As I already mentioned earlier, I have three japanese in their sixties as room mates. They are very friendly and nice, but also very irritating. Every morning one of them goes to the toilet at 4am, after that next one gets up around five to just go and wander around the corridors. Then clock is six and the total chaos starts as they begin to sort out their gear for the days walk. Oh and, the snoring competition goes through even ear plugs. So, if you wake up once, that's it. Goodbye sleep. I was optimistic this morning and put the alarm at 18 past six. Well, I've been up since five or so.
Aamu valkeni lupaavan puolipilvisenä.
Morning looked promising.
Jo hissin lipunmyyjä totesi, että ylhäällä tuulee. Lipun ostettua oppaani Ludwig saapuikin. Ikää 68 vuotta, joista 44 mennyt kiipeillessä. Menimme katsomaan tilanteen kuitenkin. Keli ei ollut hyvä, vaikka miten sitä kaunistelisi. Näkyvyys huono ja 15-20m/s tuuli kuljetti jäätä vaakatasossa.
Even the ticket sales woman said it's windy up there. Just as I got the ticked my guide, Ludwig, arrived. He is 68 years old, from which he has spent 44 climbing. We went up to see the weather, it wasn't good. Poor visibility and wind blowing ice horizontally at 15-20m/s.
Ludwig ehdotti, että menemme jonkin matkaa katsomaan, jos keli paranisi. Jos ei niin palaisimme takaisin. Hetkisen kuluttua alkoikin kohde jo hieman kurkkimaan pilvien seasta.
Ludwig suggested that we go for a bit to see how it goes and if the weather was getting any better. If not, we'd come back. After a while the target started to peek among the clouds.
Askel askeleelta nousimme ylemmäksi. Häpeäkseni on myönnettävä, että 68v ukko veti kovempaa tahtia välillä kyselleen "you ok?" tai "too fast?". Parilla hengähdystauolla selvisin kuitenkin tiukimman nousun. Kyseessä oli normaali eli suosituin reitti, joten muitakin yrittäjiä näkyi.
Step by step we gained elevation. I shame to admit, but 68 years old guy was in better shape than me. He just pushed on now and then asking "you ok?" and "too fast?". With couple of breathers I managed to climb the steepest part. We were using the normal aka common route, so there we other climbers coming and going.
Kaikkien ikäväksi keli huononi. Myöhästyimme puolisen tuntia huipulta. Joten nyt sieltä ei näkynyt yhtään mitään.
For everyone's misery the weather was getting worse. We were about half an hour late from the summit. So, there was nothing to see.
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| At the summit |
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| Nice views from the summit |
Hyvällä kelillä näkymät olisivat olleet tätä luokkaa:
In good weather the scenery would have been something like this:
Panoraamakuva Wikipediasta
Paluumatka oli melkoinen seikkailu, koska näkyvyys oli välillä vain pari metriä. Tuuli oli peittänyt jäljet lumella ja jäällä.
Return trip was an adventure, because at moments the visibility was down to only couple of meters. The wind had blown snow and ice to cover the tracks.
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| No need for eye glasses, couldn't see anything anyway |
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| Consultation with a passing group's guide about the correct heading |
Pääsimme hengissä perille ja juhlistimme sitä kupilla kaakaota.
We made it back alive and celebrated it with a cup of hot chocolate.
