Switzerland good memories and lost luggage
I noticed that one of my posts never got "posted" and now I have no idea what I blathered on about in that post. Oh yes, I do remember some of the blather!
Tom and I finally got out and did some Dry Tooling in a climbing crag in the Kanderstag area. It was such a beautiful walk up the valley and I had to keep pinching myself that I was actually in Switzerland. The sky was clear and blue and the weather was perfect. After our day we drove to another valley to meet Thomas and Anka at the hut they were staying at. We ended up walking up to the hut by our headlamps and inadvertantly took the "long trail" making it a 45 min walk rather than 20. In the daylight we laughed when we saw how close to the hut we had been before we took the wrong turn. Anyhow we got there and had wine and a raclette waiting for us. We spent Christmas Eve with friends, refilling our glasses, getting drunk, silly and having a damn good time. I think the pictures I took will tell the story just fine!
For Christmas morning Tom had convinced us that we should get up early, hike up the hill and watch the sunrise over the alps. That sounded great when we were drunk, not so great in the morning with a fuzzy head, a cold and a hangover. However Tom's most annoying morning exuberance won over and we all got up - and I'm glad we did. That morning was breathtaking. It was so funny we even had a Burmese Mountain dog with us, it doesn't get any better than that!
Boxing day found us in Zurmatt having a couple beers admiring the Matahorn. We had to take a car-train thingy and eventually a train up there. Zurmatt is like Banff on steroids where the rich and priviledged Euros come to play, oh and some more average North Americans as well! This place had Rolex and Prada stores to name a few. That evening we met up with an aquaintance of Tom's and proceeded to drink way too much wine and grappa. Tom didn't fair so well as his evening ended up with him in the shower area of our hostel, curled up in the fetal position. I figured a tiled floor was the best place for him and I went off to bed!
We had entertained thoughts of hiking part way up the Matahorn but our drunken revelry put the kibosh on that as walking was a chore for poor Tom. We had a great lunch and spend the afternoon sipping coffee and water. OK I had the coffee Tom had the water.
In the evening, we met up with more friends in a small mountain village and enjoyed more good food and gracious hosts.
Eventually my trip was coming to an end and I had to fly back home. I think British Airways had been fiendishly plotting against me all this time and on my way back to Calgary they managed to loose (or steal) my last bag. So I arrived in Calgary with the clothes on my back and my purse! My climbing bag never did arrive and I've called my insurance company to begin the lengthy process of replacing all my gear.
However I did just get a phone call that my other bag is being delivered tonight yipppee! That has my camera and photos, my gifties from Mammut and my chocolate.. hmm... chocolate.
I was shocked when I tallied up the replacement costs for all my climbing gear. If all goes well, British Airways will reimburse me enough to cover my deductable for my insurance and soon I will be getting new stuff. In the meantime I've managed to beg, borrow and steal enough gear to climb.
Lost luggage aside, Switzerland was an amazing trip, I owe Tom a debt of gratitude for letting me tag along and now I can say "I've been to Switzy Dahling!"
Tom and I finally got out and did some Dry Tooling in a climbing crag in the Kanderstag area. It was such a beautiful walk up the valley and I had to keep pinching myself that I was actually in Switzerland. The sky was clear and blue and the weather was perfect. After our day we drove to another valley to meet Thomas and Anka at the hut they were staying at. We ended up walking up to the hut by our headlamps and inadvertantly took the "long trail" making it a 45 min walk rather than 20. In the daylight we laughed when we saw how close to the hut we had been before we took the wrong turn. Anyhow we got there and had wine and a raclette waiting for us. We spent Christmas Eve with friends, refilling our glasses, getting drunk, silly and having a damn good time. I think the pictures I took will tell the story just fine!
For Christmas morning Tom had convinced us that we should get up early, hike up the hill and watch the sunrise over the alps. That sounded great when we were drunk, not so great in the morning with a fuzzy head, a cold and a hangover. However Tom's most annoying morning exuberance won over and we all got up - and I'm glad we did. That morning was breathtaking. It was so funny we even had a Burmese Mountain dog with us, it doesn't get any better than that!
Boxing day found us in Zurmatt having a couple beers admiring the Matahorn. We had to take a car-train thingy and eventually a train up there. Zurmatt is like Banff on steroids where the rich and priviledged Euros come to play, oh and some more average North Americans as well! This place had Rolex and Prada stores to name a few. That evening we met up with an aquaintance of Tom's and proceeded to drink way too much wine and grappa. Tom didn't fair so well as his evening ended up with him in the shower area of our hostel, curled up in the fetal position. I figured a tiled floor was the best place for him and I went off to bed!
We had entertained thoughts of hiking part way up the Matahorn but our drunken revelry put the kibosh on that as walking was a chore for poor Tom. We had a great lunch and spend the afternoon sipping coffee and water. OK I had the coffee Tom had the water.
In the evening, we met up with more friends in a small mountain village and enjoyed more good food and gracious hosts.
Eventually my trip was coming to an end and I had to fly back home. I think British Airways had been fiendishly plotting against me all this time and on my way back to Calgary they managed to loose (or steal) my last bag. So I arrived in Calgary with the clothes on my back and my purse! My climbing bag never did arrive and I've called my insurance company to begin the lengthy process of replacing all my gear.
However I did just get a phone call that my other bag is being delivered tonight yipppee! That has my camera and photos, my gifties from Mammut and my chocolate.. hmm... chocolate.
I was shocked when I tallied up the replacement costs for all my climbing gear. If all goes well, British Airways will reimburse me enough to cover my deductable for my insurance and soon I will be getting new stuff. In the meantime I've managed to beg, borrow and steal enough gear to climb.
Lost luggage aside, Switzerland was an amazing trip, I owe Tom a debt of gratitude for letting me tag along and now I can say "I've been to Switzy Dahling!"
posted by Lise B at Tuesday, January 02, 2007
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