Catching the train up in the early morning, the familiar change around at Kliener Scheidegg, and we are moving up the track, tourist stops at the Nord wand and then we got out at the Eismeer station, retrieved our bags and waited for the train to depart. Once the hordes had got back on the train and it had departed for higher points, we could look around and find the exit. An unassuming door at the end of the platform, festooned with notices about "authorised personnel only" and we were in a long dark (unlit) corridor hewn out of the rock.
This corridor exited out of the rock face behind a bank of snow and ice, while Dave and I were debating the best way to avoid the debris falling from above, Bryon and Chris were frantically looking for a lens from Bryon's glacier glasses. After repeated torchlight searches of the corridor failed, in true pioneering fashion, he taped up the lens holder leaving a small hole to see through. check the summit photos for better idea of this "cludge". Once we were all ready and geared up, a swift exit took us onto the glacier and we headed over to the base of the Mittelgi ridge, the hut not being at the end of the ridge but rather on a knobble at the base of the main summit incline.
On the other side of the glacier the route took a, very faint, ascending traverse basically heading roughly in the general direction of the hut ... no specific trail. The rock was loose and very friable.. so great care had to be taken not to slip, but in general the slope was not excessive.
All the time we got higher and further from the glacier. Looking back to the Eismeer station (or rather the windows in the rock face) gave a good perspecitve of heading in the right direction.Soon we could see the hut, perched on the ridge above, and a short direct ascent from below and we were at the verandah. This old hut was later removed and now rests down by the train track as it enters the tunnel. but at best was a top ranked bivvi, bunks along the back wall, and a stove in the front corner and door. room for around 12 to 16 people at a push.
We were not the first and definitely not the last, but did manage to get a good allocation of palettes.There was no warden, and so all food had to be brought and cooked individually, we had some tinned fish and noodles (being easy to cook with the low boiling points at this altitude), and as I remember it some chocolate moouse stuff that would not set. so was like a chocolate drink. The facilities were rough, but the views spectacular, with a direct view down to Grindlewald, from the seat.
The evenings entertainment was watching the sun going down and acknowledging the helicopter that came up to check all was OK.Then it was bed and prepare for the next day.