SnowSlider - Blogging From the mountains by ise

I had a meeting in Kandersteg which I’d postponed from last week due to my flu. I’ve wanted to walk from Kandersteg to Adelboden for some time so this was a perfect chance and the weather forecast looked ideal. When I arrived in Kandersteg it was actually pretty cold and there was a frost down in the valley, it’s one of those steep valleys that trap in cold air so it’s cold before the sun reaches the floor.

I would probably have walked up from Kandersteg but after taking some time out for the meeting and allowing for the fact my flu isn’t quite gone I decided to ride the lift up the first section and reduce the ascent to 600m. Stepping off the lift it was suddenly much warmer, the sun was out and I’d soon taken my jacket and was climbing in shirt sleeves. I’d also overestimated the effects of my flu and I was climbing around 12m/min so I decided to alter my route and take in the summit of the Bunderspitz at 2546m and increase the total ascent to 970m.


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I’ve had some flu like symptons for a week or so and apart from strolling to the next village not really got out much, I’m not really 100% but an easy walk in the pre-alpes looked like a good idea. I wanted to go to Schwyberg again and take a look another look at the area, I’ve not snow shoed around there but it looks excellent terrain so I wanted to get an idea of the ground before the first snow.

Last time we were over there was Julie’s birthday when it was pretty awful weather, torrential rain and thunder storms, I’m just back from the UK and some time in Wales where it always seems to rain but they never really get storms of the sudden violence we have here. Anyway, today was actually rather fine, mostly clear skies and around 10′c in the valley and slightly colder on the tops with a fairly cool breeze, really just perfect conditions for walking.


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We had a vague plan to go around to the barrage and scramble up on the ridges as a bit of practice for my mountain leader assessment which covers some basic rope-work, it’s worth practising as typically we’d probably use rather more technical equipment if we thought we’d be needing it.

It turns out the ridge I picked is the same rock as over on the Sassiniere and it’s terribly loose so I was pleased I’d given Julie a helmet! It was also about impossible to locate many good anchors so it was all a bit awkward.

But, it was worth doing although the descent was terrible as well. From there we had a late lunch at the little cafe near the barrage which turns out to be great serving the best Croûte au fromage I’ve ever had, served with rye bread and apples with some berries on the top. Highly recommended!

A few days joined together in Zinal. It’s a busy time here right now, the Swiss public holiday 1st August bought some more crowds and it’s high season for holidays generally. Among the people in town are a several other people from BAIML and MLTA some of whom are preparing for IML assessments in a few weeks held here in the Anniviers. One of them, Gerald Davidson, tayed with us for a few days with his wife and we did three of the valley classics in a spell of good weather.

First we did the high traverse from Zinal along to above the cabane Petit Mountet and back to Zinal. This is a great day out, not more than a couple of hundred meters of ascent as you can use the cablecar to gain the first 800m! It gives amazing views into the back of the valley and peaks including the Weisshorn, Dent Blanche and the Zinalrothhorn.


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