Day 6 on the Haute Route - Switzerland
Greetings from Zermatt, Switzerland! Today we had the final, and most satisfying day on the Haute Route: the 8-hour trek from Cabane des Vignettes to Zermatt. I will fill in some description of days 4 and 5 in later posts, and will add some pictures once I get back to New Zealand.
This morning we woke up at 5:15 in Cabane des Vignettes. This hut was positioned most dramatically, atop a rock needle, with roughly thousand-foot drops on three sides.
Before sunrise we skied down a narrow track next to a sheer drop off (the only time I have been nervous the entire week), and then down into a giant bowl.
By 6:45 am, we had put climbing skins on our skis, and were starting the long ascent toward the first of three high-mountain saddles. Just before we started our climb, a Slovenian group who we had been skiing near, and sharing huts with each night, skied up to us. With our ski poles, we created an “arch of honor,” and chanted “Slovenia! Slovenia!” as they skied past. Just a little gesture toward international skiing friendship and collaboration.
We climbed steadily for about two and a half hours, all of us in line behind Rinaldo, matching his steady, relentless pace. We reached the first saddle next to a giant peak completely covered in snow. It looked like a white sand dune.
We skied down for about 20 minutes, then put skins on again for the second climb. After about 60 minutes of gentle incline, we reached a very steep pitch. Rinaldo suggested that I take off my skis, and hike up in the deep snow. I asked whether I could try to ski up. To my surprise, and great satisfaction, I skied all the way to the top (as did Jonathan). It was probably the biggest feeling of athletic accomplishment since I finished the Comrades Marathon with India in 1998. . Maybe the altitude was getting to me, because I don’t really think this was such a big deal by absolute standards.
After another short downhill, we put the skins on for the final time. The final climb was almost 2 hours, gentle but long. At the top we celebrated briefly, and started the long descent into Zermatt.
We skied in heavy powder for nearly an hour. Some parts were great, some were very difficult. I fell several times, including my only binding release of the trip. . For much of the way, a wide giant slalom track through the slush had been carved by previous skiers, so the trick was to maintain control while sliding through the pre-selected turns.
We skied down 2,000 meters, over a distance of more than 10 kilometers. There was a lot of traversing. Eventually we had to take off our skis, and walk up a muddy access road, before we made it onto the groomed slopes of Zermatt.
We rejoined civilization (and the Zermatt trail system) at a mid-slope restaurant. Dozens of people were relaxing in the afternoon sun, listening to a guitarist perform Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”. Amidst the neatly groomed day skiers we felt wild and rough.
After another 30 minutes of trail skiing, we found ourselves in the center of Zermatt.
The Haute Route trip had come to an end. A safe, happy, exhausted end. After a celebratory Italian dinner, we said goodnight. For many of us, this is also goodbye.
Tomorrow morning, I take a 6:15 am train (with Drew and Jonathan) down to Geneva airport. I am flying to Istanbul for a meeting, and should be there in time for dinner tomorrow night.
The Haute Route has been exhilarating, exhausting, and fun. I don’t know when India and I will get to undertake a similar challenge, but I look forward to that. For now, I am too tired to write any more. I will add detail and color in future postings.