Chilling

As it was my Birthday, and I'd managed to sprain my ankle on the Schwarzhorn, we decided to have an easy day, as it was a Sunday after all. So we drive up to the Dam and have a good look round, It's pretty spectacular, and the view of the right side of the bank here, is skiable, well sort of. I have been down it, but a bit further across, and mostly on my back with my legs in the air as I recall.

This has to be the biggest overflow, I have ever seen!

It's hard to get a feel for the size of the structure, but there is a car down on the foreshore in the image. Yes, I know it's the wrong way up, but I've not managed to find out why this is happening, sorry!

It was a bit chilly for June, so we grabbed out coats and headed off for a long lunch in Zinal. When the sun came out, it was a whole lot warmer.

Interesting restaurant, with live entertainment!

Some Parapente guys gave us a free show while we had a coffee, and then we set off for a slow walk around the Naviscence for me to try and get my ankle freed up.

Hiking the Rostigraben

Starting from Chandolin we took the Tsape chairlift up, which was not without a little drama, as the lift operator could not work the ticket machine. The chair only runs for 30 minutes every couple of hours and time was getting on, but he finally managed to issue a ticket.

We walked over to see the Illsee barrage, which is quite spectacular then passed Lac Noir, then carried on up the Schwarzhorn. The path is marked as difficult on the route, though the new Swiss Hiking grades only mark it a T2 Mountain Hike. It's certainly a hands on walk at times, with good eyesight needed to spot the marker paint.



After a walk around on the top, we had lunch at 2790m with our feet dangling into German speaking Switzerland and looking down on the lakes of Oberer and Unterer Meretschisee.
Andy had a little vertigo, and felt drawn to the edge, which was not good.

On the way back, we stopped at the Tsape restaurant, which has recently been demolished and rehoused in a tent behind the chairlift station.

"Have you ever visited a Harvester"...

We hiked down the piste back to the car park, as it was the most direct route. It's surprising how steep ski pistes are! The day 's height gain after the chair lift was 315m. Descent was 860 metres. It felt like more!

Cabane d'illhorn

We had set off from Chandolin village aiming to get up high. The old village is very pretty and on sunny days gets great views of the valley.
The weather had other ideas, so we hiked through the woods to the Cabane d'illhorn for coffee and cake.

The weather set in for the day, and after hiking through the woods for a while, we decided to quit in favour of a long lunch at a local restaurant.It was good to visit the Cabane, as we have skied past it many times, and never called in. It's a charming place with a good menu and friendly staff. Next winter we will be back.