Gemmi pass & Leukerbad, Switzerland

Not a lot of noise in the hut this morning ... can even see the cairns out the front. ...  we had breakfast at the usual time then hung around to see if anything would happen..

So Chris, can you see anything out of the window?
"Cloud!"
So we decided to drop straight down to Gemmi, a reversal of the route from the first day, and were almost the last to leave. Most of the others dropping down to Adelboden or Kandersteg.

Outside it was still grim ... we debated the summer route, but finding the entrance would be hard so we opted again for the normal winter route.

Following the cairns on the top section helped as they gave some contrast.

Round the corner and the steep section ... during our time in the hut the path had moved and the line under the rock band was roped off ... however on the way up I saw the line further right looking down, but this was a little steep and the snow a little crusty for a stylish descent  ... survival skiing.

At the bottom we hit the flat section and put our skins on ... above us the sun was pushing the clouds around, but below they were stuck to the valley like glue.

in between total white-out and sunny gaps .. the new snow overnight and the wind had covered all the tracks so our descent was fine while we could see the poles.

As we approached the end of the ski area, everything got thicker and complex ... the poles vanished into the murk, and we slowed down, checking everything.

Our saviours came with a Norsk party going the other way, which we met at the top of the steep section rising from the pistes, however we had heard them for a while. ...  their tracks led us back to the top station.

A lonely descent into the mists brought us back to Leukerbad and so to the hotel .... skis, skins, and harnesses in the drying room, there was just the queue for the shower, and the inevitable re-charging of electronic devices, as we settled back into the same room.

Dinner was even in the same restaurant.

Unfortunately there was some kind of "challenge" going on this coming weekend between two swiss universities so the town was filled with loud vociferous gangs of students starting early on the drink! Fortunately we were so tired we missed most of it.