European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 5, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse The it ohm but i turf built in ib95, front a Jav j Mountain water heaven i he Ricail is now Well groomed and we pass groups of Day hikers wearing shorts and to Shirls two More hours and we ii so Schelberg when a bus lakes us to the town of Laule Brunnen. Crom there we take the cog train up to the Jungfrau och the highest train Slaton in 1,� � eel. Our third group Leader Hans is wailing Iacre. Tall affable and younger than any of us he cells us that he has almost completed his schooling to become a i certified Mountain guile. We step from the train and it s Winier again. 1 he wind is blowing. The three peaks of the Liger month and loom Cru unil us. Another Glacier has to be i rushed to reach our Deslin Alinn the . La s nol far but we have to move quickly As we Cross .1 Avalanche area in front of the Monc ii if huts were ranker this one would gel four stars. The Mountain guides of Gri Delss Aid he1iecl rebuild in Afler in Brunei i Down in 1 -171, and they saw to All the right . Ii is Large 12 Beds clean Well oct i lied and bedlam this a e is full we Lake shifts ill the i lining n him. There s still no running water Dull borrow Gulfee cup Anil Brush my Leel Wilh Mineral water. I Alec Hal night we sit Over tin usual mugs of wine and get to know Hans to want to be .1 Mountain guide lie Ause i love these mountains they Aie so Bijeau Laiful he says. "1 want i show them to Day Rve i Oday we break up into two groups. One group will Nike an Early ascent of the Miinch the other will Row Back Over the Ier and visit the Gigli Veallie Tatiom arid ii Palace Al the ill put. Well Meel in tile i.ifi-. Alter i soul searching my husband ind 1 Kun Ide to go with the Sei Ond group. We Ace Vel ran , but Mario presses upon us thai Llie limb still Lettuice Good skills. is still a co Niece and he tells us nol to linger on die Glacier. Ill be watching from above be Kases. The japanese German and fir inish climbers join him on the journey. Tie Resl of us go fur Coffee. We All Elcel at noon and Lake the Toft train Down to Kleine Scheidegg. Now Macco says Vou will see the the Sun is out and even though we re Al an Altitude of i.7 k feet it s Varni enough to hike in to shirts. We follow the Trail Down along the North fice of the Iger. H looks very High and very cold. Marco informs us thai la s impossible to hire a guide to take you up on the North face that s an adventure you face on your own. The Trail slopes and curves Down to grim Elwald and before we the town Propec we Slop Al s House. It s a Swiss chalet lucked into Mil Mountain with an expansive Garden Oul front. He brings us Beer and introduces us to his family. Thai night we stay Al a Enlil in Grin Elwald. We have ii same bunk style Beds but for the firs Lime there Are showers. Socks Are washed and most of the men take the Opportunity to slave. Dinner is a treat Swiss Fondue served will White wine. Later Marco and i lans take us to the mountaineering museum where we View relics from the Early expeditions up the Liger and hear the stories of those who made it and Hose we Odin i. Day six this morning we gel to sleet until 7. Breakfast consists 8 Fri i of Mil same bread , and thei i which grow mom Ilon uus .1 Toulo of Days Ajio ind now is k. Our companion Small and show s a he tins lost three on his Bell Sint e Tow. La s again Mil Hans is Quick to pull Oul a Irnell umbral to that covers his head and the Tup of his pack. In Stinys dry the whole Lime. He also has the same table ski poles for c1iinljiniitli.il Olio had. These items ire my h coveted. We take Llie Roble up to Finis Sleis Ami l i Kin .1 icing but nol particularly Slof Nous hike irony the Tower a Rizuk Law ild la is old ind Reie cling. And the i Vijh Banks of Samv and ire Are with King. Blue fissures. Like a Lum Blinn of Snow. W h the it 7,5110 feel in Early Evi Nimir. A family the Hul which was rebuilt in 198 flier the Ulit one was lost loan . Their two i Lys Are excited to meet us. Day seven i i to breakfast . We it1 on the i ail while it s still Dirk the circles Tii our Ipili Kirilj Ille n i of us today we follow the Rule of Gotllieb Studif to flow Letoa Swiss explore re Lions his n laps and Skrtic lies of this Irea. By the Lime in s lift lit. We have to Dun jail res and Rupe Inlo i the Snow is is Hinh As my Knees. Tho Trail dwindles Inlo nothing and we k san the Steep Climmi up it licit Kii Ini . n leads Law Way i in us Inlo the Snow with his in for possible crevices. The Kcf Leilam of Sun on a nov is blinding it gels kicker Tulinn schools ill the offer daily Anil weekly courses in mountaineering Bomi Lor but finners and Arl Vanreed climbers. I lines foe mkt week and 10-Day courses Start Al annul ,5. L should be in top physical kind in Ion. La s also Wise to make sine your medical insurance is valid in swim pc a a. Package hours also Ace available foe those interested in sailing canoeing Ami lung sliding. For fuel her information the Swiss National tourist office Al Kaiser Liasse 2wkk11 rank furl . I we so Germany for Sonie trips you May need loom the Swiss Alpine club so you i an slay in its Mountain Luls. However Mombe Shiji in the German Alpine club which costs St Marks annually automatically makes you a member of the Sac. You la also receive .1 regular publication club in Livili a and will lie Able to Heck Oul is Ine outdoor equipment Willious Ili Arjie. Con att Des Deutsc Hen Alp Iii reins. Sek Liun , Wilhel Mirk 1 i both Dar Hadl West Germany. Ahead of us lies a Long sleep Ilc Clint my Chi a Glacier Field it the iral Lom. Althou Gli in looks like the perfect sled run it proves much Moreda Berous. We descend Vecy slowly on ropes sin rec fill the Leader of each Leam carving .1 deep foothold in the Snow with his a. A slip would mean nol Only a Long slide Hul Likely .1 Tumble Inlo a hidden cd vice. Marco reaches the Bottom first and finds a targe Crevice Aboul three feel wide. He establishes a Roh on Hollie ride a Svee a jump across is Tun a by a rope on bold sides. For the next four hours our boots guru h Linns the ice and rut k of the Slrahli-figli.1st.her. We stay on ropes jul most of these crevices arc1 Small three to sin incites wide Wil h in bils of Plant fir animal life imaging Lomie modes. For lunch we pause Al the a Small Structure Buill a inst the Crk with ,1 few bunk Beds inside to lure s no caretaker and it takes a key to i Al in but in Closen t matter we Sun and share bread and Salami on the wide 111 Rock in front. We Are deep in a Rocky Valley now. Around 4p.m., we turn .1 lie nil am there s our Hul Llie . Jul 1 think there s a problem. It s on Mil lop of a i Liff. As we fail a Little closer i can see a couple of Dols of color inching their Way up the face of the Rock to the Hul. To Cross a Boulder Field and reach the cock fat e. Up to this Point i have been imposed with the clean efficiency of the huts Anil the pc la cons ruled trails. But now i him truly a nuked by Swiss . Bolted into i he Rock Are a series of Meta ladders Cunn Cleil by lines of cables. the group ahead Olks is not a sink a Ini m glad that no one mentions discarding ours. We climb the first ladder and reach in Outcrop pins. The Cable leads us around to the next ladder. Don t look Down Hans advises. 1 ills is advice i Tan los Lois. I n one Slep Al a Lime and within .1 half hour we re at the lop. 1 his Hul looks like Mold Stone ur1.i Swiss film by Iii . Marco save it s nearly 150 years old. There s a wide Stone Jorch the rinse set Down out Parks and pull off our Jools. To Siulc is ill activity Luen igers Are Slominn us and Down till a tails helping Llie caretaker Cook and serve cd lies. Our coup s Plinner will Consul of the More meat and Laller. There s a second smaller bunkhouse next to the Hul. Ii has running Walec and i slip off Akine and rinse my hair under the faucet it s freezing but feels wonderful. When i step Oul the door i see a Herd of Aboul 15 Mountain goals on a Rock ledge above. Later we sit in the rough Hen dining room sipping red wine musing Over the Day. We be become a Lurhl nil group learning bils of diff real Langu uses helping each other Over crevices up rocks Down snowfields. This is our last night together. " morning i canes and the it Alt r is Clair a Cleft a irleand take a Trail that leads us Down to Grimsl Lake passing waterfalls and hand Hen Bridges. I m thinking Ofa hot Shower a change of club pics and Tennis shoes t Long for Tennis Shoei. Soon we reach a Power station a Highway and the Grimsely hospice where Here s a bus wailing to take us to the Irain Smikun. No one Speaks until we reach the urling lot. The in Marco extends a hand to each of us. Congratulations. Vou did in i Don i want to say xxx Bye to these people we Exchange names and addresses not sure How we ii All communicate in writing bul determined to iry. Blisters tired shoulders and aching Knees Are forgotten. I set lie myself Down or the ride Back to town and by sin to Pool when i can go again. J i
