Whoa. So much to talk about since I last posted. Firstly, I finally got into contact with Kyle. So we met up at the Chilis on base at Ramstein and had lunch. We were supposed to meet up and catch a flick at the base theater and then some beers, but Kyle never showed. Weird. So I had a great time in Ramstein. Pretty much just recuperating all day Saturday, eating American food in the bx, watching a movie, and being an overall glutton. I stayed in a nice air force hotel for the price of most German hostels. So, you really just cant beat that. After my down time on base, I headed out Sunday morning for Switzerland. That was quite and undertaking. Ramstein is very unaccessible to people without cars, I for instance had the luxury of hiking one hour to Ramstein village and from there figuring out the maze of trains to get to Switzerland I finally arrived in Interlaken via many stops on the way. I got in around 1900 Sunday night and was seriously overwhelmed by how much there is to do. It is a backpackers city.

So immediately I splorged and booked a 160 franc (roughly 140 USD) Ice climbing excursion. IT ROCKED!!!!! I had a freaking blast. We left Monday morning and didnt get back till 1900 that night. It was a seriously beautiful trip, first the five of us backpackers in the trip met this crazy Swiss climber guy named Hano. This dude was straight coolish rallish. Long grey hair, mustached, walking around bare foot and talking with the ladies in his strong Swiss accent that made him sound like Ahnold. This dude was pure climber. So we headed off on the hour long hippy van ride to the mountain. It was a sight to see. We geared up and hit the glacier. Wow, what a great time that was. It was pretty difficult hiking, around an hour up over treachorous glacier terrain. We passed many crevices that if you fall into, you might never be seen again. Of course, if you are in a group you dont have to worry about that much. But, the sheer size and depth of these glaciers is enormous, they are dangerous and if one is trekking this terrain alone. It could be fatal to error in any way. This all of course just adds to the excitement and makes it that much more fun to traverse. After breaking for lunch, we hit the ice climbing in a long crevice high up on the mountain. It was awesome. At first very difficult, and then later it became more easier after you get the hang of it. The footing is very, very important. Their is a lot of forearms and calves involved in propelling yourself up, and it takes a lot to get used to. I loved it. Although, the last climb I did was the hardest in my entire life. I still liked it alot. I felt a strong sense of accomplishment after getting past he treacherous blue ice and up to the top. This form of climbing can be very difficult and I have much more respect for mountain climbers who summit big mountains like the ones in the Himalayas.

So afterwards, we headed back and dropped off our gear. The ride back was terrific, descenting down the mountainous Alps, you feel like you are leaving Heaven. Once we got back to the climbing shop we had a complimentary beer with our crazy guide Hano and parted ways. Definitely the highlight of my trip so far. I was glad I decided to splorge and pay for a cool trip such as that. Now, ladies and gents, although very sore from yesterday I will try to ascent a small mountain via a hiking path. It will be good, good fun. Take care everyone.

Auf Wiedersehen,
Jimmy