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| Dang blurry camera....here's the first leg of the Via Ferrata in Murren. Via Ferrata means "iron road" in Italian that combines both alpine hiking and rock climbing. It was intense! |
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| Martin with Michelle and Matt Spidell in front of him. Behind me was Chloe and Jackie |
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| Amazing view |
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| This is one of my favorite photos of the Via Ferrata |
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| Martin climbing down one of several ladders down.... |
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| At about the first third of the hike/climb, we came across a bass jumper booth...B.AS.E. jumping is crazy, we witnessed it several times during our stay in Murren. B.A.S.E jumpers are essentially parachuters that jump off either a building, antenna, span or earth (cliff). The ones we saw behind our Chinese restaurant in Murren had wing suits on with parachutes. Chloe and Whit followed them down to a spot like this and asked if they could watch and they said yes and asked us where we were from, "Arkansas and you?", Seattle, Washington was their reply. B.A.S.E. jumping is dangerous and intense....I flipped out when I saw those guys jump off that 3,600 foot cliff to the valley below.....thrill seekers for sure. |
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| Matt going on our first of two tight rope journeys across... |
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| Matt and Michelle |
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| Chloe on the first and longest of the two tight ropes |
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| This photo was in the middle of the hike/climb but at the end everyone made comments that I was crazy to have my mini Canon camera on my wrist snapping photos the whole time.... |
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| This was intense for me...there were probably 3 of these ladder climb downs...one had to be three stories long....I'm serious |
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| Chloe |
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| At this point, I put my camera away because I was seriously terrified of the Nepalese Bridge (just 80 meters in length or 262 feet...that's short). I did voice that I wasn't sure I could handle it.....Michelle said, "what, you can't do it?"...I had to realize that I asked her to encourage me on the last two tight ropes because I was unsure of myself. As we watched Martin and Matt go first, I was behind Michelle, a breast cancer, double masectomy survivor who was going before me and I couldn't do it??? I said my prayers and didn't look down...... |
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| We walked straight to this pub in Gimmelwald after that crazy Via Verrata and Chloe looks happy!! |
The Via Ferrata means the "iron road" in Italian. They are all over the world, just google it. Google Via Verrata Murren and you'll see Youtube videos of what we did. I felt a little lazy when it was Kara, Whit (he couldn't do it because he was too little) and I that weren't doing this "hike". So right after lunch I said I'd go, packed orange juices for low blood sugar and waters. We all had a good lunch so I was game at the last minute.
We got to the rental place where you get your harness, helmet and equipment. I asked the guy fitting me how the clamps worked, and he gave me a "you don't know how to use the clamps (carabiners)?", Jackie quickly stepped in and said we know and told me to hush it. When we got out of the rental, he told me that a novice is never to do a Via Ferrata without a guide....I had no idea we needed a guide (guides were $100 per person). So we relied on Martin and Matt, our novice guides but very confident guides, to helps us get through it.
Overall, I was glad I hadn't seen the many Youtube videos of the Via Ferrata because I probably wouldn't have done it....It was a amazing. I'm so glad we did it and survived. Next blog coming soon....
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