Vignettes to Zermatt, Switzerland

Early alarm today,  we had around 25km and 1100m ascent in 3 cols to go. Looking outside it was completely different for the last few days, the clouds were down and visibility was very poor.

However, with the large number of parties setting off, all with guides and modern guidance equipment, we felt secure enough to set off.

We saw nothing of the glacier, as we dropped down and climbed up to the first col. the top was covered in cloud , however the other side cleared slightly and for the first time we could see where we were going.

The descent was reasonable.. not as good as the day before, but there was still powder around to enjoy.

Down at the glacier we kept as high as possible and turned right under the buttress and kept going for as long as we could, before stopping to put the skins on.

Now for the second col... it did not look too far away.. it is on the ridge across the glacier...

However getting across there was a bit of a shock to the system, it took more effort than I wanted to give, and then there was a very steep gully to get up ...  the guides were "encouraging" their clients chasing them up, keeping them moving on the single lane track. The gulley is on the left of the obvious line in the picture.

The other side of the col .. I was now wondering if I was going to make it all the way .. however the lack of options kept me going. the other side was a gentle drop down to the next glacier.

From here it was a long walk up this glacier to the col at the end. This was a long, long, long plod and I was on automatic for most of it

Eventually we reached the col - all covered in mist and cloud. We could not see anything, and there was a number of parties milling around trying to guess where to go, staring at GPS handhelds.

We took an old fashioned compass bearing and set off, down the slope. Avoiding the crevasses on a very icy slope, and very low visibility, we were very alone for a while.

Then as we dropped down to the glacier, we were passed by a group at more speed than we could dare.

There was several steps to the slope and we turned right before dropping down to the glacier. There the other party were resting up.

Now we started to believe that the difficulties were over, we just had the Schoenbiel glacier to descend, then a run down to Zermatt.

We went down the side of the Matterhorn, and kept going until the snow ran out and we were in the tundra.

Looking back, we could see the whole of the descent from the 3rd col.

Now it was shanks again.  we had to walk down the valley from the water works. There was a hope that the pistes would have some snow on them, but when we got there they were dry.. more walking until we go to the cable car station.

Here we could buy a once down ticket and save a few Kms of the descent.

At the bottom station there was more walking, to get into the town, and then we had a decision to make .. catch the train/ bus back to Arolla, or stay here.

I was really tired, so the stay option looked best...  We had read some options and looked for the Bahnhof hotel ...  a bunk house.  And by the time we found it (opposite the station), it was ready fro registration (most of these places only open at set times)...  checking in we were allocated a bunk in the dortoir ...

A shower and change out of the hill clothes, and we set off in search of a Pizza (or two). Afterwards we forwent the nightlife and before 9pm I was pushing out the Zzzz ..  I did not resurface until the next morning.

We caught the train down to Brig then along to Sierre, and changed to the bus (a walk to the bus station, and then a wait for the bus to Arolla, via a change in Les Hauderes. ...  I was glad we had not done this the day before, I would never had made it.

Back at Arolla we dumped everything into the van and set off back to the channel.

Pigne d'Arolla, Switzerland

The night was not very comfortable.. our first night in a hut for many years, and the crowd of people on the haute route did not make it easier.

With the long day ahead it was still dark when we started out - the first bit being downhill back onto the glacier, where it was just getting light as we put the skins on ... not easy in the freezing temperature.

From here we cut around the top of the glacier and into the valley that cut down from the plateau below the Serpentine. We had a few problems with the skins not sticking in the cold, and at one point Bryon resorted to crampons, while he warmed them up, as his stopped sticking at all.

As we got higher the sun came up over the peaks, still in shadow on our side, but the hut below was getting the first rays.

As we came out over the top of the valley on to the plateau we met the sun .. warmth for the the first time this morning, and our first views of the Serpentine, and the Pigne sticking up over the top.

The next section was a much flatter, as we worked over to the Serpentine.

This was the big challenge for this route, the track being narrow and steep, with consequences for any fall.

With great relief we got over the top of this section, and looked at the next one - flatter again for a while then a climb up to the summit.

We made it over to the col before cutting left and up to the top of the Pigne.

The views were fantastic, all the 4000m peaks in the Haute Valais laid out in front of us. I could not resist the photo of Bryon with the classic view of the Matterhorn in the background.

The summit pics were just as brilliant.


We were not alone here, all the other parties congregated on the top - this was one of those rare days when the weather played ball and we were fit enough to enjoy it.

Finally we had to make a move before the snow got too soft. We dropped down to the col.

From here we followed the slopes down towards the glacier.

the snow was great and we had some perfect spring snow, although it got a little too soft at the bottom.

We stopped to enjoy the "classic" view of the vignettes hut .. one of the most spectacular in the alps.

The hut was crowded again, but the warden was brilliant and served up a delicious stew... Chamois, but I am not sure most people understood what it was.

Pas de Chevre, Switzerland

Overnight the skies cleared, and by the time we had eaten breakfast the sun was making its presence felt behind the ridges around the valley.

We were not really sure how the day would pan out and the book just said to catch the drag lift ...  when we checked yesterday there was no sign of it working.

We parked the van opposite the bottom of the lift, and were relieved to see another party get off the post bus and make their way over to the lift.

At about 9:30 a man appeared and went into the hut, everyone went over and paid 9 Swiss Francs, and then he started the poma up.

Luckily the lift was not vicious and we got to the top without misshap .. I would not have wanted to fall off, as there would be no repeat run, as I was sure the operator would be gone by the time the drags got back to the bottom.

From the top we put the skins on and set off up the valley. The party in front set off at a fast pace we could not match and settled into our own steady rhythm.

As we got to an obvious junction in the valley, we could finally see the col up to the left. We cut over and followed the obvious path still following the other party.

We reached the top as the others had started to descend the other side, but after their initial speed had slowed down.

Up on the col we could see the hut over the other side of the glacier. I could not recall the view from the last time, nor any of the ascent which we had done in descent. I think I was so tired that it had all passed without notice.

Down the other side there was two flights of ladders, and an "extension", where the bottom ladder did not reach the glacier, of a builders ladder.

We went down slowly as the rungs were still freezing and everything was slippy.

Once down on the glacier the step looked even more impressive, as we traversed around trying to keep as much heigh as possible before cutting over the glacier to the hut.

The hut was pleasantly situated on the top of a promontory, but the sting in the tail was the final climb up to the hut.

There were a large number of people already at the hut ... they must have come from the Mont Fort variation, so we would be in the crowds tomorrow.

For now we could sit back and dry all the sweat out of our clothes. The veranda was a veritable drying rack with equipment all over the place.

We found a quiet corner to sit and eat lunch, and debate weather we should  extend the day up the top behind the hut, but in the end the thought of the next two days won out and we stayed put.

Travel day, Switzerland

 The next day, we had decided we would head over to Arolla and catch the last two days of the tour...

We would spend today getting around to Arolla. as we would not spend long in Switzerland, we would not get a vignette, but use the A roads.

The memories of my earlier summer visit came flooding back as we drove up the valley from Les Hauderes ... where the annual cow shoving competition was going on.



We parked the van just outside Arolla and took a look around, trying to see what was where and if there was any place to stay.

The town was deserted.. even though it was lunchtime there was no one around.







We found a dortoir, but there was nobody around, eventually we found a hotel and restaurant the hotel aiguille de la Tsa where we arrived, as they were cleaning up after the Patrouille des glaciers had been over for the previous few days. However we could have a bunk on the very top floor. the floors were all squeaky, and the wash room had seen better days, but it was just what we were after, and the food was really great.

Col de Passon

Another beautiful day and we went back to Grands Montets, this time we would head over to the other side of the glacier and repeat a route we had done a couple of times before.

We caught an early car up to the very top and worked out way down the stairs to the col.

There was the usual crowd of people setting off for routes, and a few intrepid skiers, too early for the good snow.

The route goes down the usual route direct opposite the chardonnet glacier, then goes down the glacier and diagonally up the other side into a bowl below the rocks. The exit is up a gully in the corner.

Dropping down to the glacier, and then getting as far across as we could before putting the skins on.

Then we started off diagonally up the other side, following the tracks of the previous parties.

The track got a little steeper as it cut up to the bowl, and then traversed around to the other side The route goes around the big buttress, and then up the snow gully.

At the buttress we took off the skins, and put the skis on our packs. Crampons on and ice ax in hand we then started climbing.

It gradually gets steeper until it tops out.

We dropped the packs and had a good look around

We then set off down the new glacier, it started off gently and then steepened up as we got to the serac area, before we were working our way over the end

All that remained was to get down the patchy slopes and across the tundra scrub to t he Vormaine pistes.

The last time we were here there was lots more snow, but eventually we fond a way through.

The ski bis was not running as the Le Tour slopes were shut, so we walked down to the railway station and caught the train back to Argentiere.