Where's Mike?

Section four: The Swiss Alps

Click here to see Section Three: The French Alps.

Argentiere, France: Early this morning, Sunday, I head back to the WiFi zone after still not getting contact from Visa. By 10:00 I finally get someone on the phone (after hours and days of being transferred) who assures me they can solve the problem, and will call me at the campsite by noon with an address to where I can go pick up the money. I spend the morning typing up the past few days adventure, but it is now 14:30, starting to rain, and I still have not gotten a call. Off to the WiFi zone to see what Chase Visa is doing.

More to come????

Sunday August 14th

(still)

Champsec Switzerland: Ahhh...what a country. Great banks, fast cash, and a demi pichet as a welcome drink. I think I am going to like Switzerland. Despite the rain!

After a semi-fruitless morning, and early afternoon, of waiting for Visa (Chase/United First card, just in case you want to know which one to avoid getting) to call me back as they promised, I headed back to my favorite WiFi zone and called them. After just over ANOTHER two hours, I finally get through to someone, another one, who assures me she can send me cash.

I tell her where I am, and ask her to just let me know where to go and get it. She will investigate and call me back in ten minutes. As I wait, I am thinking that I will be surprised if this works out, and am happy to have my brother, Fred, who is willing, able, and eager, to Western Union me some cash, or fly over to rescue me, if needed...I called him too, early some morning his time, when I cancelled my cards, so he is in the loop, and wanting to help if I need.

So, of course this woman does not call back in the next ten minutes, so I call them after 30. They don't quite understand that there is a time difference, culture difference, language difference, and that I can't just sit around sponging free WiFi for hours on end while I wait for them to polish their nails. Hey, I lost my cards, cash, and ID. I am calling you on your advertised Emergency Cash & Card Program, not to chat on the phone for two days. Again, I was not too stressed, and felt a bit lucky having someone ready to fly to my aid, but am ready to get it sorted out.

Once I get another person on the line, I again (for the 30th time? Seriously! 25-30 calls and multiple hours) explain my situation. Yes, they are aware now, but having a hard time getting money into France. It is Sunday, and Monday is a holiday, you know! Yea, I'm here. Tell me something I don't know. Can you just send it to Switzerland? Hold on, don't even think about putting me on hold while you sort that one out. My brother has already found a spot at the Martinay train station to Western Union money seven days a week. I can be there in two hours. Can the cash? Another 30 minutes, and a YES comes back. Gotta run! I have to make a fast drive to Switzerland, before the Western Union closes.

Over the pass to the east,  a quick stop for gas at the boarder (the cheapest I have seen at 1.05 euro/liter), more rain developing, and I arrive in Martignay. In the, now, pouring rain I find the train station, easily pick up my US$ 1K (~1200 francs), and seriously consider a hotel! It is very wet out.

Instead, I drive the 50 minutes to Verbier, realize there are no campsites there, drive the 20 minutes back down the, quite fun, switched back road, to the main valley, and find an off-the-wall campsite in Champsec called Camping "La Sasse". It is still pouring, high humidity, cold, and starting to fog, as I pull into the site. The camp ground owner runs out, in the pouring rain, to greet me, tells me (in French) not to worry about paying or registering right now, but to just get my tent set up...so I do.

I find an incredible site, right next to the creek, with great drainage, and soft ground. Not sure why someone hasn't already snatched it up, but then I look around. There are only about four other tents pitched in this massive thunderstorm, and the campground is very small regardless. After I set up, I walk over to the small covered deck of reception, and Alain, the owner, pours me a demi pichet of white wine. He points me in the direction of an English-speaking paraglider pilot who is also staying here, so I chat with Karen who gives me the scoop on the flying in addition to the forecast. Does not look good for Monday, but if it is, she will come get me at 09:00. Perfect! The rain is relentless, but all I can think about is how much I really like this campground. Small, friendly, clean, creek side, walking distance to the main Verbier LZ, English speaking paraglider women, and a glass of wine to welcome you home.

Monday August 15th

Champsec Switzerland: The white noise of the rain & creek, and maybe the comfort of having a bit of cash on hand, ensured a great nights sleep. When I did wake up, I had no idea what time it was, but Karen had not yet stopped by. Why would she? It was raining. Even though I have some cash, I am eager to get my new VISA card sorted out as well. My brother will be working on a new ATM card for me, in addition to a drivers license, but that may take a week or more. After driving up to Verbier, I find the internet cafe is closed this early in the morning, so I head to the Tourist Information center where Margarita is an incredible help. VISA is able to send me a new card as soon as they have an address, and a phone number to confirm the address. Great, Margarita gives me the address of the TI, but the style of the address is not the same as a US address. Hmm, VISA concludes this must be wrong, and will not accept an address without a street name and number. It is a small town, no one knows the name of the street...since they don't do it that way..., and UPS, like everyone else, knows exactly where the Verbier TI is. Hell, I found it! How hard can it be. We wind up making up an address for VISA. I suggest main street, Margarita suggests Central Place, as it is right on the central round-a-bout in town. Now they need a number. Yes, of course, it is number one. Jeepers! Ok, VISA now needs the phone number to call and confirm the address. They will then get back to me within two hours. :-) Hey, how about if I save everyone the trouble, and hand the phone over to Margarita right now? Margarita confirms the address we devised and VISA says I will have a temporary card by close of business tomorrow.

While traveling, I often find things are different than in the USA...not better or worse, just different.

Anyway, after doing what I could to get things taken care of Visa-wise I still had a big part of a non-flyable day left. This morning Karen mentioned a small festival happening up our valley in Fionnay, and I decide that checking it out is the perfect plan.

There is a small reservoir just before town that can only be for, I figure, a sort of holding tank for three large water tunnels, and corresponding sets of power cables, coming from high up the eastern ridge and rock faces. I don't really have a great idea of what is going on, because I heard the main dam and reservoir were farther up the same valley? Maybe they tube the water through the ridge, from there, and generate the power here? I have other things to deal with now, so can't be bothered. One of those things, neither the highest, nor lowest, priority, was to find a bit of food for tonight. This being a holiday, all the stores are closed, so I am hoping there is a farmers market section at the festival.

There wound up being only one place selling veggies, one place selling cheese, and one place, Dole, selling his wine. Tastes were flowing, and we found it to be quite good. I took one bottle of the red for about about 15 Francs...the most I have spent on a bottle of wine the whole trip...except maybe in Scandinavia? The rest of the places were mostly arts and crap....err, I mean crafts. Actually, only about 10% of the places had junk, most were finely crafted works that I would have loved to have. This one piece in particular would have been great. It was a very nice carved wooden serving tray for six, complete with knives, and separate wedge-shaped wooden trays with handles, that all inserted into the round swivel tray. Had I been going home in the next week, it would be mine, but I have little desire to pack it around Europe for the next two months.

Other than the festival, the town itself is interesting enough for an afternoon walk-about. Old buildings, built right into the existing landscape, gave a very natural and homey feeling that I could live with.

Back at camp, sautéed chanterelle mushrooms with a huckleberry brandy cream sauce, steamed tender green beans with butter, Craig's Pasta with a basic red sauce, the last glass of left over South African Sauvignon Blanc, and half of a fresh bottle of 2002 vin de pays Bordeaux made for a great dinner. Toward the end, a new neighbor, Helen, after hearing her familiar English emanating from my camp, comes over and passes on an invitation for an after dinner visit with her and her friend, John.

There is still a half a bottle of red, and a few Swiss chocolates I bought about five minutes after I got the cash last night, so bring it over to share. John and Helen are Brits with a two week vacation, and are spending it hiking through the Alps from west to east. They are considering bailing for Spain, given the WX, and will make that decision in the morning. They were VERY soggy people, and Helen was almost in tears about how cold she was last night...even though she had on every stick of damp (not soaked!) clothes she had. They were both a bit concerned about tonight, and the campsite did not have a dryer, evidenced by all of my freshly washed clothes hanging from quite an elaborate clothes line inside my tent.

Other than the obvious of ditching the wet clothes, I offer up my three killer hints on keeping warm at night. The first, and easiest, is to wear a hat. 40% of your body heat is lost through your head. I have spent more than one night with a tee shirt, or a couple pair of clean (had to throw that in) boxers, wrapped around my head. The second is to get rid of your clothes. Ok, this is also a good plan for getting the girls naked, but, if you're sleeping bag fits you well, it does work. So does just wearing  very loose fitting fleece so as to allow for blood flow and air movement. Definitely NO tight clothes. The worse fitting, looser, your bag is, the more clothes you can bulk up with. Of course the clincher hint is to heat up some water before bed, fill your water bottle, stuff that in a sock, and sleep with it. Makes for a quicker boil in the morning, for whatever you may need, as well.

I had changed my fuel from kerosene to white/unleaded gas earlier that night, so was looking to blow out my stove, told them as much, and offered to heat a couple liters of water for them if they wanted. Helen was all over that idea, so I boiled up a liter plus for her dromedary bag, and said good night.

Tuesday August 16th

Champsec Switzerland: As promised, Karen stopped by my campsite just after her 09:00 call to her instructor, Fred Portner of Fly Time. The day is shaping up to be great, and the van is leaving the shop in Le Chable at 09:30. I am finishing a bowl of too sugary muesli and start to kick it into high gear so I can make the rendezvous. I let Helen and John know that I have to leave in ten minutes in order to make the PG meeting time, but would be happy to give them a ride to the trail head if they could be ready to rock and roll by then. To avoid an extra 5K of non-route hiking, they can to almost anything.

On the way into the shop, Helen mentions what an incredibly warm and toasty night night she had, and thanks me for the hints...the water bottle especially. John tried the hat trick and was really impressed by how much it helped. My friend, Rick, who has also been around a lot of camping, cold temps, and naked women...ok, he's a doctor so he at least has plausible explanation for his wife...also suggests a bit of chocolate just before crawling into the sack. This gives me yet another reason to enjoy that chocolate mouse, tart, or truffle for dessert. Far be it from me to defy doctors orders, unless they were something like DON'T eat chocolate!

The start of the trail winds up being right at the Fly Time shop, which is housed in the old/retired train station at the end of the tracks in this valley, and at gondola base. So dropping the Brits is a snap. I touch base with Fred and confirm that there is space for me in the van...which Karen already did for me with her 09:00 call. A 10 france ride from Le Chable, up through Verbier, to Les Planards launch, produces a nice, if slightly foggy, perspective of the area. Verbier is nestled in a soft hanging valley about 2/3 up the ridge from the main valley floor. Till about 11:00, they tend to use the van for transport to the easterly facing flying sites. After that, taking the gondola to Les Ruinettes is the way to go for the rest of the day. 16 francs for one time, or 24 francs for all day.

Although it is great to be thinking about an all day pass, I will be happy to just get one flight, at this stage, besides, I still have to get that Visa card sorted out.

Fred is off first, followed by one of his tandem instructors, into some thick air. The clouds are curling from the wrong way, so I check the wind socks and see that the one about 50 meters above us, and off to our left, in the pass, is straight over the back. You can see the roll of the clouds, and the streamers coming up in front of us, and away from us just above. Rotor. I point it out to Karen, and she says, No, just look at the streamers in front, but don't pay attention to the wind sock. That is what we always do. There is no way for me NOT to pay attention to the OTB conditions, but I launch anyway, breeze through the clouds and head out over Verbier. Everyone else is landing on the edge of town, but my plan is to take a sledder all the way down to the valley, get my car, and then drive up to Verbier and sit in front of the TI.

It is a nice morning sledder. Smooth as butter, despite the light over the back conditions. As I fly out, I can see where the others are landing, just above Verbier at the Les Esserts LZ, and am happy to be going down to Montagnier on my first flight in Verbier. Larger LZ and more airtime for this 1051 meter (~3300 feet) flight. I have time to get shots of every direction, and marvel at the mountains. I used to climb those things a bunch, and have started getting back into it the past few years.

I got a briefing of where to land, on the drive up the hill, but, since no one is going down to the valley, I am still a bit nervous about picking it out from the air. Lots of places to put it down, but I don't want to hit Farmer Dagg's Field (NZ) and get chased around a field by a tractor. I am supposed to be landing next to the small church, but what is small, and what is large, from 3K? As I get lower, I think I see it, and am heading down/over a ravine toward it, when I get a small beep from my vario. Hmm. I am now only about 300 agl, so am thinking I must just be hitting an inversion, but then I get a few more. I start to turn and I find myself climbing out above the little church. I am thinking this is too weird...it is too early in the morning for this much lift. I am over a church, so this may be the heavens finally opening up to me? If it was, once I got close enough (600 foot climb) for the powers-that-be to recognize me, I was flatly rejected, and setting up for a landing once again. I set up, make a smooth landing in a fairly large LZ, that looks like it could get a bit bumpy in windy conditions, and am pleased with such a great extended sledder this early in the am.

As I am packing my gear, I look up to see two other wings in the same gully above the church I was in. They must have led a better life, because they are higher than I was, and don't look to be coming down anytime soon.

After walking the ten minutes to my car, I drive back to camp, grab a quick bite, and head toward Verbier. Two minutes after leaving camp, I see some pilots landing in the main Champsec LZ, so drive up to say hello. Introductions are made, and I find out they are from South Africa. Wilderness, on the Garden Route! You're kidding! Do you know Jan and Colby? Yea, we're here with them, and Colby is right there. She recognizes me, remembers my name, and says hello with a smile. It always great to bump into people you've met on the other side of the world. :-)

Jan is about to land a tandem so I wait a few minutes before leaving, say hello, and then I have to run. Colby mentions a chopper trip, up some large glaciated peak (PT Combin), for tomorrow evening. They would love it if I could come along.  If my Visa shows up today, I'll be there tomorrow!

So, up in Verbier there was no UPS envelope waiting for me. I hung around an hour or so, and then could not take it any longer. Too many pilots in the air. I grabbed my gear, took a 6 euro gondola ride from Verbier to Ruinettes and arrived on a crowded launch area. No one was getting really high, but there were several a few hundred feet over. Jan and Colby's tour group from South Africa were there, and Colby gave me a bit more information on the area. In particular she pointed out Pompe a Couillons, the gully that runs right down to the little church, and the one I got the lift in this morning. I guess it is a main house thermal, and is called idiots gully because you must be an idiot if you cant catch one in there! So much for the powers-that-be lifting me up on that morning flight! I never told her I already bumped into it, and then out of it, this morning.

By now it was around 2pm and, in order get back to Verbier for my car, and to collect my new Visa, I had to catch the last gondola from Le Chable (ten minute walk from the Montagnier LZ) by 5pm. With laying out, packing up, complications, etc., I figured I could sneak in about 60-90 minutes of flying. So I did. Great reverse (the XiX Form 3 really inflates better with just the middle A's and B's in combo) inflation and I am off. With all my extra flying gear, and this extra few pounds of seemingly non-removable ballast, I am in the middle-low range of a large, so maybe that is helping a bit, but I really find the XiX Form 3 out-climbs most other gliders around. I was quickly near the top of the stack, and was really able to thermal through them with tighter turns. Maybe I was being too aggressive on the wing, or the other guys were just taking a day to relax, but this is not the first day I have noticed I can turn a tighter 360. Anyway, good flying fun for about an hour of airtime. I head east, up valley, bounced around atop the next range back, and then headed out over the valley. I did not want to stray too far today. On my way out, I took a photo of the flat-topped mountain we plan on flying from tomorrow evening.

Landing was not quite as lonely as it was this morning, as three other pilots were also coming in. No worries though, we all kept an eye out for each other.

I hiked to the tram, paid my 10 euro, to take a ride back up to Verbier, where I picked up my UPS package. Inside there was a note suggesting I sign, and then use, my Visa right away...just to ensure it works. No problem, yesterday I was in buying some dental floss in the local Primo and saw an incredible Rib Roast laying in the butcher case. Yesterday, I had to strongly consider if I should even buy the floss, but now that I have a Visa, and was told to see if it works, I am going to barbeque. I ordered one steak, three centimeters thick, bone in, lip on. Because of the bone placement, the butcher had to go back and put it to the saw and, while he was gone, I started chatting with Kate. All was great until he returned with THREE slabs of meat. Ouch, he must have misunderstood, and why wouldn't he, with my awkward slaughtering of the French language? By now Australian Kate was helping me translate, and explained that I was camping and only wanted one. Ouch, but I would take them all if he did not think he could sell them that evening. The steaks looked GREAT, so Kate offered to take one, and the butcher said I should throw a barbeque with the other two. Of course, I jokingly invited Kate, who already had plans for later in the evening, as did I.

She was nice enough to mention another store (Denner) where I could find less expensive staples. The two steaks (one of them now vacuum packed) totaled 61 Francs!!! Ouch! Switzerland is very expensive. I was also looking for a bag of ice for my 7:30 rendezvous, and Kate mentioned it would be next to impossible to find. Europeans just don't do ice. But she had an idea...while I went to Denner she would run to her friends restaurant, fill me a bag of ice, and meet me at my car in ten minutes. Too nice! I got her a good bottle of Sauvignon Blanc as a thanks, and she invited me back for a glass. Why not?

I only had a short time before I had to meet some other folks in the LZ (then another in the campground) nor did I want to drink and drive in Europe (they have random breathalyzer test points and much lower limits), but one glass of wine sounds like a lot of fun. I followed her though a maze of back roads to a gorgeous place with stellar views of the valley, found out she has been living here for ten years, runs a successful catering business in the area, and took up paragliding for about a year back in 1988 when it, and I, were just getting started. It is always interesting who you bump into around this world of ours.

After a couple glasses of wine, I really had to run. I stopped by the LZ, confirmed that I was on for the next evening chopper flight, and headed off for the campground to grill one of those steaks!

Wednesday August 17th

Champsec Switzerland: I was up early today, ready to make it two in a row for morning sledders. There was in plenty of time for the typical 09:30 departure...unfortunately they left at 09:15, and Karen, seeing the good weather, and assuming the standard plan, did not make her typical call. I am ok with that, so we head back to camp for showers, dishes, and the stringing my still damp laundry in the sun.

After those morning chores, and a light lunch, I head up up the gondola for a nice walk around the top, a photo opportunity of PT Combin, the flat-topped mountain flight we will try tonight, and a few other interesting things, including some very old shack, that probably should no longer be standing, but is. The only thing on this building that is fabricated, as far as I can tell, is the tin roof. The rest is simply stones carefully stacked together in order to make a solid foundation and walls. The roof structure above are just logs with a few rough split (not milled) boards to tack the final tin on. Even with the crack in the front header-beam, it will probably stand for another several years.

After that, a fun two hour soaring flight was in order. Again, beautiful views of the mountains around Verbier, and beyond. I see this incredibly obnoxious yellow-green neon Form 3 and wonder who would get such a thing. Ok, the performance is great, but to have to look at it is pure pain. Reminds me of when I used to fly a neon orange wing...We take a few turns together and then I head off to the SE up the valley, jump back to the next large range/face, and then do it again. From here, if I were to sink out, it would be a long walk...if I were able. The LZ potential is thin, at best. After a couple hours of touring the countryside, I head out to the valley, check out the landing potential at the campsite, consider going for it, in order to drop my wing for the walk back to Le Chable, decide against it, and make my first landing at Champsec. A lot more straight forward than Martignay, but further from my car at Le Chable.

I plan on a nice five click walk to my car, but the South Africans are there, and Colby insists on giving me a ride...Colby is one of these truly nice people who is not doing you a favor for anything in return, but just doing it because she has to? Needs to? It is in her nature? Not being one of those rare people, I find it hard to explain, but enjoy being around her, and finds she brings out the better part of most. Jan insists on going out of the way to take me right to my car, verses dropping me off at an easy location for them, and a bit of a walk for me.

I grab my car, head back to camp, drop it off, and then start another walk to Le Chable with my glider. I hate to have to deal with details (finding my car) late and night, and this flight could wind up being a late one. My plan is to walk to the gondola, take it to Verbier, where I will be picked up by Jan and Colby in their van, snag that ride up to the helipad, and then fly off PT Combin with a landing in Champsec. A five minute walk back to my camp. Perfect! I get half way there when some nice woman stops to give me a ride. This put me up in Verbier earlier than expected, but that worked out great. Jan and Colby showed at the rendezvous point early, and we headed out.

My glider was in the first trip, and I was in the second. I was lucky enough to be in last, so get the front seat, which really afforded some great views! Took the obligatory boot in the frame shot, a self portrait of my shoulder, with Jan and Colby in the back seat, and then tons of glacier shots...including the far off Mt Blanc Massif.

After landing on top, the twins (Stuart and Mike from a local hotel and paragliding shop) suggested people had better get ready, but I was not eager to have my glider out when the chopper came back for his third, and final round. It was their game, so I dug out my harness, snapped my helmet to it, and sort of just looked busy until I could hear the chopper coming in and went to get some shots. The pilot will stay until the last person is off, so I sort of understand the twins wanting to get a jump on it.

Once the blades stopped, I quickly had my gear ready, and was tossing out my glider just behind the perfect launch area, for a quick reverse inflation, when one of the twins let me know that this spot was not very good because it was too far back and it can get too windy. I agree to move once I get clipped in, feel the nice five mph breeze, reverse inflate, clip in, and then bunch up to move off to the right side edge, where it is much more cliffy. I would not want to launch here, but it allows an out of the way place to take some photos. Three others quickly take my place on the perfect launch, as the other twin came to ask me if I plan on launching where I am, and pointing out that it is too cliffy here! :-) I explain that I am just taking a few photos since, by now, the good launch is filled with pilots, but assure him I will be off as soon as it clears out a bit.

The first pilot (he was a bit older so maybe my gray hair is what got me so much help from the twins?) did a face slide for about 10 vertical meters, but then got off on his second try, after puffing his way back to the top of our 12K+ foot mountain. The twins were there to help him inflate, and push him into the air.

Not sure what the guys experience level was, but he also did not make the left turn off launch in order to avoid the rotor. We wound up launching to the south, away from our LZ in the valley, so needed to sneak around pretty quickly.

The next guy, flying the blue wing, had a nice forward launch and great flight. Quick turn off launch to the left and was disappearing from sight in short order. The blue and white glacial ice, and a bit of fresh snow from a few days earlier, really made it a beautiful thing to see.

There looked to be a free spot on launch while others were still clipping in, so I put away my camera and headed over to my original, perfect, launch. Again, one of the twins is there wanting to help, but, before he can grab my coiled up wing, I make a turn and throw my wing into the breeze, like you would normally do. The glider is already mostly laid out so I do a quick reverse inflation just before twin 2 could grab it and help. I now have a nice wall, in about eight miles of wind. Still, one of the twins wants to hold onto my wing tip, and I cant help but think how irritating I must have been, years ago, when I would try to help a pilot on one of my tours with as much, or even more, experience than I had. It is their job, and I guess they really don't know me from Adam, so it is something they need to do.

I say clear, then say it again, he lets go, and I reverse inflate, launch and start a nice left turn over the glacier.

At that altitude, I must say I was a bit winded from running around on top. Taking a knee, and some pics, while the first two pilots launched, was probably a wise choice. With out that ten minutes to breathe, one would be better off NOT jogging around the summit so much.

My Initial inflation could have been a bit stronger. With the first two pilots having their wing over shoot a lot on one, and bit on the other, and having not flown at altitude for a while, I was mild to start. It definitely did not overshoot like the others, and I needed to give it a bit more once it was almost overhead. All in all, a good inflation, fast run, and terrific flight! Just a few rotor bumps to start with, a few turns over one of the rock peaks, for a gain of about 100 feet, and then a pleasant landing at Champsec in the Valley.

I packed up, handed either Twin 1 or 2 my 300 francs (may as well start wasting that money, now that I have some!) said goodbye to everyone, and walked the five minutes back to camp just as it was getting dark. Karen showed up shortly after, wondering if I was still alive. The forecast for tomorrow is very bad, with thundershowers and strong wind, so we concocted the Chamsec Martini...sort of a Mandarin Cosmo, but with huckleberry jam in place of the impossible to find cranberry juice. The two Dutch bikers, my new neighbors that set up practically on top of me, as Karen pointed out, and questioned, came over to join us for one as well.

Thursday August 18th

Champsec Switzerland: There were only a few sprinkles last night, so I woke up thinking it may be an ok day!?!? Karen had made her 09:00 call, and was headed off to meet at the Fly Time shop for the early morning ones. Ok, it did not look bad, but surely was not good enough to rush around for a morning sledder. Been there, done that. I decide instead to sleep in and then wander over to Le Chable, buy an all day gondola pass, and snag an afternoon flight or two.

As I was heading up the gondola, the clouds were building in, and, strangely, or at least I thought it was strange, did not see ANY pilots in the air. The forecast was for partly cloudy and widely scattered showers...but I have come to not trust any resort WX forecast. They always put a good spin on it so you stay and spend more money!

Arriving on top, I am happy to see one glider laid out and ready to rock. The socks look like they are coming in, and conditions look fairly mild, but I am not guessing they will remain that way with the CuNim buildup going on all around the valley. I walk to launch and rush to set up.

Karen, whom I didn't notice was there as well, and who did NOT get any flights this morning because of OTB conditions, came over and told me that Fred had just flown, ran into strong conditions, and pulled the plug for students. Mike, you must make up your own mind, none of us are flying.

Damn! I hate it when that happens... I have already started to unpack, and see a tandem pilot ready to go. Of course, in my experience, commercial tandem pilots tend to fly in pretty much anything prior to refunding some money. Then I see him unclip his passenger. I am still slowly getting my gear ready. All the students are folding. The clouds are dark, building, big, but there is lots of clear blue to run to in case. I see no virga, mamata, nor lines on the lake below. The tandem pilot takes his harness off. Not a good sign, so I go and ask him about conditions and he says that he is calling it a day because Fred flew earlier, encountered strong lift, and a very strong head wind in the valley. I still can't see any lines on the valley lake, even with my binoculars. Still, a commercial tandem pilot calling it a day is not a good sign.

Karen comes over and tells me to make up my mind quickly, and not to take too big of a chance, as they start to hike back to the gondola....leaving me alone on launch. Sure, the wind is a bit cross now, there is a dark cloud behind launch, and everyone, including the locals just left, but man, it does NOT look THAT bad!

I am alone, so I continue to unpack. Still no virga, still no mamata, still no lines on the lake. I start to pack. Then I sit. Then I unpack. Then I pack, and hike the 50 feet to the higher launch. Then I see another pilot walking down to launch! :-)

He is a local (good local knowledge), flying seven years (experienced), and says it will still be good for another 45 minutes (can read the WX?). I tell him a school and the commercial pilots just pulled the plug and he says the school should have, but the tandems would have been fine. If you have a few years experience, it is no problem. This is great...I needed a local to confirm my thoughts...and 45 minutes is just exactly the time we need to lay out, fly, and land perfectly safely prior to the shit hitting the fan.

We both lay out, and both try to yield launch to the other. I win, he launches first. No huge lift, no radical conditions. I launch in smooth, regardless of the cross, conditions. I do few turns, and would have no problem staying up, if I wanted to. Instead I play it safe and avoid the lift, check my compass for the clear sky, and generally try to keep loosing altitude. I get photos of all four quadrants and then go play with a spiral dive over the valley. Still not seeing anything, other than a bit of virga, to be concerned with.

At about 300agl things got interesting. From a grand, I could see the trees bent over from the wind, and was wisely considering heading to the larger Champsec LZ instead of Le Chable, but could see Karen's van below, and figured she would pick up the pieces if something did go wrong. It was all good till 300agl, and even then it was fine, but just strong. I set up my approach up wind of the LZ and slid it in right near the church. It was a vertical decent...on speed bar, and the Form 3 is a FAST wing! Nothing I haven't seen in Chile on more than one occasion.

I bunched my glider, struggled to carry it to a calm area next to the church's entrance, and then took a few shots of my launch buddy coming in for a landing.

He almost made it! Strong wind, and perhaps a bit of misjudgment put him a touch short, behind a hill,

and into the bushes! He was ok though...so I took photos of the ladies out raking the hay (they cut, and rake, it by hand here because of the slope and small field size. It is actually amazing how few John Deer tractors you see around here, but there are a few. Tractors that is, fewer yet, of the JD variety.

Their main tool for cutting the hay is a hand operated mower that looks like a big brusher. Back breaking work, and it almost seems third world to me...but it works well for the type of terrain found here in Switzerland.

I headed home for Champsec Martinis with Karen, and the two Dutch bikers, here for a race, Johan and Mathias.  We then barbeque until it starts to rain hard. We are under a tree, but still getting soggy. Karen finally drags us out of the rain, and under the campground patio, for a glass of her very tasty German red wine. The four of us, and two other campers, chat, eat, drink, and are merry until the storm blows out the power and we all head for bed.

Friday August 19th

Fiesch Switzerland: Woke up this morning and made a nice pan of hash with half of my left over steak. Hmm. I ate a third of it last night, including tastes for everyone else, a third this  morning, and still had a third for lunch. I guess it was not all that expensive when you consider I got three meals (two out of the first steak) out of it, PLUS the left over bone for Karen's dog. Three centimeters, bone in, lip on, nicely marbled....they really were GREAT steaks, and probably something I will not see for a long while.

I stayed at Camping "La Sasse" a long time, had some great fun, and it was time to move on. I packed in the morning, said goodbye to everyone I had met there, and drove on down the valley. Colby mentioned that they would be in Grindewald for the next week, and told me I should come there to fly. Michie told me that Fiesch is the place to be for paragliding. I sort of figured I would decide which way to go on the fly, but ultimately, while the rain started dumping, I figured I would split the difference. Go to Fiesch for 2-3 days, and then head off to Grindewald for a while. Not going to Grindewald right off the bat had the added advantage of spending some relaxing, catch up, time alone, which I really wanted after the past several people-intensive days.

I pulled into the Fiesch campground that is right next to (8.3 second walk) the main PG LZ for the valley. There is a PG shop on the other side of the field, as well as two other ones in town. The low clouds, and associated rain, is keeping me from seeing the peaks, but I am excited for some flying the next morning.

I took a walk into town, checking with each school. Although they do not all agree on the length of the rain, they all say the next three days will be crap. Rain, hard rain, drizzle, then more rain or sheets of rain. One of the schools said the crap will last at least four days. The TI said it will be improving in the morning, and then just a chance of showers...in an attempt, that worked for me, to keep the suckers in town and spending money. Time to just spend a relaxing Friday chilling out, and then sort out the weather on Sat. An easy pot of soup for dinner in the rain.

Saturday August 20th

Fiesch Switzerland: It rained all night, and into the morning. This is just what I needed, if not wanted. Some time to just relax, return a few emails, and veg-out. By 09:30, there was a quick break in the rain, so I went to pick up the baguette I had ordered the night before. It turned out to be a double. They make 'em big in Switzerland. At 2.60 euro, they better be big. I head back to the tent and make up some PBJ's, with the crunchy peanut butter I have been hauling around since Scandinavia, and that incredibly great tasting huckleberry jam I got in Verbier. An old fashioned Kids breakfast with great flavors. I will need to do this again, and soon. A bit of on again, off again, rain, and I am able to do laundry, a few emails (not sure when they will actually be sent!), and update the blog...although I seem to always be at least a week behind.

By 12:00, the sun came out for about 30 min, and the inside of the tent, where I set up my chair, table, and laptop, became too warm to handle. Must be time to take a walk. I pack up the comp, in the hopes of uploading, and walk into town. 15 minutes later I find the local internet cafe to be closed, so I spend the next hour walking around town testing for WiFi. Good exercise, but fruitless results. Windy, with large CuNim all over. By 14:30 the TI opens for the afternoon and directs me up to the Derby Hotel for WiFi.

Ten minutes later I walk in to a ringing of the bells. No one seems to be around so I go farther in and see a sole computer around the corner. Drat, probably just a station instead of the WiFi I would like. As I am testing it, a woman comes up and says hello, and mentions that others are able to connect with their laptops. I set up in their Tea Room, order a drink, and am in business.

I am able to connect, ck some email, and upload some old blog info from France! Yikes, I am behind, but who cares? A bit later we are both having a fun chat and Andrea gives me the scoop on things to do in the area, tells me of the Gampel Open Air Concert happening all weekend, and answers my questions about all those little fountains in every village I've seen in the Alps. I wonder if it is drinkable water and she says yes, of course. I then wonder if it is not an incredible waste of water, and overworking the treatment facilities, and she tells me there is no treatment, no giarrdia, no pollution...just some great water piped in directly from the high springs and glacial run off. You could bottle it straight out of the tap and sell it to Americans! :-) She says it is all about the quality of life, and in Switzerland it is the best...clean air, clean water, clean living, and clean people. I can't remember the last time I had fresh spring water...especially coming out of every tap in town...but it sure tastes good.

I head off to the store for some grillin's, make it back to camp in a light drizzle, and dig out Rich's unused tarp. By stringing the tarp between the tent and car, I can effectively triple my vestibule, or "porch" size that could easily fit three or four people. Plenty of room now for my chair, table, cooler, stoves, BBQ, and more. A great room, if you will, to go along with this great campground with free showers, hot water for dishes, very slight slope that drains well, and incredibly CLEAN! I spent as much time leaving the dishwashing area neat, as I did doing dishes. They say violence begets violence...tidiness must do the same?

Sunday August 21st

Fiesch Switzerland: Of course it rained all night and was raining in the morning as well. The concert opened at 11:00, so I decided to make the 30 min drive to Gampel. Park, grab a shuttle to the entrance, pay my 56 francs, and start the 300 meter walk through the camping zone and into the main venue area.

The past few days of rain, combined with thousands of people tramping the ground, made for some incredible mud holes that could not be avoided. I was sure happy I wore my waterproof boots, and sure sorry I was not thinking fast enough to get a photo of the decked out, platinum blond, in pumps, making her way through ankle deep slop. I did get a chance to take shot of the camp area though...and had to reminisce about what Andrea was telling me yesterday about the Swiss quality of life. There was this one guy sitting on the ground, under a plastic garbage bag, surrounded by soggy bread, empty bottles, wrappers, cans, and other assorted junk. Just sitting there as the rain poured down on his head.

In general, the place was a sty. Muddy, garbage, broken gear periodically littered with drunk, strung out, dirty, and bruised, bodies sitting around in the rain...although once a good band started playing, they would roust themselves and head over to the stage.

The event headliner was Joe Cocker, and everyone was raving about how great that was on Sat. Today, some poor quality acid rock band was getting a small amount of attention when I showed up, a few other bands produced some good music as well, but once Sundays headliner began around 18:00, the air turned electric. Something(?) Manheim is a  Swiss band that plays an incredible mixture of rock, reggae, Latin, folk, rap, and everything else you can think of. They actually mix it up within the songs as well...you can be listening to who you think are the three lead singers do some rocking rap, and then all of a sudden they fade to the back and another singer (Rasta man) comes on with some Caribbean sounds, followed by, who knows what all. It was actually quite fun to listen to, and see the size of the band. Three keyboarders, two drummers, lead, base, rhythm, SIX lead, or so it appeared to me, singers, and everyone else backing them up. The crowd LOVED them and the band put on a good show both audibly and visually.

Next year when I am in the Alps, I think I would go to the Concert again, but stick to my campsite in Fiesch, verses enjoying the quality of life the on-site campers experienced.

Monday August 22nd

St Gallen, Switzerland: I am happy to be checked in to a downtown hotel and drying out. The rain did not look like it was going to let up in Fiesch, the clouds were too low for me to see any mountains, and I was itching for a flight by now. I packed and headed east on hwy 19 toward Furkapass and beyond. My hope was to set up camp for a few days in Ebenalp, near St Gallen, where I could do some flying and meet with Michie of XiX.

I skipped the train through the tunnel at Furka, and opted instead for the drive over. It was a windy road that, on more than one occasion, actually overhung itself. Low clouds, fog, water falls gushing, and at times cascading into the middle of the road. This is some serious rain!

As I neared St Gallen, I made a wrong turn for Ebenalp and wound up lost on some crazy back road in Ruppen. I pulled over to check my map, and about 30 seconds later something moves my car. I look up to see about 6 inches of flood water coming down a side road that was, well, not dry, but not flooded, less than a minute ago. Cool! I start to dig out my camera, and my car moves again, I look up to my left and see a few good size chunks of debris flowing toward me, I look to my right and see a fairly steep hillside for about a 100 meter drop. I finally admit I may not be in the best photo location, and punch it while I can. 30 feet later, I look back to see the road getting more and more flooded, and the shoulder, where I was just parked, eroding away. Yikes! Now this is what I call rain!

The road behind me does not look good, so I may as well keep going. As I do, I see flooding almost everywhere I look...that is when I can actually see through the heavy sheets of rain dumping down.

After a bit of consideration, I decide this may be a good day for a hostel or hotel, and head into St Gallen, where I check into a centrally located hotel, after not being able to find the hostel I was looking for. I figured on getting cleaned up, putting on those slack and shoes I have been packing around Europe, and heading out on the town. I got to the main door, saw the big rain, saw the little umbrellas, and had dinner in. Crazy wet out there!

Tuesday August 23rd

Mason, Austria: It was a pleasure to sleep in this morning. Fresh sheets, goose down comforter, perfect temperature, not having to dress in order to go take a leak, and the list goes on. The included breakfast lasts till 10:30, so I was able to put in about 30 min on the elliptical ski machine, grab a shower, and just make it. They offered me an English newspaper and life was grand. What's this? Flooding in the Alps is headline news! I could have told you that for less than the cost of a paper.

Michie and I met for lunch, and then, after some very scrumptious truffles from a local baker and candy shop, did a quick tour of the Abbey Library of St Gall. No photos were allowed and there is no way to describe the intricacies of this place commonly thought of as the most beautiful rococo interior in Switzerland. Interestingly enough, this is still a working library, and those of a studious nature are able to come and view/study the 150,000 manuscripts housed here, or the 400,000 housed in storage.

After the library we walked around inside the church, and then on the grounds. Michie pointed out where he once landed, and then quickly packed for departure. We then headed to the XiX shop for a WX check. It does not look great, but not as bad as in the past. Although Michie invited me to stay the night, I wanted to head into Austria to get some flying done. I was also getting a bit nervous about all my wet gear packed in the Rocket Box, and wanted to get it set up before it could mold at all.

Michie mentioned that his favorite flying place is the Otzeler Valley, near where they found the Ice Age Man preserved in the glacier, and so that is where I headed.

Just prior to leaving Switzerland, I spent my remaining francs on gas, food, stove fuel, and then wrapped my mind back around the Euro.

A few minutes after my supply stop, I was slowly crossing the Rhine River. I say slowly, because the traffic was a bear, and there were tons of people running, walking, and gawking all over the bridge. A glance at the river told me why. It appeared the Rhine is just past flood stage, and water is breaching some of the dykes. This is important to know if you live in Diepoldsau about 200 meters away. I have to stop for a photo or two, but they don't really do it justice. A video would a better tool to show the raw power of mother nature. Being there yourself is the best!

After a few photos, I decide I better head off for deeper Austria, get to Oetz, and find a place to crash for the next few days. Unfortunately, my plans are transformed by a flooded tunnel, a downed bridge, and general mayhem throughout the region.

Since I can't read the language, I just keep going on back roads for as long as I can. I figure the farther I can make it up the Alfenz valley, the better. E60 is closed, but the old road is working fine for me, and a few others.

I stop one more time to get at shot of the flooded Alfenz river. Got here when it was just muddy, but then the level jumped a few inches, and all of a sudden it was chocker blocked with logs, lumber, and a huge amount of debris. Some mill owner up valley is pissing his pants right about now.

I continue up valley, and just past Mason, get stopped by the police. All roads over the pass are closed. I have to ask if there is anyway around, and she tells me only if I have a bulldozer (I do have AWD!) and a submarine. Hmm. I think I will camp here for the night, and hear rescue choppers working till well past midnight from the crappy, little, stinky, muddy, campground I am lucky enough to find.

Click here to see Section Five: The Austrian Alps