Ed In Europe - Part 5

"Climbing the Alps!"

The Next Challenge meant flying into Zurich, then taking a delightful
train ride up into the Swiss Alps to the village of Andermaat.

(I took this photo of Andermaat from the train window.)

We were thinking how we liked being in the Alps, when our Competitor Guide said:

          --  " Today, we're going to climb a Via Ferrata. " 

                   --  " Climb a what...? "   we all asked, naively.

          --  " The Via Ferrata Salbit-Kettenweg, that's what. "

                    --  ? ?   (...nonplussed...)

          --  " We're doing some non-technical Alpine climbing.  Everyone please go to

                  the Alpine Sports Rental Shop in town; they're ready to set everybody up

                  w/ the needed equipment, then bus you to the foot of the Via Ferrata."

So with other reassurances(?), off we went... knowing that we had signed up for a trip filled with unique adventures, but somehow feeling the prescience of a coming...(?)

Hans & I arrived at "the foot" of the Via Ferrata after most others had already begun. This view greeted us:

(Those who've started climbing ahead of us are CIRCLED.  "X" is where WE start)

Needless to say:  "O M G !"  (...a prayer, not an expletive)

Turns out it is a "non-technical" climb, technically: all the way up there is a steel cable firmly attached to the mountain's face. We were taught how to attach our safety cables onto it using carabiners (metal clips). 

 Here we're attached w/ carabiners to the steel cable.  This photo was taken looking straight UP. Note the metal steps in the face of the cliff, over my shoulders.

Wherever the face is too steep (most of time), there are steel pitons (metal bars) that have been pounded into the face of the cliff. One uses these as steps to make the climb.

Turns out that in the Alps there are dozens of via ferrata ("iron road"). The original ones were built by the Italian Army in World War I for their troops to travel over the mountains and outflank their Austrian enemy.

I'll let photos tell the story---

 Checking my camera while waiting for those ahead to move on.

Partway up, Hans looks back down at where we started --the bldg by highway.
  

My fat fanny climbing up. Note the metal bar steps in rock face below me.

Hans looks pleased to have made it thus far. The scenery was amazing!

For the Competitour Challenge, I made this Video of Hans "Hanging On."
- Enjoy!
  

After a 400 meter vertical climb (that's just over 1,300 feet), We made it to the top! And yes, we climbed through the clouds and were above them.

True... I am smiling, but my legs were killing me!

Returning to Andermaat was "only" a matter of a 2-mile do-o-wn 53 switchbacks (I counted) the backside of the mountain. Needless to say, bed felt really fine that night!

But before turning in, I managed to take this photo from our window --

I think I actually fell in love with Switzerland...

More to Come...  --Ed