Day 1: Heading in to the Monte Rosa hut. The weather wasn't good enough to pursue our "Plan A", approaching via the Schwarztor, so instead we rode the Gornergrat cog railway to the summer trail. From left to right: Mark, John, Jeff, Fred, and Nancy.

Some excitement accessing the glacier! The usual climate-change-induced cliff hanging, assisted by sturdy ladders.

The heat is on as we approach the hut.

The thoroughly modern, highly designed Monte Rosa hut.

Beautifully designed and appointed inside as well.

On our next day, with a decent (if cold) forecast, we headed out pre-dawn to skin up to the Silbersattel.

A very chilly fog kept us moving along.

Inching slowly above cloud level, we are desperate for that sunshine.

A gorgeous morning above the clouds.

Sunshine at last! But we were thwarted in our plans by the crevassed state of the glacier. We turned around not far above this point.

The ski down was great in the beginning! Buttery new snow.

Nothing beats making turns in a setting like this.

Day three, we again changed plans as we had hoped to put in a long day skiing over the Adler Pass into the Saas Fee region and the Britannia hut. But poor visibility, high winds forecast, and very cold temperatures, convinced us to make this transition by public transportation We leave the Monte Rosa hut after an early breakfast.

Poking our way down the glacier in very flat light!

Light snowfall at the glacier's edge.

The receding ice exposes beautifully carved rock climffs of startling colors.

clambering back up to the train...

The summer trail.

Our day ended with a cable car ride from Saas Fee to the Britannia hut.

We were joined by an entire hut-full of people!

The mists clearing as we approach the Britannia hut.

The following morning dawned crystal clear, and again with a biting breeze.

Leaving the hut, it felt more like February than May!

Pausing to transition to skinning as the mists swirl.

Soon we were above the valley fog and once again in the early morning sunshine.

Heading up toward the Rimpfischhorn.

We passed below the cliffs of the Hohlaubgrat on the Alalinhorn.

A gorgeous morning.

In the background of this shot is the objective for half the group; the Strahlhorn. And to it's left, the Fluchthorn, for the rest of us.

We split up halfway up the glacier, and Kathy, Fred and Nancy headed for the Fluchthorn.

Nancy on the summit of the Fluchthorn.

And Fred too!

Meanwhile, Mark approaches the summit of the Strahlhorn with John and Jeff.

And another summit shot!

Back at the hut, the morning light on the peaks makes them look smooth and almost gentle. From left to right are the Fluchthorn, Strahlhorn, and Rimpfischhorn.

The forecast being for more bad weather for the following day, we made the best of day 5 and worked our way back to Zermatt via the Alalinpass.

Transitioning at the pass.

On the Zermatt side, surprisingly great snow!

A long, 5000 foot (more or less) descent, with great snow from start to finish.

Almost Spring-like at last!

We eventually ran out of snow, and of weather, and of time. But what a time it was! Thanks to all the group for making it so much fun.