COVID-19 My Coronavirus Mount Everest Climbing and Fundraising Challenge

I'm back climbing the stairs and have now completed my initial objective of reaching the top of Ben Nevis, the tallest point in the UK.

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I thought I'd include a couple of pictures from the top

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Thanks for your support to me and @Wiebke and for those of you that have provided a donation to Debbie /TEAS
 

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I've made good progress today and, based on @Wiebke 's beautiful photos, have decided to visit a few towns and valleys along my journey, as well as the top of mountains ....although it's harder to research these.

I've made it to Banff in Alberta Canada, 1,383m high. It is surrounded by the mountains of the Banff National Park in a spectacular setting. We'll be visiting some iconic lakes in the Park later and, if I make it that far, to the mountain tops. Here's an aerial view of the town.

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This is the town's most famous building, a hotel.
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and here are some more views; in Summer

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and Winter from the town.
 
I've reached the top of another one of China's five sacred mountains, Mount Song, 1512m.

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It is the home of the World-famous Shaolin monastery, where monks learn Kung Fu

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Here are some practising whist suspended in mid air!

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Sorry for not having been around much in the last two weeks; life has been very hectic and then I haven't been well and the stress of the last months has caught up with me. I have not been able to climb as much but have persevered to have at least one session each day I couldn't make it two, no matter how manic things were or how rotten I have been feeling.

Anyway I am trying to catch up with some more interesting landmarks or outings, like the four passes day trip on a regular post bus trip over the summer months. I starts and ends in Meiringen and over the space of 8 hours climbs the Grimsel pass (2164 m) between the Aare valley (the largest tributary of the upper Rhine which runs through Swiss capital Bern) and the end of the Rhone valley. The the bus climbs to the highest pass on this trip, the Nufenen Pass (2478 m), which leads from the top of the Rhone Valley to the top of the Ticino Valley, which is a tributary to the mighty Po river in Northern Italy.
Then the bus turns left up the old Gotthard Pass into the Reuss Valley, which leads to Lake Lucerne and then joins the Aare river just before the larger Aare flows into the smaller Rhine. At last the bus tackles the Susten Pass (2260 m) that leads back into the Aare Valley and back down to the town of Meiringen (which we have met when visiting the Reichenbach Falls of Sherlock Holmes fame some weeks back).
The bus will stop at each pass for half an hour for everybody to have a look around and something to eat at lunch time. All in all, you will climb a difference in height of about 5000m in the course of the day - as well as countless serpentine turns and plenty of tunnels!
Normal bus fares apply although this is very much a seasonal tourist route that is also very popular with the Swiss.
It is still on my bucket list...
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My dad always dreamed of doing the 4 passes tour by car one day, but replacing the Susten pass with the Furka pass (2431), which connects the Rhone Valley with the Reuss Valley. If you then climb up again towards the East, the Oberalp pass (2022 m) leads you from the Reuss Valley into the Vorderrhein Valley, one the of the two branches of the Rhine. Sadly he never got to do it...

The Furka pass
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The Oberalp pass
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All these passes are very close to each other criss-crossing the Gotthard massif. There are some more minor ones, too...
If you are a fan of mountain pass crossings, then a week in the Gotthard pass area is your dream destination!

I will touch on the Furka and the Oberalp passes when I get to talk about the Glacier express because the train runs right over the top of the Oberalp on its way from the Rhone to the Rhine Valley; it is one of the highlights of the famous train journey.
 
Posyrose said:
I haven't managed to do any stair climbing here today. Hope to reach my next objective tomorrow.

I hope it quietens down a little for you soon 🙂
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Thank you! Sorry for not answering sooner; I have not been well in the last few days but I am back on track again now.
 
Wiebke said:
Sorry for not having been around much in the last two weeks; life has been very hectic and then I haven't been well and the stress of the last months has caught up with me. I have not been able to climb as much but have persevered to have at least one session each day I couldn't make it two, no matter how manic things were or how rotten I have been feeling.

Anyway I am trying to catch up with some more interesting landmarks or outings, like the four passes day trip on a regular post bus trip over the summer months. I starts and ends in Meiringen and over the space of 8 hours climbs the Grimsel pass (2164 m) between the Aare valley (the largest tributary of the upper Rhine which runs through Swiss capital Bern) and the end of the Rhone valley. The the bus climbs to the highest pass on this trip, the Nufenen Pass (2478 m), which leads from the top of the Rhone Valley to the top of the Ticino Valley, which is a tributary to the mighty Po river in Northern Italy.
Then the bus turns left up the old Gotthard Pass into the Reuss Valley, which leads to Lake Lucerne and then joins the Aare river just before the larger Aare flows into the smaller Rhine. At last the bus tackles the Susten Pass (2260 m) that leads back into the Aare Valley and back down to the town of Meiringen (which we have met when visiting the Reichenbach Falls of Sherlock Holmes fame some weeks back).
The bus will stop at each pass for half an hour for everybody to have a look around and something to eat at lunch time. All in all, you will climb a difference in height of about 5000m in the course of the day - as well as countless serpentine turns and plenty of tunnels!
Normal bus fares apply although this is very much a seasonal tourist route that is also very popular with the Swiss.
It is still on my bucket list...
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View attachment 145563

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My dad always dreamed of doing the 4 passes tour by car one day, but replacing the Susten pass with the Furka pass (2431), which connects the Rhone Valley with the Reuss Valley. If you then climb up again towards the East, the Oberalp pass (2022 m) leads you from the Reuss Valley into the Vorderrhein Valley, one the of the two branches of the Rhine. Sadly he never got to do it...

The Furka pass
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The Oberalp pass
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All these passes are very close to each other criss-crossing the Gotthard massif. There are some more minor ones, too...
If you are a fan of mountain pass crossings, then a week in the Gotthard pass area is your dream destination!

I will touch on the Furka and the Oberalp pass when I get to talk about the Glacier express because the train runs right over the top of the Oberalp on its way from the Rhone to the Rhine Valley; it is one of the highlights of the famous train journey.
Click to expand...

Well done for persevering, even when you weren't well or feeling stressed. I have increased the length of my daily walks and this has often left me in a lot of pain, but with thunderstorms forecast I'll be working towards my next peak.
 
Posyrose said:
Well done for persevering, even when you weren't well or feeling stressed. I have increased the length of my daily walks and this has often left me in a lot of pain, but with thunderstorms forecast I'll be working towards my next peak.
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Well done for hanging in there and by now surpassing your initial aim by quite a long distance!
 
While I am working my way steadily up, I want to take a look at the Glacier Express railway line, which links the two best known Swiss resorts in the Alps via a very scenic and at times breath-taking route, running from Zermatt at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn down into the Rhone Valley (which is called Valais in the lower French speaking part and Wallis in the higher German speaking part) and follows it up right to the end where it runs underneath the Furka pass in a long tunnel. The train emerges in the Reuss Valley for a short stop in Andermatt (change for Lucerne/Zurich/Basel) just below the Gotthard pass and then winds up a side vally to cross over the Oberalp pass (2044 m) into the Front Rhine Valley not far from one of its sources until it reaches Chur, the capital of the canton of Graubünden-Grishuns not far from where the two branches of the young Rhine meet. There turns off again onto another line that initially follows the Back Rhine in order to reach St Moritz in the Engadin via the Julier pass (2284 m).
Of course you can also travel in the other direction!

Here is the map for those that are interested. In the village of Andermatt (another resort) the main North-South line running from Zurich and Basel via the Gotthard tunnel to Italy crosses with the Alpine East-West line, along which the Glacier Express travels.
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It is one of those breathtaking once of a lifetime experiences; unfortunately the ticket prices for travelling in luxury are also on the slightly breath-taking side! So no glacier express for me - I'd rather spend that kind of money on a several weeks holiday in the UK exploring the country mostly by train in my pre-marriage summer holidays... but there you are!

But if you can afford it, it is definitely an experience! If you can't, travel on the local trains and bring a back pack and packed lunch...

Zermatt with the unmistakeable Matterhorn
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At the Oberalp pass
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You can of course always dream...
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Sorry, I haven't caught up with this thread for a while (work is busy).

Fabulous to see how far you have both got. A very well done to you. ♥️

@Wiebke hope you are feeling better.x
 
YvonneBlue said:
Sorry, I haven't caught up with this thread for a while (work is busy).

Fabulous to see how far you have both got. A very well done to you. ♥

@Wiebke hope you are feeling better.x
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Thanks, I am better again; just trying stabilise my sleeping rhythm for the third time again this spring (not easy in this muggy air) and catching up with everything - including sleep - which will likely take me until the end of the week.
 
Wiebke said:
While I am working my way steadily up, I want to take a look at the Glacier Express railway line, which links the two best known Swiss resorts in the Alps via a very scenic and at times breath-taking route, running from Zermatt at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn down into the Rhone Valley (which is called Valais in the lower French speaking part and Wallis in the higher German speaking part) and follows it up right to the end where it runs underneath the Furka pass in a long tunnel. The train emerges in the Reuss Valley for a short stop in Andermatt (change for Lucerne/Zurich/Basel) just below the Gotthard pass and then winds up a side vally to cross over the Oberalp pass (2044 m) into the Front Rhine Valley not far from one of its sources until it reaches Chur, the capital of the canton of Graubünden-Grishuns not far from where the two branches of the young Rhine meet. There turns off again onto another line that initially follows the Back Rhine in order to reach St Moritz in the Engadin via the Julier pass (2284 m).
Of course you can also travel in the other direction!

Here is the map for those that are interested. In the village of Andermatt (another resort) the main North-South line running from Zurich and Basel via the Gotthard tunnel to Italy crosses with the Alpine East-West line, along which the Glacier Express travels.
View attachment 145694

It is one of those breathtaking once of a lifetime experiences; unfortunately the ticket prices for travelling in luxury are also on the slightly breath-taking side! So no glacier express for me - I'd rather spend that kind of money on a several weeks holiday in the UK exploring the country mostly by train in my pre-marriage summer holidays... but there you are!

But if you can afford it, it is definitely an experience! If you can't, travel on the local trains and bring a back pack and packed lunch...

Zermatt with the unmistakeable Matterhorn
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At the Oberalp pass
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You can of course always dream...
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Click to expand...
Wow that is amazing - well done Wiebke; I would love to travel on that train - but it's probably out of my price bracket!
 
Tonight I am visiting the Säntis mountain at 2501 m.
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It is the highest mountain in the Northeast of Switzerland not far from the border to Austria and that of the tiny principality Liechtenstein. The border runs along the Rhine river on its way to Lake Constance in this part although it is not directly abutting the valley itself! Heidi country!

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By now, it will probably not at all surprise you that there is a convenient cable car to take you up to the summit... Switzerland is a VERY civilised country after all! Worth some great views, too!

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Wiebke said:
Tonight I am visiting the Säntis mountain.
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It is the highest mountain in the Northeast of Switzerland not far from the border to Austria and that of the tiny principality Liechtenstein that runs along the Rhine river on its way to Lake Constance in this part although it is not directly abutting the valley itself! Heidi country!

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By now, it will probably not at all surprise you that there is a convenient cable car to take you up to the summit... Switzerland is a VERY civilised country after all! Worth some great views, too!

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Click to expand...
Photo no. 4 is spectacular!

Well done reaching such dizzy heights.
 
I have run up my one stair 1000 times!

To celebrate it, I am stopping at the top of the Männliflue ('the Rock Face of the Little Men'), which is is 2652 m above sea level.
It lies in the Bernese Alps in the Diemtig Valley; it is visited by the more serious mountain climbers and off piste skiers.

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Tonight I am looking a bit down again at one of the most scenic railways and my parents' favourite.

The Bernina Express runs from Chur but instead of turning off west to nearby St.Moritz in the Engadin, it runs on south up the Bernina Pass (2328 m) and then down to Poschiavo in the Italian speaking Poschiavo/Puschlav Valley. It is a side valley of the Adda river, another tributary of the Po river. The line ends in Tirano in Italy, the main town of the Valtellina (as the the Adda valley is called). The Adda runs through lake Como. You can take the train from Tirano and carry on to Lugano in Switzerland.
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The Puschlav is the kind of 'front leg' in Switzerland's southeast that is mostly surrounded by Italian territory and connected to the rest of Switzerland only via the Bernina Pass, which is being kept open in winter, unlike the other high pass routes. It is great hiking territory with the option of picking up the regular local train at another station.

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Val Poschiavo (or Puschlav)
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PS: The Glacier Express and the Bernina Express are also known as the slowest express trains... not suprising, considering the terrain!
 
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