NUFENENSTOCK

August 2018

With the heat wave still going strong, I couldn’t wait to get back to the mountains. Once again, I left for an overnight trip, planning to spend the night on the peak.

It’s not a very popular hike and I didn’t see a single person on my way up. There are also no signs indicating there’s a trail leading up to this peak (just the many other places around the area), so if you don’t know about it beforehand, it’s highly unlikely you’ll end up there. The hike was pretty steep at times and you often have to find your own way up some rather exposed slopes. The loose dirt and sand also really didn’t help and by the time I reached the top, I was covered in a thick layer of dust.

There was however not much to complain about as I had made it just in time for sunset and after I had quickly put up my tent (on pretty much the only somewhat level ground there was up here) to safely put my stuff away so it wouldn’t roll down the mountain, it was time to take some photos in these beautiful conditions and enjoy the breathtaking landscape. I had always wanted to take photos of a tent perched on the edge of cliff overlooking an amazing view and I was glad that I could tick that one off my bucket list – especially considering this was my first time bringing the tent along.

After the sun had set and dinner was consumed, I got ready for the night in the tent. I’ve gotten so used to sleeping in just my sleeping bag when in the mountains that it actually felt a little weird being encapsulated in the confines of the tent. It was very comfortable though and despite being at well over 2’800m / 9200ft, the night was surprisingly warm (compared to the freezing temperatures on my Sidelhorn trip a week earlier), which made getting up early for sunrise easy. A morning in the mountains is always something special and this one was no exception.

After a relaxing morning of shooting photos and video as well as letting the drone fly for a few minutes, it was time to pack everything up a make my way down the mountain again in order to catch the bus which stopped about a two-hour hike away on the Nufenen Pass. For the way back, I chose a different route as up, hiking down the beautiful Corno Valley.