Kunkel pass continued

After breakfast we pay our bill and set off for yet another walk. It has been decided that we will continue to ascent another 200 meters to the next mountain hut.  The weather is most agreeable to everyone's delight as the weather forecast had predicted rain. During our ascent we see a lot of wildlife and I have managed to take a once in a lifetime shot of a very curious marmot. He kept on looking at me and I continued to close in on him. Really pushing my luck. The photo of this marmot was taken from a distance of approximately 1 meter and it  will be turned into a poster sized canvas and get a special place in our living room. I have been using Barbara's nordic walking sticks again and I am no absolutely certain that I am going to get my own pair. On our descent back to the mountain hut where we stayed last night. I need to go to the bathroom and want to ask if I can use their facilities. Here Barbara tells us another bit of important bit of Swiss information. This time about how to tell if a mountain hut is open for business. If the Swiss flag flies at the mountain hut it is open for business and if it has been removed it is closed for business. Well right at that time there was no
flag flying so I just had to find myself a bush to go
to the toilet. Afterwards we continue our descent only to have the weather take a turn for the worse. It starts to pour down and we are left scrambling in search for shelter, which we find soon enough at yet another mountain hut. We notice a car parked over there and soon some people return to the car and offer us a lift to a nearby restaurant. We accept gladly and Gary and I are first. We wait at the restaurant over a cup of coffee and when everyone has arrived the weather has fined

up and Barbara decides to continue our descent. When we finally return to the cars, we are informed that we will be going to the river Rhine for a barbecue. This turned into quite another experience as well as the barbecue was over an open fire and we used sticks to do the cooking. After a marvellous meal we do some sun baking on the pebbled beach before returning to Dora's place very happy, contented, exhausted and dirty.


The mountain hut we were staying at had no shower facilities or hot water. The water came straight from the mountain and was freezing cold. Needles to say no one braved the icy water and only attended to the bare minimum. We all splashed some water over our faces and brushed our teeth. after a good soak we finished the weekend over a beer on Dora's little balcony.