Achieving One's Goals
As a general rule, I think it is a good idea that everyone keep a mental list of things they would like to accomplish in life. Nothing formal or complicated; just a few things (easy or difficult) that would really make you happy to do. For example, one of my goals in life is to form an all-ukulele all-David-Bowie cover band called "We can be Bowie -- just for one day." I'm still working on that -- I will keep you informed of my progress.
Why do I bring this up? Well, after last weekend I can cross off one of my dreams in life. I'll get straight to the photographic evidence.
Fig. 1: Pretty much the happiest I will ever be in a photo, ever.
Last weekend, my good friends from Stanford, Rafael and Pin-pin, flew down from the dreary United Kingdom (where they are both doing post-docs) to visit Switzerland. As they were more interested in hitting the slopes than seeing the sights in Lausanne, it was up to me to plan some sort of outdoor adventure. After consulting with some mountaineering experts (i.e. Bernard, from Valais), a plan was hatched to visit the Col du Grand Saint Bernard -- the Great St. Bernard Pass!
As Wikipedia will tell you, the Great St. Bernard Pass is the oldest known route through the western Alps and thus has been an important crossing point for millennia. In the 11th century, St. Bernard himself built a hospice on the pass to aid pilgrims and travelers crossing the Alps. The hospice has been in continuous operation since then, having been expanded and rebuilt a few times over the years.
Until a tunnel was built in the 1960s, the narrow road over the pass was the shortest path between Martigny (in Switzerland) and Aosta (in Italy). Unfortunately, the road is snowed in between October and May and un-passable by car. Thus, the only way to get to the hospice in the winter is to make the 5 km journey (with 500 m of elevation gain) through the snow.
In order to cover this sort of distance in the snow, one has two choices: snowshoes (see my previous post on the topic) or skis. Skiing uphill? Yes! Called peau de phoque (seal skin) or ski de randonée (ski hiking), it is very popular in Switzerland. The idea is that you temporarily attach these strips of fabric with very uni-directional hairs onto the bottom of your skis: they allow you to slide forward, but prevent you from sliding backwards. If you want to go downhill, you just take off the strips and away you go. Presumably, the name comes from the fact that the strips of fabric (which are now made of some sort of space-age polymer) used to be actual seal skins. If you are a good skier, you can move somewhat more quickly than snowshoes uphill and -- of course -- way more quickly downhill. If you are a total novice, like me, it would probably be faster to go with snowshoes in both directions.
A couple of labmates (Marc: world-class rower and athlete; Serge: expert skier/crazy person; and Jens: German) and Loren (of Grenoble) joined us for the expedition, although Bernard (the initiator) and his wife were unable to make the trip as they both came down with the flu that morning. This would come back to annoy us later.
Fig. 2: Pin-pin, Rafael, Marc, Big Dummy, Loren, Jens and Serge.
Rafael and Pin-pin wanted to snowboard the next day, so they rented snowshoes. The rest of us went with the peau de phoque. The Hospice website suggests that the combination of 5 km of distance and 500 m of elevation in the mountains is the equivalent of 10 km of "effort." They also suggest that you start no later than 2:00 or 2:30, as it takes roughly 2.5 hours to make the ascent and it starts getting dark aroune 5:00 or 5:30. Thanks to the sporting goods store not being open from Noon - 2:00, we weren't able to depart until nearly 4:30. Nonetheless, we were confident that we would make it up just fine.
Fig. 3: Pin-pin showing off her snowshoes. These were probably the right choice for going up the mountain as they are both lightweight and mobile.
If you've never peau de phoque'd, I would describe it as such: it is roughly as efficient as you would imagine strapping big pieces of wood to your feet and trying to walk uphill to be. For someone like me, who has only been on skis once in his life, it was not a particularly efficient process. The rental boots didn't fit very well nor did I know how to adjust them properly, thus my shins were rubbed completely raw by the end of the hike. Also, this little excursion was the first time I'd exerted myself physically in about a month, so in retrospect, it probably wasn't the greatest idea. Thankfully, a dose of codeine at the bottom of the mountain and the dream of a warm meal at the top of the mountain kept me going and not long after it got really dark, we made it to the top.
Fig. 4: Serge (backwards), Marc, and Jens show off proper peau de phoque'ing technique.
Fig. 5: The views in the mountains were incredible.
The Hospice is run by chanoines (canons) which are like monks, for the most part. They provide dormitory style beds, hot meals, and mass five times a day for visitors. Upon arrival, one of the monks came up to us wanting to know what happened to our other two people (we made reservations for 9). We explained that they came down with the flu and couldn't make it. He was not pleased that we didn't call and change the reservation as it meant that they had prepared too much food. We explained that we were extremely sorry about the whole thing and tried to explain that we were really in a hurry to get going and just made an honest mistake. This did not go well with the monk.
Dinner was nice, and afterward we got to watch a nice propaganda film about the history of the hospice. There was a nice sort of living room, with board games, comic books, and other entertainment, so we passed the time playing cards and reading comics. Serge and Marc taught some of us foreigners how to play Jass, the national card game of Switzerland, so it was an educational experience.
Fig. 6: Card sharks at work. Pin-pin is reading "Tintin au Congo," a delightfully racist comic book in which the natives are so dumb that they speak worse French than Tintin's dog, Milou.
For the most part, the Hospice was really nice and I think we all would have had a great experience except for one thing: this one monk just would not stop harassing us about the fact that we didn't call to change our reservation. He must have hassled me at least 5 times about the fact, culminating in his insistence that when we paid, that we ought to consider all the expenses that we cost them in heating and food for the missing people and we should add to our bill "what our conscious told us" was a fair amount.
Needless to say, this didn't fly with some of our group and some fairly spirited discussions ensued. Most of us paid a bit extra, just to avoid a fight, but it really left a bitter taste in our mouths. I guess when you go spend a night with monks, you should probably be prepared for an extra large dose of Catholic guilt. Oh well.
The next morning, Serge, Marc and Loren set off for another peau de phoque adventure to a nearby peak, Rafael and Pin-pin took their snowboards and headed down the mountain to the ski station to snowboard all day, and Jens and I wandered around the hospice with the spare snowshoes. Fun was had by all, until it was time to leave.
Fig. 7: Rafael and Pin-pin, just before they slam some Mountain Dew, eat some Extreme Pizza Flavored Goldfish, and take it to the max!
Once ready, we had to take the peaux de phoque off of the skis and start skiing down the mountain. As mentioned before, I don't exactly have a glorious history of ski experience, so this was a bit of a challenge for me. Fortunately, Marc was an extremely good instructor and taught me many many things, and by the time I was at the bottom, I was doing alright. I only had a couple falls, none of the serious, and even though I didn't exactly bathe myself in glory, I didn't embarrass myself too badly, either.
Fig. 8: Another stunning view of the mountains. In general, the skies get bluer and more beautiful the further up you go. At the same time in Lausanne, it was gray and ugly.
Once we made it to the bottom, it was time for a drink at the restaurant, and that was the end of that adventure.
Fig. 9: Most of the crew relaxing after an exhausting weekend.
Oh, did I forget something?
Fig. 10: Is it physically possible for a picture to say "Come to Switzerland" more than this one does? Can anyone resist it?
The hospice at the Great St. Bernard Pass is probably most famous for being the home of the world-famous St. Bernard breed of dogs. Although during the wintertime, the dogs are not kept at the hospice, they are kept at the beautiful Fondation Barry, a short drive away in Martigny. Friday, before we made our ascent, we stopped by the foundation for a quick visit with the dogs.
Fig. 11: Who's a good boy? Are you? Yes you are!
Although there is a museum with all sorts of historical information on the pass and the dogs, the real draw is the puppies. For a nominal fee, you can see the puppies. You can photograph the puppies. You can take videos of the puppies. And you can pet the puppies. It truly does not get any better than that.
So, I can finally check off "Visit the home of the St. Bernard dogs and then see more of them in a single day than most people see in a lifetime" from my list of things to do before I die. If you come and visit me, you can do the same thing.
P.S. A lot more photos are available at my Picasa account here.
Why do I bring this up? Well, after last weekend I can cross off one of my dreams in life. I'll get straight to the photographic evidence.
Fig. 1: Pretty much the happiest I will ever be in a photo, ever.Last weekend, my good friends from Stanford, Rafael and Pin-pin, flew down from the dreary United Kingdom (where they are both doing post-docs) to visit Switzerland. As they were more interested in hitting the slopes than seeing the sights in Lausanne, it was up to me to plan some sort of outdoor adventure. After consulting with some mountaineering experts (i.e. Bernard, from Valais), a plan was hatched to visit the Col du Grand Saint Bernard -- the Great St. Bernard Pass!
As Wikipedia will tell you, the Great St. Bernard Pass is the oldest known route through the western Alps and thus has been an important crossing point for millennia. In the 11th century, St. Bernard himself built a hospice on the pass to aid pilgrims and travelers crossing the Alps. The hospice has been in continuous operation since then, having been expanded and rebuilt a few times over the years.
Until a tunnel was built in the 1960s, the narrow road over the pass was the shortest path between Martigny (in Switzerland) and Aosta (in Italy). Unfortunately, the road is snowed in between October and May and un-passable by car. Thus, the only way to get to the hospice in the winter is to make the 5 km journey (with 500 m of elevation gain) through the snow.
In order to cover this sort of distance in the snow, one has two choices: snowshoes (see my previous post on the topic) or skis. Skiing uphill? Yes! Called peau de phoque (seal skin) or ski de randonée (ski hiking), it is very popular in Switzerland. The idea is that you temporarily attach these strips of fabric with very uni-directional hairs onto the bottom of your skis: they allow you to slide forward, but prevent you from sliding backwards. If you want to go downhill, you just take off the strips and away you go. Presumably, the name comes from the fact that the strips of fabric (which are now made of some sort of space-age polymer) used to be actual seal skins. If you are a good skier, you can move somewhat more quickly than snowshoes uphill and -- of course -- way more quickly downhill. If you are a total novice, like me, it would probably be faster to go with snowshoes in both directions.
A couple of labmates (Marc: world-class rower and athlete; Serge: expert skier/crazy person; and Jens: German) and Loren (of Grenoble) joined us for the expedition, although Bernard (the initiator) and his wife were unable to make the trip as they both came down with the flu that morning. This would come back to annoy us later.
Fig. 2: Pin-pin, Rafael, Marc, Big Dummy, Loren, Jens and Serge.Rafael and Pin-pin wanted to snowboard the next day, so they rented snowshoes. The rest of us went with the peau de phoque. The Hospice website suggests that the combination of 5 km of distance and 500 m of elevation in the mountains is the equivalent of 10 km of "effort." They also suggest that you start no later than 2:00 or 2:30, as it takes roughly 2.5 hours to make the ascent and it starts getting dark aroune 5:00 or 5:30. Thanks to the sporting goods store not being open from Noon - 2:00, we weren't able to depart until nearly 4:30. Nonetheless, we were confident that we would make it up just fine.
Fig. 3: Pin-pin showing off her snowshoes. These were probably the right choice for going up the mountain as they are both lightweight and mobile.
Fig. 4: Serge (backwards), Marc, and Jens show off proper peau de phoque'ing technique.
Fig. 5: The views in the mountains were incredible.The Hospice is run by chanoines (canons) which are like monks, for the most part. They provide dormitory style beds, hot meals, and mass five times a day for visitors. Upon arrival, one of the monks came up to us wanting to know what happened to our other two people (we made reservations for 9). We explained that they came down with the flu and couldn't make it. He was not pleased that we didn't call and change the reservation as it meant that they had prepared too much food. We explained that we were extremely sorry about the whole thing and tried to explain that we were really in a hurry to get going and just made an honest mistake. This did not go well with the monk.
Dinner was nice, and afterward we got to watch a nice propaganda film about the history of the hospice. There was a nice sort of living room, with board games, comic books, and other entertainment, so we passed the time playing cards and reading comics. Serge and Marc taught some of us foreigners how to play Jass, the national card game of Switzerland, so it was an educational experience.
Fig. 6: Card sharks at work. Pin-pin is reading "Tintin au Congo," a delightfully racist comic book in which the natives are so dumb that they speak worse French than Tintin's dog, Milou.Needless to say, this didn't fly with some of our group and some fairly spirited discussions ensued. Most of us paid a bit extra, just to avoid a fight, but it really left a bitter taste in our mouths. I guess when you go spend a night with monks, you should probably be prepared for an extra large dose of Catholic guilt. Oh well.
The next morning, Serge, Marc and Loren set off for another peau de phoque adventure to a nearby peak, Rafael and Pin-pin took their snowboards and headed down the mountain to the ski station to snowboard all day, and Jens and I wandered around the hospice with the spare snowshoes. Fun was had by all, until it was time to leave.
Fig. 7: Rafael and Pin-pin, just before they slam some Mountain Dew, eat some Extreme Pizza Flavored Goldfish, and take it to the max!Once ready, we had to take the peaux de phoque off of the skis and start skiing down the mountain. As mentioned before, I don't exactly have a glorious history of ski experience, so this was a bit of a challenge for me. Fortunately, Marc was an extremely good instructor and taught me many many things, and by the time I was at the bottom, I was doing alright. I only had a couple falls, none of the serious, and even though I didn't exactly bathe myself in glory, I didn't embarrass myself too badly, either.
Fig. 8: Another stunning view of the mountains. In general, the skies get bluer and more beautiful the further up you go. At the same time in Lausanne, it was gray and ugly.Once we made it to the bottom, it was time for a drink at the restaurant, and that was the end of that adventure.
Fig. 9: Most of the crew relaxing after an exhausting weekend.Oh, did I forget something?
Fig. 10: Is it physically possible for a picture to say "Come to Switzerland" more than this one does? Can anyone resist it?The hospice at the Great St. Bernard Pass is probably most famous for being the home of the world-famous St. Bernard breed of dogs. Although during the wintertime, the dogs are not kept at the hospice, they are kept at the beautiful Fondation Barry, a short drive away in Martigny. Friday, before we made our ascent, we stopped by the foundation for a quick visit with the dogs.
Fig. 11: Who's a good boy? Are you? Yes you are!Although there is a museum with all sorts of historical information on the pass and the dogs, the real draw is the puppies. For a nominal fee, you can see the puppies. You can photograph the puppies. You can take videos of the puppies. And you can pet the puppies. It truly does not get any better than that.
So, I can finally check off "Visit the home of the St. Bernard dogs and then see more of them in a single day than most people see in a lifetime" from my list of things to do before I die. If you come and visit me, you can do the same thing.
P.S. A lot more photos are available at my Picasa account here.
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