The Breithorn - John, Andy, Francoise, Ian, Moira and Helen
The weather for our final day trip up a 4000m peak (the Breithorn) was not particularly good but John decided we could go for it. Moira also joined us for the route before driving us back to Chamonix. Following chocolate cake as a second breakfast we went up on the Kleine Matterhorn cable car (very expensive at £40 each) and put on our waterproof jackets and trousers for the first time during the holiday, but for warmth rather than rain. The visibility was poor for the majority of the route, but there were occasions when the cloud cleared and we were able to see a glimpse of the blue sky and mountains around us. The summit ridge was extremely windy and fairly cold so we did not hang around for long, but began our descent back to the cable car. We were fortunate that it was still running, as John mentioned that the previous week, his group had had to walk down, since the wind was gusting too much for the cable car to run.
We returned to Zermatt for a meal (traditional Swiss rosti) at the Mexican restaurant before leaving our hotel and getting a lift back to Chamonix with Moira. We dropped John off at his house on the way home and he invited us in for an Italian Coffee and to see a trailer for a film on skiing which he is planning to show at some film festivals. After a great holiday and a successful route, we returned to Chamonix in the rain!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank John for being an excellent guide. I can also highly recommend Jagged Globe as a Company. Everything was well organised and efficient. Finally thanks to Duncan, Ian, Francoise, Helen and Andy McQue for being such good companions on the route.
Ian mentioned a handheld espresso maker approximately 20 times a day, so I feel I should provide a link to handpresso in this space!
John Falkiner demonstrating glacier techniques on day 1
