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Jul. 18th, 2009
Off to Switzerland
Jul. 18th, 2009 12:03 pmI am headed to Switzerland today. I'll be headed to the bus station in an hour or so, then taking the bus to Dorval P.E. Trudeau airport in Montreal, and from there winging my way to Switzerland. And the other end I'll be headed for the Albigna Hut (Capana Albigna) in the Bregaglia range, a bit south and west of St Moritz, near the Italian border.
I will be spending about 2.5 weeks in Switzerland, then flying home on Wednesday August 5th, busing back to Ottawa hopefully getting here for the early evening. I will unpack a bit, repack, then morning of the 6th head back to Montreal (probably by motorcycle) for Anticipation, the 67th World Science Fiction Convention. I expect to be home, finally, from all this evening of Monday August 10th.
I expect to have some modicum of connectivity on the way there, back, and while in Montreal. But, while in the climbing huts at 2000-3000m up in the Alps, I have a suspicion I won't have internet access. I may, occasionally, descend to a town to do laundry, buy food, or otherwise do useful stuff. I may find an internet cafe at those times. But, don't expect much from me between this Sunday and August 4th.
And, yes, I'm excited about this. I also intend to bring back some nice pictures. Maybe even better than my El Potrero Chico pictures. We'll have to see.
I will be spending about 2.5 weeks in Switzerland, then flying home on Wednesday August 5th, busing back to Ottawa hopefully getting here for the early evening. I will unpack a bit, repack, then morning of the 6th head back to Montreal (probably by motorcycle) for Anticipation, the 67th World Science Fiction Convention. I expect to be home, finally, from all this evening of Monday August 10th.
I expect to have some modicum of connectivity on the way there, back, and while in Montreal. But, while in the climbing huts at 2000-3000m up in the Alps, I have a suspicion I won't have internet access. I may, occasionally, descend to a town to do laundry, buy food, or otherwise do useful stuff. I may find an internet cafe at those times. But, don't expect much from me between this Sunday and August 4th.
And, yes, I'm excited about this. I also intend to bring back some nice pictures. Maybe even better than my El Potrero Chico pictures. We'll have to see.
Montreal & check-in achieved
Jul. 18th, 2009 05:01 pmSo, when you buy bus tickets online, they say things like "must pick up ticket at least an hour before bus departure" and "must be on the bus at least an hour before bus departure". I found these surprising, as they didn't match my past experience with taking inter-city buses. But, maybe they'd changed or something.
Nope.
For the 2pm departure, they started loading at 1:50pm. For the 3pm departure... well they split the group, Montreal only started loading around 2:55pm. My group, for the airport, well they didn't start us loading until about 3:25pm, and we didn't depart until 3:35pm, for the 3pm departure. At least I left enough time in my schedule to handle the bus getting here late.
Even if I don't get fancy seats, being able to use the Air Canada lounge -- free internet while drinking a nice glass of Taylor Fladgate LBV -- is quite handy.
It's going to be a long flight over, though.
Nope.
For the 2pm departure, they started loading at 1:50pm. For the 3pm departure... well they split the group, Montreal only started loading around 2:55pm. My group, for the airport, well they didn't start us loading until about 3:25pm, and we didn't depart until 3:35pm, for the 3pm departure. At least I left enough time in my schedule to handle the bus getting here late.
Even if I don't get fancy seats, being able to use the Air Canada lounge -- free internet while drinking a nice glass of Taylor Fladgate LBV -- is quite handy.
It's going to be a long flight over, though.
Not mine, my pack. When I checked my pack in, it came out to 18 kgs or so. It had a small amount of clothing that I wouldn't normally take climbing with me. But, it also didn't have most of the heaviest cams which I would take trad climbing with me, nor the couple liters of water I'd generally have either, nor all of my quick-draws or anchoring biners. Means when I go climbing, I'm often hauling upwards of 20kgs (44 lbs) to the cliff. No wonder those hills seem so much steeper. (Of course, if someone else is sharing the load, I'd be lighter, probably by the rope... so maybe closer to 30lbs/15kgs.)
Also, why hiking up the "mountain" at the cottage seemed so easy... I didn't have the weight of the climbing gear.
Yergh I say.
(iclysdale, what do you tend to haul for a back-pack camping trip?)
Also, why hiking up the "mountain" at the cottage seemed so easy... I didn't have the weight of the climbing gear.
Yergh I say.
(iclysdale, what do you tend to haul for a back-pack camping trip?)