Climbing above Kandersteg: Ueschenen day 2

We start with the same procedure as Saturday: gondola up and then walking around the corner and up to the cliff face. We're not overly surprised to see a bunch of cars parked near where the path heads up from the road today (it's Sunday). Up up to the cliff and then it's decision time.

We want to do a route in the other wall, which is steeper and bit higher than what we did yesterday, so we opt for Aurikel Primula. We get ready and wait a couple of minutes for the pair in front of us to move up and then G starts climbing. He doesn't get very far. After the second bolt there's a bit he doesn't like (probably some of this is also nervousness about the 5c+ pitch above and the crowds) and after looking at it for a bit he wimps out. We decide to do the Familienroute (4c, 4b, 5b, 5a, 5b, Greg starts) instead. There's a team of three above us, but they seem fairly far along, so we go for it.

Once again nice climbing. The group in front of us is quite slow and it's hard to pass a group of three, so we just relax and enjoy the views. We do a food break on one of the broader ledges to let them finish the route and then do the last bit ourselves. Again, fun climbing.

We've got all our gear with us this time, so when we top out we opt to hike back to the gondola instead of abseiling. Up, up we go through the grass until we hit the hiking path, then along that to the Alpschelehubel to enjoy the viewpoint before heading back along the ridge. The path we want to take - to the right and then back down the gondola station - is officially closed. Alternatives are to continue on, through the Bundnerchrinde, and then back through the pass or down into the Ueschenetal and back that way. We opt to checkout the closed path just to see how bad things are. It ends up being no problem to make it through - there are a couple of spots where the path is thin or has been covered by rock/mudslide, and a few snow patches, but those are easy to pass and we're crossing the snow in the valley bottom in no time at all. We do another food break and then head down, down to the gondola. 

After picking up our extra bag at the hotel we get on the train (with first class tickets to avoid the crowds) to start the trip home.

We'll definitely have to go back to Ueschinen and do some climbing on the left wall on a Saturday or during the week when it's less crowded.

Track:

Climbing above Kandersteg: Ueschenen day 1

We finally have a weekend with two days of good weather forecast, so we opt to go climbing above Kandersteg in the Ueschenen area. We've talked about this many times, but this is our first trip down.

Early train to Kandersteg, drop off an extra bag at the hotel, then walk to the gondola and up to Undere Allme (this is great steep gondola ride, with fun views of the very creatively setup klettersteig). From there we walk up and around the corner to Bärgli and then further up, up to the foot of the wall. There aren't that many folks climbing yet, so we have our choice of routes; we opt for Parallel (5a, 4c, 4b, 5b, 5b; Andrea starts). It's fun climbing, if a bit heavy on the grass, and conditions are decent aside from some of the grass/dirt bits still being a bit wet. Definitely fun to climb on water runnels again. :-)

Once up top we walk over to the abseil route and head down from there in two abseils (the 3x22m is easy to do as only two with our double rope). The second abseil is super fun and overhanging. We've stupidly not brought the real shoes with us, so we get to walk back to the base of the route in our climbing shoes (G) or barefoot (A). Once back we eat and then decide to do a bit more climbing. 

Next we climb the first three pitches of King Julian (5b, 5b, 4c; Greg starts) and then repeat the fun overhanging abseil.

Pack up the stuff, back to the gondola, down to Kandersteg, and then to the hotel (same one as our first trip to Kandersteg). Shower, rest, an ok dinner in the old dining room (getting 1/2 pension was a mistake!), a walk through town, and then off to bed.

Alpnachdorf to Stans

 We set off from the hotel without a real concrete plan for what we're going to do. It's warm and humid again, so there won't be lots of vertical, but otherwise things are pretty open.

We follow the river out of town, towards the airport. From here past the end of the airport and then around the end of the lake. The bit of forest road just along the edge of the lake seems to be a hotspot for wild camping, multiple campers and a few tents. Onwards we go along the trail, gently up through the woods. At the fork past Vorderrüti we opt to head down towards Stansstad. At the bottom we decide to go ahead and check out the gorge, which is quite cool and even has a bit of tunnel. At the top of the gorge the route onwards towards Stans looks really nice (plus it will connect two lines on our map!), so we continue on instead of heading back through the gorge. Onwards and upwards (a bit) until getting to a nice bench with shade and a view where we stop, have some food, and enjoy the views. Then onwards around the hill before heading down into Stans. We've got time until the next train, so we have a cool beverage at a restaurant before heading to the train station and starting the trip home.

Nice lazy Sunday morning stroll! :-)

Track:

Stats: 3:54, 13km, ~420m up and down.

Not climbing the Ruessiflue

 Our plan for the day was to climb the Rüssiflue on the Pilatus massif, we ended up doing a hike instead because it was just too hot.

We get a early start, 6:00 train from Basel, and started hiking up from Alpnachdorf at around 7:30. It's already pretty warm and the humidity is quite high. We head through town (reversing our descent from the Tomlishorn tour) and start heading up, up. We take advantage of the fountain at the farmhouse near Winterhalten to cool off a bit and continue up. After a bit G realizes that he's way too warm, so he starts to slow down. Another cooling off break at the stream in the gorge, the more slow climbing. G really isn't having much fun. After getting to the end of the Rüssiflue we take a break by the stream and eat something. Here we decide to skip the ridge (G just isn't up to it) and do a hike instead.

After the break we head up a bit more, past Fräkmunt and then following the trail under the Widderfeld towards Schybach. Another short break above the parking lot at Blätz (this is where we came down on the Tomlishorn trip) and then further along towards Schwand. Down further and another break at a fountain with a bench in the shade to eat a bit and cool down some more. Down, down, and around to p884 where we opt to head through the gorge instead of going down across fields. An interminable bit through the woods (and up a bit!) to the gorge - it's actually probably a nice hike, but G just isn't enjoying himself at all - across on a bridge, and then traversing through the woods until we again end up at the farmhouse near Winterhalten. Another cooling fountain break and then it's repeating the way up.

Back in town we stop at our hotel, have showers to cool down, take a nap, and then have a nice dinner.

We both (G in particular) definitely need to do some more heat acclimatization work! Oh, and the Rüssiflue really does look spectacular need to get back to that too.

Track:

Stats: 8:40, ~22km, ~1500m up and down

Breakfast hike

G had his second vaccination Saturday evening, so we wanted to get an early start and be flexible in case he started feeling the vaccination.

Tram to Allschwil, then walking up to Schönenbuch along the usual running route. Breakfast at the water tower, then onwards past the start of the firing range to the trail along the border, down beside the woods, then through the woods and along the usual running route. Stop at the pond at the bottom of the hill because the frogs are so loud, then onwards. Instead of taking the usual route down we decide to go find the tower which G had seen on a couple of runs. We take an improv route and need to cross the stream at a random spot, but eventually find our way there. After enjoying the view from the tower it's back along the bridge trail and then down into town where we catch the tram to shorten the way back (G is starting to feel the vaccine).

It's great to have nice breakfast outside spots so easily accessible. :-)

Track:

Stats: 2:50, 11km, ~175m up and down

Climbing at Baerenfels

It's supposed to be hot, we want to get some climbing in, and G has an appointment for his second vaccine in the late afternoon, so we get an early start. From Aesch we walk up to the Bärenfels, do a bit of searching to find the routes in the Gewächshaus sector, then walk up to the top to have breakfast and enjoy the views.

After breakfast, the climbing:

Sector Gewächshaus (grades from the SAC book):

• Kampf der Titanen (5a)
• Superdirettissima (5a)
• Schlacht um Chronos (5b)
• Chronos Direkt (5c+, A in lead, G with the rope through the quickdraw just above the 5c+ bit)
• G also did some combination of Superdirettissima and Schlacht um Chronos in his trail running shoes in top rope

After that we hiked over the ridge and then moved to the sector Ostgruppe where we climbed:

• Mardi Gras (5a, kind of a goofy route, but fun at the very top)
• Oliver Twist (5a, fun climbing with interesting body positions)

Afterwards we walked back down and took the train back home.

Shouldn't forget that Bärenfels is super convenient for us.