Tackling Europaweg . . .“Ian, this is relentless. A heart in the mouth, nerve-shattering, white-knuckle ride. I didn’t think my knuckles could get any whiter.
Rubble and scree followed unstable rockfalls and razor-sharp ridges, followed by jumbled boulders & hidden trail markers. Zig-zagging narrow crumbling paths (?) hugged the devastated mountain slopes, up and down, in and out of clefts in the cliffs, with exposed perilous drops.
And still the visual extravaganza of monumental mountains and deep valleys inspired you, urging you on, to look up & down, forward & back, but never to turn back.
Warning signs of impending danger & doom pushed you to hurry when you were slowing to creep across wooden walkways clung to the cliffs.
When needed, there were ropes.
When really needed, there were none.
When desperately needed there was nowhere to fix one.”
“Ian’s not an adrenaline junkie . . just as well, as he would have OD on this.
This was not common sense . . this was heightened sensual over load . . . this was sensational.
This was THE reason for tackling the Walker’s Haute Route . . “
“Ian, where have all these rocks come from?”
“They fell here”
“Gulp
Ian, can we take less photos and move a wee bit faster, please”
We saw the reverse sign 1hr 30min later, smashed up under fallen rocks
Wild goats
We paused to chat and offer advice . .
“Good luck in finding the path round the next spur”, I wished them.
They replied,
“Good luck in finding the path round the next spur”
“Zen, how about taking the tree trunk bridge challenge?”
I took the river option. I have had enough of bridges.
Just when I thought I’d beaten every challenge the Europaweg could throw at me.
“Nooooooooooooooooooooo” . . . A nightmare!
“No way . . call that a bridge . . thrown together with leftover scraps of wood. Swinging. Uneven. Unstable. No way”
“Together, Zen”
“Inseparable, Ian . . .”
!Felicisimo!
“Muchas felicidades Zen. !Desafio logrado!
“Mira Ian . . “
Europahütte
I waited outside whilst Ian disappeared inside.
“Zen, I’ve got good news & bad news”
“Oh, what’s the bad news . . please . . no more bridges”
“No camping”
“and the good news?”
“They accept dogs in the hut”
“Whoopee! – finally the hut stay you promised me”
We danced. We dined. We crashed!
“So Zen, how was today?”
“Wunderbar”
“Same again tomorrow, Zen”
I think Ian was joking . .