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Group: glocals.com member
Last Login: Today @ 14:22
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Let ME start of by saying this possibly could've been GOL's last event...figuratively, and literally... This was not quite what JT's add stated as I will explain.
YES, we DID start very early on Saturday 8/11 morning! Everyone carpooled (thanks to all the drivers!!) and met in the wee hours (3am!) in Montreux. So, on your mark, get ready... our car's battery=dead. Luckily Thor our driver is a Scout so spark plugs in hand, car juiced up, ready to go again. We drive up the precarious windy mountain roads; suddenly the 6 or so cars in front suddenly stop causing a traffic jam; people in the front are shuffling about consolidating into different cars (apparently one of the cars was running low on gas as these roads were quite steep). Oh, and the car i was in ... starts to overheat, but we just barely made it up. So 5 cars now reach the starting point of this so called 'easy' hike up to the top of the mountain-1 hour or so (MAX) before the break of day! :-) all with the help of simple supermarket torches ;-D"
Before I go further, some may recall seeing Julian's Forum entry about "oh I'm not complaining but do men still walk at all? don't let the side down! Dig out your walking boots, sign up :-o" Half a dozen women and 2 men + JT, clearly there was a reason why the men didn't sign up including some of the regular hikers on GOL because I'm guessing they KNEW this was NO easy walk in the mountain. non Non NON!!!! This was ROCK climbing, cliff hanging, calling it what you may, but with slipery, muddy footing with simple torches in hand, while using both hands to grab onto a trees, branches, slipping and sliding, heavy food-packed backbags on our backs and just clinging onto dear life because one wrong footing and you're off the edge of the cliff!!! Luckily it was too dark during the ascent that you couldn't really see how high you where, or that you're basically on the edge of the mountain ridge. I would not have gone as far as I did had it been a little lighter and saw the cliff before me.
Don't get me wrong, I was thankful for Julian to encourage me to go further up the mountain despite not feeling comfortable from the very begining, but nevertheless i kept going up, grumbling every inch of the way asking myself 'why am i doing this?' this is not fun? this is not walking? This is TORTURE! I've been pressured into doing something that is completely out of my elements. Once we came to a big vertical rock wall with nothing to hold onto or hoist myself up, and seeing I still had 1/3 ways to go, that's when I said "Game Over". I've come this far, if I go up, I still have to come down and with these slippery conditions, heavy backpack, it was just a recipe for disaster. Most did get to the top which was great to see. I'm more greatful that we all came down eventually after several hours.
What I learned from this experience, is that life's not about getting to the top if it means nearly killing yourself. This journey did create a very special bond amongst four women who were to first to turn around realize this was just a silly idea. We fab four have developed an even stronger bond between us and an appreciation for life, our family, friends and children. Oh, and lots of expletory comments I cannot repeat here while coming down on our hands and butt. Old literary references to Dante's Inferno came to mind in categorizing JT's new status in our network of friends. A new classification of 5-star friendship was developed. JT, if you wanted to shed some of your 300+ friends you should've just asked us nicely rather than try to throw us off the cliff(notice any reductions since last night? 
After what seemed an eternity for the last group to come down, we finally unloaded our picnic basket back where we started. The gourmet spread that you get when you combine 20+ women with homemade breads, cakes, sushi, smoked salmon with several bottles of champagne was all worth it in the end.
One final remark JT: keep the hiking to Jasper, Capricorne and others and stick to BBQ's on flat lake side land going forward with Glocals!!!
Good night everyone!!
YMe...
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Group: glocals.com member
Last Login: Today @ 14:52
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Firstly, a massive thanks to everyone who came along! You've all passed the commando selection process with flying colours! :-)
Counted 24 in at 3am, and counted 24 out again at 10ish... for what is possibly for one of last GoL events ever - from now on we're all going to be a bit 'glauque' - just like quite a few sleepy faces earlier on in the small hours of this morning ;-)
Chuckled away to myself all the way up, chuckled all the way down - and have just laughed my head of from reading YouMeCo's posting above! ...Not much else to add really, I think she's pretty much said it all! Umm, but apparently the 'Dent de Jaman' is a grade 2 in terms of difficulty ...possibly a 'grade 2, out of 2'!?? :-o
What was the reason for it all? Well, those who were there know - one hell of a way to mark the occasion, eh?!! ...and one that none of us are likely to forget quickly either!
Next week; who's up for doing Mont Blanc??! :-) J.
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Group: glocals.com member
Last Login: Yesterday @ 04:58
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I have never been on a hike before....i still havnt.
But at least i live to tell the tale...actually driving home was more dangerous. Being tired and driving dont mix very well.
As to Break O Dawn...hmmm More like In Yer Face (the rocks that is).
Good to see old and new faces but think a nice bar somewhere is a little easier...rather fall off a bar stool than a rock face anyday.
Cheers
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Group: glocals.com member
Last Login: 10 November 2008 14:55
Posts: 33,
Visits: 138
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well, it was @ approx 1:30-1:45am when Gregory & Mirta kind of attempted to abuse my alcoholic predisposition towards almost OL things this world stands on & offered a ride to this hitherto well-described event. Hiking is what I grew up with, but because I am sure I would have enjoyed the ladies' cakes @ the ascending point, I had to kindly, though hardly, declined on Gregory's invitation. I stayed @ Krazy's Bar: didn't hike, but danced. Anyway, I've just come back from 2 weeks of Jungfraujoch & Valais hiking, and more than that, I am about to hike back in the Caucasian mountains (above 3,000) for the next 2 weeks.
JT, well done as to commemorate the fading-away GoL & to welcom Glocals! Let's hike & BBQ in 1 month. Why not join this 2 activities? (idea??) :-))))
@ least JT had u guys dicover yo limits, which is pretty good.
Can I have a word from Mirta or Gregory, plz? :-))) or later2day anyway
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Group: glocals.com member
Last Login: Today @ 07:56
Posts: 128,
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where our litmits are! Or, I have never been sooo scared in my entire life!
YouMeCo, I have just read your comment and I still have tears in my eyes and this is what I have to say:
I left home by 1.45 am in order to meet up with our lovely driver Trin and the other girls, Steffi, Regine and Mona Lisa. We laughed all the way from Geneva to Montreux, we had lots of good chats too. At this time in the morning we asked ourselfs the question, WHY has Jasper pulled out?
Arrived in time in Montreux to meet up with all the others, and then an up hill drive for about 30 minutes. Got our heavy food packed backbags out of the cars and soon we were ready for our hike.
Julian, do you remember what the "native" farmers told us??? I certanily do, and I should have listend to my inner voice...
Around 1/3 of the way I realized I don't want to get killed!...one wrong step, and will look after my daughter?...etc, etc
I decided to wait for the sun to come up and to sit on that clif - and to get "myself together" in order to be able to make my way down. Was I glad to see that three other women had changed their mind too and returned back with me...
You are MY FIVE STAR FRIENDS - and this for life!!! I will and can not repeat here what was said on our way down, JT, beware of the power of women!
Finally we arrived at the car park, I got my binoculars out and just startet watching you guys coming down. The next big fear was when a heli appeared out the blue and Julian's mobile being busy...
As for myself, I have not prayed so much in a long time and THANK you God, that there were no casualities!
Thank you everyone for all that home made food. And I have never enjoyed a glass of champagne sooo much!
My final remark Julian: from one Leo to another Leo,...DON'T ever organize a hiking trip again, PLEASE leave it to Capricorne and Jasper and stick to BBQ! (because this what you do best!)
To my five star friends, lets all have dinner together one night...after my vaccation and my full recovery from this ordeal.
Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy the fireworks, with "the four seasons" from Vivaldi.
Big hugs, H.
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Group: glocals.com member
Last Login: 29 September 2008 23:44
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YouMeCo and Swiss, I love your comments! You are actually missing another epic moment when a bit higher up, having lost Julian and not seeing anything, we did not even know which mountain we were supposed to go up to so we just started climbing nearest random rocks hoping for the best (which worked!).
However, now seating on my comfy sofa after a rest I am delighted we did this. OK, their was mud everywhere, the rocks were slippery, we could not see the path, the sun never actually rose under the clouds ... but at least we have a night to remember, lots to talk about, and more importantly we tried something different!
Thank you to everybody for the giggles, Tawb for you jumper and Julian for the idea! Enjoy the fireworks tonight.
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Group: glocals.com member
Last Login: 29 September 2008 23:44
Posts: 2,
Visits: 40
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YouMeCo and Swiss, I love your comments! You are actually missing another epic moment when a bit higher up, having lost Julian and not seeing anything, we did not even know which mountain we were supposed to go up to so we just started climbing nearest random rocks hoping for the best (which worked!).
However, now seating on my comfy sofa after a rest I am delighted we did this. OK, their was mud everywhere, the rocks were slippery, we could not see the path, the sun never actually rose under the clouds ... but at least we have a night to remember, lots to talk about, and more importantly we tried something different!
Thank you to everybody for the giggles, Tawb for you jumper and Julian for the idea! Enjoy the fireworks tonight.
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Group: glocals.com member
Last Login: 15 November 2008 16:08
Posts: 15,
Visits: 150
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... it is sometimes good to push them back a little bit, otherwise they will keep on closing in on us. As the saying goes, something that does not cost some sweat and effort (and tears...?) is not worth while. The bigger part of the group got there, which means it could be done. This does not mean taking inconsiderate risks, as this is a tricky hike and the conditions were not easy so, Julian, next time give us the true version and add a !Warning! to your post.
And thank you, Julian, for organising, it was again a "premi?re" that will not readily be forgotten.
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Group: glocals.com member
Last Login: 18 September 2008 22:31
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Due to a moment of inattention during a slightly less dangerous part of the trip, I’m now sitting here with ice cubes around my swollen left foot, hoping to reduce it to the size of my right foot.
In addition, I saw neither any stars nor the promised sunrise, and my car almost broke down.
So I’m wondering why I want to do something similar again. The only reason I find is the good company we had. (And, BTW, the gender balance was absolutely perfect, IMHO.)
So let’s plan something for the autumn. Anyone want to camp out somewhere? (In a tent, but not on a beach like we’re used to.)
(In Julian’s defence, most sites rate this trip as simple, e.g. “facilement accessible en une heure de marche”. In fact the most dangerous was probably trying to drive home after a long night with out any sleep.)
--tor
PS. Thanks, Julian
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Group: glocals.com member
Last Login: Today @ 13:54
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Wow, sounds like this was a scary experience.
Im glad everyone is ok, and you can relive some of the fear in the Pictures section.
Oded
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