Read about my previous day cycling experience in Switzerland in Part 4 - Cycling from Sacheln to Dossenhütte base
We quickly had some food at Dossenhut base and started our hike. There are few things which we need to keep in mind. I wrote about mountain huts and their importance on these peaks in previous blogs, Please read HERE if you want to know more about the mountain huts in Alps. Our goal today was to reach to the mountain hut. Usually people who are into Alpine climbing, use these hut as base. So once they reach up, rest here and start to scale other peak. Most of these peaks are technical climbs, so you really need practice to climb and use technical knowledge of rope setups as well. These mountains could be dangerous for novice. But it's a regular hike to reach the hut. Our plan was to reach at the hut and stay.
Once climber reach this base, they try to scale other peaks on map. These peaks look small as we go head you will come to know the scale. They are really huge.
So we packed our bags and started. The route initially was maneuvering alongside the stream and there was a beautiful waterfall inside a gorge. We started to walk from inside of it and we could feel the force of glacier water cutting rocks.
This section of the valley totally felt like Sandhan valley of Maharashtra and force of water was so much tremendous.
After crossing the gorge, we were out again, taking our steps slowly, There was no litter on the trail. Everything was absolutely clean.
Check on the map, I have marked our location. You can see a small valley with water and there are these dense woods above.
You can imagine, this hike took us nearly few hours to reach, we also took water break as we crossed those woods and then we were back again in open. I was looking into the details of nature, what it had to offer. Beautiful indeed! :)
I looked back to the wood patch which we crossed because from this point onward we were completely exposed to sun and there was no shade.
I was looking out to the trail and realized that this was a long way up. I was still fine looking at this thinking as this could be easy, but trust me the scale of the mountain was really huge. It took me sometime to realize but it was late. :P
May be below image could give you a better idea.
After some more hike, we took pea break and some water break. I thought of taking a drone shot as it was so beautiful to unleash the beast. There was a nice stream of water flowing from glacier.
We ate some energy bars and little water and started our hike again. It took 2 hours to trek up a hill. Check below image, it look small but it was a huge part to cover.
That was our last point and this space this is really huge, the glacier used to at that end and. In just 40 years the glacier melted this much back. Such a sad state of glaciers, it was so evident effect of global warming even in Swiss as they loosing glaciers faster than ever.
We even saw some RIP boards of the people who lost their lives on this climb. You have to climb keeping your eyes open and alert all the time.
They do have some fixed cable at some patches but that's it not much of help. You need to trust your gears more than those cables. After this one patch of climb we took another halt for water. That's me giving some poses. ;)
That's the glacier. Look at it, how it has been retreated back due to global warming. It was peaceful to sit and watch them. Speechless!
Get ready for the next patch, Henry told.
He asked me to follow the only one rule, "Don't miss the mark, else you will climb the different rock and will be stuck."
We have to be really careful with the steps and rock you hold since some could be loose and fall out.
Before heading up, took another snap of the glacier. They are really huge. Henry showed me the Mountain Hut, our final target. I felt happy as it would be our final climb. Henry was still laughing at me. He knew that was still way far up.
At this point, I kept my camera and everything inside. The climb was steep, one wrong move would have been deadly. One needs to keep some discipline while climbing, else this could very fatal. I took below image next day while descending from a safe point. You can see how steep the climb was.
You can see the empty huge space at the back in above image, there used to be the glacier.
Below is the top view of the climb.
It took almost 7 hrs to reach the top, I was having this conversation about the old people that who will climb this as we just entered the mountain hut. I saw those two ladies above 60 age. They smiled at me as my mouth jaw opened looking at them. I greeted and spoke to them and understood that they were going to climb other peaks. I felt crazy and happy to meet them. The age know no bound.
Looking at them I felt our achievement is nothing but a humble attempt at the mountain. However I was extremely happy because i could feel my tummy reduced a bit. An achievement of my kind. :P
Some of the other peak from the sideview.
We settled inside the Mountain hut. You get the food and proper washrooms here but you need to carry your sleeping bags. Our sleeping place for night.
Finally our long day was coming to an end, Sun was setting down. I went outside listening to some good music and just having the me time. I wished I could just freeze the moment.
The music played, as the Sun went down.
and finally this was the end of our Climbing day...
We quickly had some food at Dossenhut base and started our hike. There are few things which we need to keep in mind. I wrote about mountain huts and their importance on these peaks in previous blogs, Please read HERE if you want to know more about the mountain huts in Alps. Our goal today was to reach to the mountain hut. Usually people who are into Alpine climbing, use these hut as base. So once they reach up, rest here and start to scale other peak. Most of these peaks are technical climbs, so you really need practice to climb and use technical knowledge of rope setups as well. These mountains could be dangerous for novice. But it's a regular hike to reach the hut. Our plan was to reach at the hut and stay.
Dossen hut
The top view our hike. Dossen hut is around 2600 mts of climb which took us around 7 hrs to climb and our advantage was the day light.
Once climber reach this base, they try to scale other peaks on map. These peaks look small as we go head you will come to know the scale. They are really huge.
My knees were still ok but Henry was still concerned if I could do it. He actually knew the scale and i didn't. I remember whenever we get newbie on any trek in India, We keep on reassuring them, "Just 5 mins, we will reach". It was the same feeling there as well. I was telling my brain, just 5 mins- We will reach, which was quite better. I just kept going. Lolz.
.
So we packed our bags and started. The route initially was maneuvering alongside the stream and there was a beautiful waterfall inside a gorge. We started to walk from inside of it and we could feel the force of glacier water cutting rocks.
This section of the valley totally felt like Sandhan valley of Maharashtra and force of water was so much tremendous.
“A river cuts through rock not because of its power but because of its persistence.” – Jim Watkins
After crossing the gorge, we were out again, taking our steps slowly, There was no litter on the trail. Everything was absolutely clean.
Check on the map, I have marked our location. You can see a small valley with water and there are these dense woods above.
You can imagine, this hike took us nearly few hours to reach, we also took water break as we crossed those woods and then we were back again in open. I was looking into the details of nature, what it had to offer. Beautiful indeed! :)
I looked back to the wood patch which we crossed because from this point onward we were completely exposed to sun and there was no shade.
I was looking out to the trail and realized that this was a long way up. I was still fine looking at this thinking as this could be easy, but trust me the scale of the mountain was really huge. It took me sometime to realize but it was late. :P
May be below image could give you a better idea.
After some more hike, we took pea break and some water break. I thought of taking a drone shot as it was so beautiful to unleash the beast. There was a nice stream of water flowing from glacier.
You see a dot over in below image, it was us.
We ate some energy bars and little water and started our hike again. It took 2 hours to trek up a hill. Check below image, it look small but it was a huge part to cover.
That was our last point and this space this is really huge, the glacier used to at that end and. In just 40 years the glacier melted this much back. Such a sad state of glaciers, it was so evident effect of global warming even in Swiss as they loosing glaciers faster than ever.
Henry said, we have to climb this. Alps are dangerous to climb, as I mentioned earlier. You need to have some experience to climb these mountains. I managed to released the drone while climbing and took a long selfie before we climb the rest of the mountain. Check below image, you could see us in the middle of a climb.
We even saw some RIP boards of the people who lost their lives on this climb. You have to climb keeping your eyes open and alert all the time.
Some different flowers in rocks.
They do have some fixed cable at some patches but that's it not much of help. You need to trust your gears more than those cables. After this one patch of climb we took another halt for water. That's me giving some poses. ;)
That's the glacier. Look at it, how it has been retreated back due to global warming. It was peaceful to sit and watch them. Speechless!
We have had came so far climbed a huge rock patch. But another huge rock patch was waiting for us. Henry told me that the next rock patch is quite exposed, so we ate little for some energy to our brain and body to keep it alert.
Henry was ignoring my madness! I was too excited, as it was after like 8 month I came into mountains.
He was just chilling.
Get ready for the next patch, Henry told.
He asked me to follow the only one rule, "Don't miss the mark, else you will climb the different rock and will be stuck."
We have to be really careful with the steps and rock you hold since some could be loose and fall out.
Before heading up, took another snap of the glacier. They are really huge. Henry showed me the Mountain Hut, our final target. I felt happy as it would be our final climb. Henry was still laughing at me. He knew that was still way far up.
At this point, I kept my camera and everything inside. The climb was steep, one wrong move would have been deadly. One needs to keep some discipline while climbing, else this could very fatal. I took below image next day while descending from a safe point. You can see how steep the climb was.
You can see the empty huge space at the back in above image, there used to be the glacier.
Below is the top view of the climb.
Finally at around 8 pm, we reached to the top. We are almost at the hut now. You can see Mt Gstellihorn. It looks so small in the map but it looked so massive and I like whoa, it is the climbing heaven for a Alpinist.
It took almost 7 hrs to reach the top, I was having this conversation about the old people that who will climb this as we just entered the mountain hut. I saw those two ladies above 60 age. They smiled at me as my mouth jaw opened looking at them. I greeted and spoke to them and understood that they were going to climb other peaks. I felt crazy and happy to meet them. The age know no bound.
Crazy right? Imagine me. I was feeling so proud of myself that I climbed the whole mountain, it was a stupendous and such an ego satisfying moment for me. Then I met these two ladies in their 60's shutting me up... hahaha insane moment!!! You see your ego crushed to dust in a minute. They were so well equipped with all technical gears and for them the climb was about to start from the point where I just finished mine.
In Alps any climber will tell you start early due to melting snow. Those ladies started very early.
Looking at them I felt our achievement is nothing but a humble attempt at the mountain. However I was extremely happy because i could feel my tummy reduced a bit. An achievement of my kind. :P
Some of the other peak from the sideview.
We settled inside the Mountain hut. You get the food and proper washrooms here but you need to carry your sleeping bags. Our sleeping place for night.
Every mountain hut at the peak maintains a register and they told me and Henry to fill. To my surprise he told me that I was the FIRST Indian to visit Dossenhut Mountain Hut. I felt so happy, the feeling of being a first Indian to some place is incredible. :)
Finally our long day was coming to an end, Sun was setting down. I went outside listening to some good music and just having the me time. I wished I could just freeze the moment.
I was totally lost in that moment experiencing the vastness of my own self spread into these mountain and across. It was so big, the vastness was pouring out of me. My presence, my existence, a thought, a deed or a ego were lost. As the time went, the intense it was becoming. I sat stunned. Everything was merging. There was this feeling that, "I am part of everything and everything is part of me".
The music played, as the Sun went down.
and finally this was the end of our Climbing day...
Next day we planned to descend and then cycle to next destination: Read more about it in part 6, i.e. Descending Dossenhütte
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Great Experience
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