Problem

I have now exceeded the amount of space I have on this site and cannot upload any more photos. I would love to finish the story of my vacation, but I can’t do it on this blog. Should I start a new blog? Shall I finish the story on my other blog….Edge of the Forest? Does anyone have any suggestions? Rosemarie

Mountain Climbers

They challenge the mountains in ways most people would never attempt. They get everyone’s attention. When someone spots mountain climbers, everyone’s eyes become riveted on their maneuvers. I could barely see these guys with the naked eye, but when I put the zoom lens on the camera, I came up with these shots. I can’t believe how they cling to that shear rock face. Tre Cime is a favorite spot for mountain climbing because it is easily accessible.

Making my way back to Rifugio Auronzo and the car. I had time to have a cup of tea while waiting for the others to arrive back by the alternate route.

Hello Again!

There’s been a slight interruption in my blog posts due to bad Internet connections in parts of Europe where I have traveled. Now I am in Munich, Germany in my last couple of days on the Continent. I will make future posts to this blog when I have safely arrived at home in the USA in a few days. I have had a fantastic trip and will be sharing it with my followers in the days and weeks to come. Thank you for your patience.  Rosemarie

Up and Down…Pilatus

 

Mount Pilatus, the top is more than 7,000 feet above sea level, and on good sunny days you can look down on Luzern, Switzerland and the Vierwaldstättersee (Lake of the Four Forest Cantons). Today was cloudy. I took this while standing atop one of the peaks and looking down on the observation area and one of the TWO hotels located up there. (Don’t you wonder how they build something that big on the top of a mountain? I know I do. Oh well, the Incas did it.) It is good that there were clouds and I couldn’t see how high up and open things were. I am afraid of heights. As it is, I always kept my eyes focused only a few inches ahead of my feet. These were the conditions around noon today. Here is how we got to the top…

It began with a 45-minute lake steamer ride to Alpnachstad.  A beautiful ride, the lake was like glass.

We made several stops along the way. All lake steamers fly a large Swiss flag.

These steep green hills met the water on all sides, clouds hanging very low.

Then we arrived at the Pilatus Bahn, the steepest cog wheel train in the world, a 48 degree gradient.

Here we go, rising very fast from lake level.

And higher when the trees disappear.

Nearing the top we have risen above much of the cloud cover. You can see the railway line and even a red train slicing across the high alpine meadow.  There are also hiking trails.

Now we have reached the snow and you can see the incline of scree to the right.

We walked up the steps into the observation area which includes two hotels (one a luxury hotel), three restaurants, a gift shop, and several paths to take to various peaks, even a tunnel with look out windows.

Here is the luxury hotel.

We stood on top of one of the peaks looking toward the observatory.

I used my zoom lens to capture this ascending cogwheel train.

 

As I stood in the tunnel looking out a opening in the rock wall, the clouds parted enough to reveal this tiny church on the high alpine meadow.

Tiny white flowers grew out of the rocks up here.

 

We walked through some snow before we began our descent and we did not go down the same way that we came up.

 

Seilbahn…cable car. We had to take two different cable cars to get to the bottom. The first cable car was huge and carried about thirty people.

 

We were smashed together standing in this hanging box so I had to hold my camera above my head to get any photo at all. That’s the lake down there.

Then we switched cable cars  at a station, and these were smaller with two facing benches.

And we were on our way down again over very green hills and meadows.

Then Luzern came into view now totally sunny in the mid afternoon.

One of the supports for the cable system.

Finally at the bottom station in Kriens. Then we still had to take a bus to get back to the Hauptbahnhof where we had started our trip. Even with the cloudy conditions, it was a wonderful excursion. Cold and invigorating at the top. I’m glad I went.