Alps 25

11 Jul – Broke 2 day drive to Randa at Troyes.

Organic cider, medieval backdrop, galette de sarassin gf

12th – long haul to Randa..

.. after stocking up at the market; why do we live in the uk again?

Randa campsite 1,440m (Breithorn & Kleine Matterhorn distant)

13th – Acclimatisation 6.5km and 1,500m up to the Domhütte.

Longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the Alps

Domhütte 2,963m, in 3:25 (sign said 4:10) felt bit dizzy from ~2,500m

14th – Zermatt – dodging tourist wheelie-luggage, electric bikes, electric hotel transport and electric service vehicles – really not my favourite day

Then the annual grass slope trials of get out of jail tactics

15th – Walk up to Täschhütte from Täsch 7km + 1300m 3:15hrs

16th – Breakfast 0300, leave Täschhütte 03:50 suited & booted. Glacier snout in 1:30 and Alphubeljoch another 1:30. Bit of a struggle to here but a rest in the group shelter, march tea and snickers sorted me out for the south east ridge to the Alphubel .

Slightly crevassed east flank (voie normale) for the descent

Views opened at about 3,600m – cloud inversion in valley

Bowl of coffee in the hütte then descent to Täsch..nearly 3,000m (could have been avoided if we had driven up to Täschalp 2,000m and parked for free instead of €35 in Täsch)

17th – admin day..

.. and as The Clash might say, ‘continue expensive mountaineering in Switzerland or bail to the French Alps.’

18th – mooch up to the Weisshornhütte – 7km + 1,500m with light bags. Still feeling Alphubel day in our legs.

19th – moved round to Saas Grund – raining so farted around up at Saas Fee after free bus ride (and the ballache of booking in to Kappelenweg campsite)(worth it). Today’s highlights:

20th – in the absence of any topo of where to start or how to get off the Jeligrat we scoped it from the klettersteig – looked chossy so completed the klettersteig then down to the Kreuzboden lift in 50 mins.

Since our vf kits expired we just move together alpine style (not everywhere obviously)

21st – overnight rain, low heavy cloud all morning. Parked Saas Almagell CHF10 for 2 days then walked up to Almagelleralp, Staying here to do Dri Hornli tomorrow.

22nd – Dri Hornli (3 horns) ridge. Words later just finished the descent need shower and foot spa.

Started from bottom left finished bottom right

23rd – RIP Ozzy

Topped out then bezzed for lift (top right)

24th – relaxo – free bus up to Saas, Fee free cable cars up to the glaciers then spa in the hostel, dinner, wine and room.

25th – when we left the hostel i had a new floater in left eye so our plan to go up the Almagelleralp was scuppered as this needed immediate examination. A few phone calls, lunch in an Italian street café, and CHF97 later and Dr Boldea in Sion declared it a vitreous detachment without complication. The btain accomodates floaters quite well but dehydration may have contributed/caused so we should drink 1.5 – 2.0 litres/day. Since tea & coffee are diuretic i will drink more mint tea.

Then we went to Le Buet (Chamonix) as weather rubbish for next 4 days and Switz is too expensive to stay too long.