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Published: November 3rd 2005
Hochgrat Mountain
Believe me, it's a lot steeper than it looks.Hello Reader.
My dogs are barkin’.
I was upstairs by eight forty-five. Steffie was sitting at the breakfast table. I said good morning and realized that there was a lack of barking. Steffie’s mom had taken the dog to work with her. I get to live another day! She had decided that it was too foggy for the hike. Steffie and I left after breakfast (and a nap…?) for Hochgrat Mountain.
The weather was great, Steffie’s mom would have loved it. We drove for an hour before reaching the base. One thousand eight hundred and eighty four meters, which works out to about thirty miles, above sea level. There was a ski lift (but no snow right now) to the top. The hike was to take two and a half hours. Within minutes of beginning, I could feel the burn. The path was so steep, but this was small potatoes compared to the incline to come.
I’ll spare you the details of our arduous journey, suffice to say it was really tough. We talked about how boring my time here would have been if I was not into biking, swimming, or hiking. I've always been pretty active,
I actually can't wait to try snowboarding in Switzerland and maybe sailing in the Mediterranean next summer.
We got to the top, but it didn’t stop there. From this peak we were to walk along the crest of the mountain to then summit the higher mountain, Hochgrat. And when I say crest of the mountain, I mean it was like walking on the tips of recently sharpened number two pencils. We stumbled through the rocks and dirt, making sure not to lean too much to the left or right. Because a simple trip, and yesterday’s would be the last blog I ever wrote.
We made it to the arrival building for the lifts which doubles as a restaurant. We bought colas that were mixed with lemonade and ate sandwiches from home. THIS was the best sandwich I’ve ever had. I convinced Steffie to take the lifts down to the car, but only after we climbed the thirty more minutes to the pinnacle of Hochgrat. Again, we huffed and puffed until we reached the cross, (most of the summits in the Alps are crowned by crosses). We headed back down after leaning over the edge, uh, carefully and resting
Straddling the Edge
No Elis were hurt in the taking of this photo. on the benches. On the way down, Steffie called me a lazy American for buying the lift tickets, and I called her a cheap German for not wanting to.
On the way down, she mentioned that we might go out for dinner with her family tonight. I told her that it was completely unnecessary for them to do that and they, like the Hägeles, are too generous. ‘Is there any way I can repay this kindness?’ And just like the Hägeles she said with a sincere tone, ‘Just come back…’
We stayed in for dinner, which was of course scrumptious. Then recounted our story and pictures with Tinsha.
Hmmm… now is there something missing from this entry…? Something I’m forgetting to mention…?
My eyes have seen many things in this world over the past twenty three years. I’ve seen a lake surrounded by volcanoes on a warm Guatemalan afternoon, I’ve woken up to crystal clear waters on a beach in Hawaii, I’ve seen timeless works of art in countless museums, I’ve seen a rainbow of color, texture, and life swim around me while snorkelling in La Jolla, California. But my spoiled eyes have never seen what
Our Path Over Hochgrat
This fence was actually electrified. I saw on the top of that mountain.
I took ninety eight pictures today alone. Each one was taken with the hope that the photo would do justice to the feeling I had when I took in my surroundings at the top. I’ve reviewed them all and they have all fallen short. I could live to be a hundred still never be able to put the exhilaration into words. I only hope these pictures can serve as a glimpse into a feeling one must experience first hand.
I hope this is the first of many such feelings.
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Nicole the BEst!!
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i felt the same
When I as atop of the Rigi mountain.. I felt the same. I took so many pics. I could not capture the beauty that I saw when on top of the world looking down onto Switzerland..It was wonderful, the sites i saw on that mountain are forever engained in my brain.,, i love you and miss ya much