The Big Adventure Part 1 - Europe 2014/15 and into 2016: Zinal

Sun 22^nd

Pitstop at Lidls (now Tina’s firm favourite) then we retraced our steps back over the Simplon pass into Switzerland and along the valley to Sierre. Turn left and 20km up a very twisty, narrow road to Zinal in the Val D’Anniviers. We had unfinished business from our summer hols in 2013. No snow on the Simplon this time but we stopped for lunch at the top. Beautiful – and cool. We heard a commotion outside – a parked, driverless Italian camping car had started to roll downhill! The Swiss camping car owner next door to us had ran after it, jumped in and jammed on the brakes. Saved. The owner had left it with the handbrake on but not in gear. Brakes cool down = handbrake slackens = potential disaster!!!! If it had kept rolling downhill it would not have been pretty…….. he was a hero and showered with gifts by the very grateful owners. Good man.

We had a good drive up the mountain to Zinal it didn’t seem as daunting as last year – probably due to the miles we had driven up and down mountains since setting off. We parked up just as the rain and then hailstones arrived. 10 mins later it stopped. Tea time. There was another van in front of us which looked like a long termer with generator outside, car parked behind it and up on wooden chocks. The owner eventually appeared next morning and was a very friendly Swiss man who worked in the new refurbished swanky swimming pool in the village.

old hut on stilts

our source of water

sound of music..........

Zinal is a lovely calm village right at the end of a valley with skiing forming the main focus of it’s tourist industry. In summer it is open for walking with lots of routes and one open lift. We paid our tourist tax – CHF10 (£6.50 approx) for 2 days. This allowed us to stay free of any more charges and also gave us free access to local buses, lifts and the swimming pool. Great deal. Water was from a nearby fountain. Sorted.

cable car arriving

We stayed 3 nights and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and mountain air. A bit of cycling for me, a walk up to near a glacier, a swim in the new pool then a final walk down from the top on the morning we departed. The walk was down the steepest, twistiest path we have ever done. See pics of Tina on the bridge. Oh, and the rocks and roots were wet from rain!