Haute Route: Grauben to St. Nicholas
08/30/07 07:08 PM
Hurray: It's a sunny day! Or is it? Now it's cloudy
but it looks like it might clear, or will it? The day
started sunny, then the low clouds moved in, then
out, then back in, then we were socked in at the top
of Forcletta and getting pelted with hail. Bummer.
The views on the downhill side of today's hike are
supposed to be some of the best of the whole route.
And now it's clearing. And the view from the point is
one of the most spectacular vistas we've ever viewed!
Fantastic views both up the valley (toward Zermatt
and the Matterhorn, though we can't see them yet) and
down valley and across the valley toward Grachen and
Gasenreid.
The little town of Jurgen, perched precariously on the mountainside, high above St Nick was as cute as advertised. Mrs Runalong and the Bex hopped a tram for the unexpectedly thrilling ride down ("hey, it's a LONNNNNG way down!"). I ran youthfully past about 20 shrines (taking the day full circle from merry hail to Hail, Mary) and met them at what turned out to be a disappointing village.
St. Nick seemed largely deserted with only one affordable hotel and one place to eat. The overly made-up woman at the tourist center thrusted her heaving bosom to and fro as she talked: "Dorms? That's for big groups." "Are they nice?" "I don't know anything about dorms. We have nice hotels..." Yeah, OK, whatever. Fortunately she was an anomoly compared to most of the people we met. Our hotel room was huge however and, oddly enough, included a tanning bed and sauna!
Pics 1-2: Going up! By the time we got to the top (pic 2) we were socked in & it was hailing & howling! Pics 5-6: Jurgen (pic 4 looks north; pic 5 east & pic 6 south).
The little town of Jurgen, perched precariously on the mountainside, high above St Nick was as cute as advertised. Mrs Runalong and the Bex hopped a tram for the unexpectedly thrilling ride down ("hey, it's a LONNNNNG way down!"). I ran youthfully past about 20 shrines (taking the day full circle from merry hail to Hail, Mary) and met them at what turned out to be a disappointing village.
St. Nick seemed largely deserted with only one affordable hotel and one place to eat. The overly made-up woman at the tourist center thrusted her heaving bosom to and fro as she talked: "Dorms? That's for big groups." "Are they nice?" "I don't know anything about dorms. We have nice hotels..." Yeah, OK, whatever. Fortunately she was an anomoly compared to most of the people we met. Our hotel room was huge however and, oddly enough, included a tanning bed and sauna!
Pics 1-2: Going up! By the time we got to the top (pic 2) we were socked in & it was hailing & howling! Pics 5-6: Jurgen (pic 4 looks north; pic 5 east & pic 6 south).
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