Acclimatization Days in Belalp

 A few days of "high-altitude acclimatization" in Belalp, including hikes to the Foggenhorn and Sparrhoru.

Trailrun/hike across four (andrea) or six (greg) passes

 more to come (maybe)

Ridge hike to Pischahorn and Gatschieferspitz

 more to come (maybe)

Work and play in Davos

A week of fun and work at altitude, including

- Ridge hike to Pischahorn and Gatschieferspitz

- Trailrun/hike across four (andrea) or six (greg) passes

2025 Summer Vacation Day 12

Actual decent weather this morning... wow!

We have a good breakfast, check out from the hotel, and then take the small cable car up to the Grimselpass. The plan is to go up the SW ridge of the Hohhoren (a tour from Best of Keep Wild Climbs). We start up along the red-white path, stopping after a bit up to stash some of the stuff in our packs that we won't need, then continue up, up. Along the way G realizes that his lacking motivation isn't going to improve, so shortly after p2481 we decide to just do a hike, stash the climbing gear, and continue along the really nice red-white path to Bim grosse Stei. Here we do a lunch break while enjoying the (admittedly somewhat depressing) view out over the Rhone glacier and then head back along the same trail to the Pass (picking up our stuff along the way). Really nice views towards the Berner Oberland (and Baechlitalhuette and Gruebenhuette). With a small amount of hurrying we get there in time for the bus that starts the long trip back home.

2025 Summer Vacation Day 11

 After breakfast we head back down to the Raeterichsbodensee. Stop at the first point with phone reception to move our Friday night hotel reservation to Thursday (one of the couples we ate with is doing the same thing), then down, down to Azalee Beach for some more slab climbing.

We do the first set of easy routes (just the first pitches of these routes) in the big boots for practice:

• Moritz (3b)
• Kristall (3c)
• Felix (4a)
• Rostmarie (4a)
• Hopp Riss (4b)
• Ernstli (4b)

Then move over a bit to the right and do the first pitches of a couple of 5a's in climbing shoes:

• Haerdoepfel (5a)
• Traverse Stupid (5a)

Climbing in the big boots went amazingly well once we got into it and was really good practice, but switching into the climbing shoes for the last two was a total delight.

At this point we probably could have still climbed some more, but it was pretty hot in the sun (finally sun!), so after a snack we hiked up to Grimsel Hospiz and checked into the hotel.

It was so nice to be back at the Hospiz! After a shower we had a quick drink out on the terrace, then had a bit of a rest before doing a 5 course fancy dinner. Yay Grimsel Hospiz! :-)

2025 Summer Vacation Day 10

By the time we're up (before 7), the others in the hut have already left for their tours. We head down, down, down (passing a couple of groups on their way up) to the bus stop at Handegg again. Grab the next bus up towards Grimsel, get off at Kunzentaennlein, and then head over to the lovely slabs.

We put on the gear, throw our big boots in the packs (packs too full and heavy!) and then climb the route Kruemel (5b, 4b, 3c, 4b, 4c, 3b, 5a, 5a, 3b, G starts). It's been a couple of years since we climbed at Grimsel, and the packs are heavy and awkward, so things are tricky at first, but we get into it by the end.

At the top of the route we change back into the big boots (A runs ahead a bit in her climbing shoes in order to escape the ants), then head down to the hiking path that takes us up, up to Baechlitalhuette. This is, of course, a nice hike up (even though the packs are heavy). The hut is less than half full, but they have organized things to minimize the amount of work they have to do, so the few sleeping rooms in use are completely full. We ask about changing this, but the hut warden says no, so we cancel our second night there. (Other fun "optimize to minimize work" strategies: the tables they assign us to in the dining room are all full, and the bathrooms are half closed). Decent dinner, some cards, then off to bed.

2025 Summer Vacation Day 9

trains and bus combo to Handegg, then hike up, up, up (with the heavy packs) to the Gruebenhuette. G's motivation/energy levels are quite low, but the hut and surroundings are still amazingly cool. We settle in to the hut, chat for a bit to the two new arrivals (guide and guest), do an exploratory hike just following the blue-white marked (but not on any map) trail above the hut, the come back down. In the meantime, the other four we expected were coming have arrived (four quite young guys). We do dinner outside enjoying the views, play some cards, then go to bed. Two more arrive while we're playing cards, but they opt to sleep down in the boulder bivac.

It was really nice to be at this hut and have things quiet.

Memo to ourselves: the Gruebenhuette has a fire ring... so one could bring up stuff to throw in the grill. :-)

2025 Summer Vacation Day 8

Weather looks promising, but it's rained (again) overnight, so we opt to skip our planned tour to the Pain de Sucre (involves a lot of probably wet grass) and take the first bus back to Basel

2025 Summer Vacation Day 7

Weather not good enough to climb, so we do the four-pass loop from the hotel. It’s a nice hike and would no doubt have fantastic views, but we don’t see them.

2025 Summer Vacation Day 6

Good breakfast, then walk into town and take the first bus up to the Grand Bernardino pass. Drop the heavy stuff at the hotel, the off we go to climb the Grande Chenalette via its E ridge (a tour from Dani’s alpine climbing book).

The weather is great (surprisingly cool), so there are plenty of people on the trail until we turn off towards the ridge at a cairn. Up a short bit to the bottom of the route, wait for the couple who arrived a few minutes before us to start, then we start the climbing.

The first few pitches up the sporn to the ridge are on good rock mixed with some short stretches of walking. There are enough bolts to generally be able to follow the route without too much guessing. Our plan to do the longer pitches (there are belays for both 30m and 40m ropes) doesn’t go perfectly, but we get to the ridge reasonably quickly. Up on the ridge we shorten the rope and continue towards the peak. This is mostly scrambling, at times quite exposed. G fails to read the topo correctly and wimps out of the exposed bit across the double towers, but it’s still fun. Shortly before the peak, the ridge broadens and flattens and we hit a blue-white trail. Here we pack away the climbing gear. A few minutes along the blue-white trail and we are at the peak. We do a food break and then head onwards. There is some drama that ends up with us helping a family with small kids down the steep bits of the descent. Onwards we go, back down the trail to the pass and the hotel.

We check in, shower, have a cool drink and some cake, a short nap, then a surprisingly good dinner and off to bed.