Off track before icing up

Today we planned a walk up through the mountains and then on to the ice cave and home via the lakeside. Our path quickly becomes narrow, wet, slightly overgrown and crosses mini waterfalls and appears to have been little used. However we keep going on and know where we are on the map when we come to a landslide which we have to cross. We manage this only to not be able to find the continuation of the path. Randall spends some time going up and down and around in search of our path, but to no avail. Yvonne suggests we turn back as she has no wish to be lost in the forest again, as in Japan, and have to slide down the mountain. Randall reluctantly agrees to this. As we cross back over the avalanche, Randall feels to climb down by the landslide will save a lot of time rather than returning by the path to our village. So we take this challenge on. Not easy. I now know why I was given a well padded bum (Yvonne) it came in handy to do some sliding down the side of the avalanche instead of trying to step. It took some time but we made it and found the road below. We were at least three quarters of the way along this track.

We continued by road until we found the next track up the ice caves which presented no problems.
We first of all took 2 funicular rides up to the top of the mountains in the hope of a view from the 5 fingers. The cloud was variable and clearing from time to time in but it was not going to be our day. We returned down to the first level and the ice cave. I (Yvonne) have not been in a cave for 30 years, after not enjoying my last experience. However after having survived the salt mines, I decided I would try the ice cave and the ceilings in pictures did not look too low and claustrophobic.

It was a great experience, very cold and icy but our guide was excellent and we learnt about the history of the cave. In places the ice is 25 metres think and the ice flows through the caves looked fantastic. R could not help thinking what it would be like stepping onto the ice and then sliding off into oblivion. The mountains around here must be half empty it seems.

We finished the day with a walk back along the lake and dinner overlooking the lake now fully recovered from our escapade down the side of the avalanche. As I write the little wooden canoe style boats are gliding by and the swans and ducks going about their business crossing the lake.