Day 29: Another case of bad luck come ok luck.

In other words.... Another thing missed due to weather, but an ok replacement. Well a quite good replacement, but nothing would have compared to the original...

What am I on about?

Well the weather here is again really really hot. But thunderstorms were forcast for today. Naturally, with the mountains they're not uncommon. Hard to believe in a completely clear sky, 35 degree morning. But storms on glaciers aren't quite the storms you want to be anywhere near.... And hence, the first thing I had booked for my trip, many months ago, after waking early and packing my lunch, was cancelled :(

I was to be going ice climbing!!!! But the storm was meant to hit the glacier right at the same time we would have been starting our climbs there that day. Definitely a no go :( :(

So I asked if the same company had any rock climbs on that morning (half day option means easy to steer clear of storm) and they said yes. Then they called and changed because apparently it would be too full on to climb in is heat. I guess they were right, but still sucks a wee bit to be in the best place in the world for both activities, but no dice. But I'm not here to complain (anymore than I just did), so all good ill join in whatever they suggest. And they suggested a Via Ferrata, a kind of cliff face obstacle course, which takes over 3 hours, where you are often at very precarious positions, but secured by a tiny bungy cord attached to a steel cable. The carabiners attaching them you unclip and reattach every few metres where the cable is bolted to the rock. During the climb you are either walking up or down rocks or stepping on these (extremely basic) metal stair things, that were more of less still rods shoved into the rock.... And there were some other fun bits that you can see here.... 

The drive there from Interlaken ....

Murren. Hill top village where you can only own a car with special permission, say if you are an electrician or medical aid person...

The route...

The Via Ferrata here starts in Murren, at an altitude of 1640m, and reachable by two cable cars up from the valley 600m below. This is the valley below us the whole time as we transfers the cliff top. In this climb we were actually descending from the level of murren to the cable car exchange below, round Grindlewald.

The view from the start of the track. I believe that's part of ol' Jungfrau infront to the left....

Some more attempted views at peaks over the cliffs in front...

That's Eiger tucked away to the left and Jungfrau on the right (these two I'm certain of)

And the valley below...

At one section in particular we were completely exposed on the sheer face of the cliff, 600m drop and not the nicest foot holds either... I love heights so loved every second of it, but the foot holds were to be extremely careful on...

Those trusty steps!

Only that little cord to save me! :) :)

Our extremely stereotypical Swiss mountain guide Hano (throwing in some extra climbing holds and swinging back to take some photos of us) champion :)

This cliff is the ideal spot for parachutes and base jumpers... We saw heaps of them from below before and after starring as well as during (we were standing right where they jumped off.... So so crazy and awesome to watch a base jumper jump from next to you and disappear beneath you!!)

This is a bridge made of a single wire known as the flying fox. About 60m across and a bit cheeky.... Unfortunately no photos of me crossing it! But I did!

The verticals ladders were fun. (I was forced to pose... Really!)

(Stolen from Internet)

And the final hurrah! The Nepalese bridge, 80m long, only a wire to hold onto on one side, 300m drop below!!

 

(also stolen online) so you can get perspective!!!

And some more scenic shots from random points of the day....

Stopped to wash out feet in a glacial stream on the way home..... Damn cold.

The rain arrived as soon as we were in the van back to go back to town. Timely. Not too heavy at first and then I was doing some gift shopping and got caught bang in the middle of a full full on downpour with hail!!! Had to cover up and run home fully exposed. A good 10min soaking. Fun. Drenched. Changed clothes phew! Then time for another dinner home cooked regional cuisine (on the porch after rain cleared) but this time by a different one of the boys. Some baked chicken tomato thing with wild rice. Yummo. 

And after the storm, the waterfall was running twice as hard and really dirty.