, speed-hiked to a tiny tin shelter (a black dot on our map). about 8 other non-English speakers in there, and pitch black. Yikes, definitely an experience. Had to retreat to Grindewald after the thunder relaxed a bit.
Fri, Aug 3
Grindewald. Bus to Gross Scheidegg (pass/TH) and ascended the SchwarzHorn in the clouds. Previous group only did a 'false summit' as we determined. Chain rail on one steep section.
Sat, Aug 4
Grindewald. Train to Lauterbrunen, then funicular up to Mürren. Lodging @ Sonnenberg. Tough, quick hike: > Rotstock Hut >> ascend to Shilthorn. 360 degree rotating platform. Very quick descent as the crow flies back to the Sonnenberg. Barely made it for the 5pm dinner. 4000' ascent, then descent.
Sun, Aug 5.
Mürren > Interlachen, HappyInn Hostel (in town). Rest day. Tour the town.
Mon, Aug 6
Interlachen. Train to Bern > Lucerne > Zurich (airport Inn). Drop off Lee.
Tue, Aug 7
Zurich > Landquart > Klosters (Silvretta Alps). Town > hike up to Alp Sardasca > Silvretta Hut (4300' ascent). Prep for mountain pass trek. Cloudy, wet, cold, windy.
Wed, Aug 8
Silvretta Hut > Alp Sparra > Berghaus Vereina. Base of the mountain pass. Weather forecast still bad. Met Lisa, Philip and Beppe from Zurich (familiar with the area) who are planning the same hike over the pass. Studied the maps and will tag along with them tomorrow.
Thr, Aug 9
Hut > SüserTal over Vereina Pass (wet, heavy rain and wind with snow on the pass). Nice weather as we descended on the other side to Lavin and Güarda. Hotel PizBuin. Toured old-town (scraffita art on buildings)
Fri, Aug 10
Guarda: > trails to Ardez > Tarasp > Scuol. Scraffito (art) on buildings in this region. Nice hike across the bridges and along the river.
Sat, Aug 11
Swiss Nat'l Park: bus from Scuol to TH. Val Minger over the pass (II Foss)and descent to to Tarasp and back to Scuol. Pack up and bus back to Klosters.
Sun, Aug 12
Klosters: train > Landquardt > Sargons > Valduz (Lichtenstein), quick tour of town > then bus to Buchs and train to St Gallen > Zurich (hostel near airport).
Sun, Aug 13
Zurich: bus to airport. Flight via Frankfurt, transfer, direct flight to PDX.
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