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Published: October 22nd 2017
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Geo: 46.2206, 7.59691
(Erin today.) It was a day of appearances and disappearances.
Up for question this morning was whether or not we should continue on the Haute Route from Zinal. It was still raining with low clouds and the promise of snow at 7,000 feet, an altitude which we would be reaching by mid afternoon. Would the views be worth the discomfort of being wet and cold all day, and worth the risk of hiking across scree slopes in snow and ice? After much discussion and weighing our options (which basically boiled down to the question "to go or not to go"😉, we decided to seize the wintry day and go for it. So, suited up for the third consecutive day in head to toe waterproof attire, we began our ascent from the little village of Zinal to the Hotel Weisshorn: 6 miles, a gain of about 2,300 feet.
The trail climbed steeply through the forest above Zinal and it was within the first half hour we watched the town disappear before our eyes, erased by a roiling wave of fog. Overhead, a low bank of clouds bisected the peaks that supposedly loomed all around us and for much of the day,
we found ourselves suspended in a surreal middle world of green, sandwiched by whiteness above and below.
With icy rain dripping from our hoods, we emerged through the trees in a lovely--albeit steep--belvedere peppered with buttercups, forget-me-nots, and clover. We climbed steadily upwards and watched as the trail became muddier and squishier while the snow line seemed to be falling to greet us where we hiked. It was like the Sawtooths in April. Across the valley, granite fins, snowcapped peaks, and boulder fields came and went from view as the clouds ebbed and flowed on their whims. It was a ceaseless play of moisture and temperature, light and mountain that evolved with each passing minute.
We met four other hikers on the trail today, greeting each other with the customary "Bonjour." The only other sound was water: raindrops and rushing waterfalls and the splash of puddles beneath our footsteps.
After 5 1/2 hours hiking, we finally rounded the last corner--the one that elicited the view of our home for the night: the historic Hotel Weisshorn. At 4 stories high and perched impossibly close to the edge of the mountain, peering down into the valley floor below, we thought we must have
climbed up Jack's beanstalk to his home in the sky. Inside, the hotel seemed every bit of its 150 years of age: creaky wooden floors, cracks traveling the ceiling, and doorjams and staircases that seemed just left or right of square,
But the dining room and the four course dinner were the highlights of the hotel. Located on the second floor, the renovated dining room with picture windows all around overlooked the entire river valley and surrounding peaks. We enjoyed our pickled carrots and onions, prosciutto, bread and butter, new potatoes served with a plate of fondue cheese (up to 11 servings of cheese, he said!), and berries drizzled with champagne for dessert. What a rich and relaxing meal and excellent company with friends to finish a challenging day.
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mike pepper
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wow! i applaud your positive attitude in the rain. and, it looks like it paid dividends on your arrival at the hotel. another great day of experiences to add to the journey. how cold was it? :-) thanks for sharing!!love, dad