From Switzerland, With Love – Part 1

It may not be extreme blogging, but there’s something ever so slightly surreal about writing an entry when the view just above your laptop and over the balcony is this:

I did take a picture, complete with balcony rail, laptop and toes in, but then I remembered I left my camera cable at home, not expecting to get an internet connection here (I think I’m using a neighbours’ right now…). However, I googled, and found a picture surprisingly similar to the one I took, with just a few mountains cut off on the right, and my photo is taken a little way up the mountain behind the valley that picture was taken in. And it’s more cloudy.

Let me guide you through the picture. The grassy, jaggedy slope on your left with trees is part of Scex Rouge (you can’t see the top), the tallest mountain in the local area. Behind is a ridge going along to the namesake of the village I’m staying in, Les Diablerates. Translation: little devil(s), so named for the number of people who died trying to climb to the top, silly asses. Then over on the right is the Dome or Tete Ronde (maps differ), and then the last tall one (you could see in my photo but not here) is Culan. There is also horrible little small mountain in front of that, which I can see but you can’t, with the point and trees, and then there was the balcony and the top of my laptop you can see.

Behind all that snow and mountain is the Glacier, standing at 3000 feet above sea level (I think I’m between 1500-2000 feet right here). On that Glacier is the world’s highest bobsleigh ride (which I have been on), husky dog trails (really only round in a wide circle, which I have also been on), and a lot of snow, which I have used in snowball fights. Even more surreal than this now: freezing your feet off in wet converse which provide no protection from the snow whilst getting a sunburnt face and arms because of the blazing summer sun.

I doubt we’ll be going up there again this year since Lizzy got altitude sickness last time, and I have yet to persuade mum to let me go paragliding off the glacier back down to the village, but I suppose one can’t have everything.

Tags: holiday, photo, summer, Switzerland