The hike today was programmed to be about 15km, 6 hours and about 800m height gain. The 800m had me a bit worried but slow and steady and I should be alright. The morning was beautiful and clear and the forecast was for the day to be the same.
As we gradually climb higher, this photo is of the valley looking back to the start.
We pass 2 other huts before we get to Berliner Hut. This is Grawand Hut.
Our first sighting of our destination, the 3 glaciers that converge at Berliner hut.
Alpenrose hut, the last hut before Berliner.
On the left-hand side of the photo is the pushed-up scree ridge created by the growing glacier. The glaciers are no longer growing, but receding at a great rate. There is an identical ridge on the right-hand side and it is this ridge that we will be climbing on our way to the hut.
And here is the Berliner Hut. And what an effort to get here!! Our ridge climb ended in disaster when we climbed over 200m up the ridge only to come to a sign saying that we had to turn back because the bridge required to cross to get to the hut was broken. I wonder if anyone thought to put the sign at the bottom of the ridge before we all climbed up and then down again. Obviously not!! Our hike was now 1000m height gain and an extra km and an extra hour. So we had to follow the normal route up to the hut and what a spectacular location, facing the 3 glaciers.
Our hiking group having a late lunch inside the hut.
These huts are busier than any restaurant that might be in the main street of the town.
We eventually arrived back at the starting point, having spent 9.5 hours on the trail, 7.5hours of which was pure walking time. A great day, a great hike but not looking forward to another big day tomorrow. My legs just got me back with nothing left to spare and the thought of another 700m height gain on the hike tomorrow is not something I want to think about tonight.
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