The Cliffs of Insanity

While in Switzerland, we decided to abuse our children on a hike that was meant for "Expert Hikers with Appropriate Gear Only"--they didn't post that sign until the end of the hike or we never would have done it. We started on a small cow path and ended up 3000 feet up on top of the mountain. We thought we were near the top and that it would be easier to take the Tram down from the top than to try to help the kids down the mountain. If you notice the pix, we are at a spot above all those other mountains. I seriously was worried we weren't going to make it down the mountain, which I had previously thought when Garr and I took Sam and Jacob on the Angel's Landing Hike in Zions--this was a much worse hike than that. Chains were connected to big bolts that were nailed into the sides of the mountain and we had to hold on to them to keep from falling off the side of the mountain. While we were up there a Swiss Rescue helicopter circled and landed at a spot we had been about an hour down the mountain. We were worried that someone in the tram had seen us with a bunch of little kids and called search and rescue, but it turned out that someone--an adult-- had fallen into a crevice in the rock and had to be rescued. What were we doing up there with kids? The boys did an incredible job--they didn't complain or whine once the whole way and they are awesome little hikers. We got to the top and almost were stranded there for the night because we didn't realize the last tram would leave at 7:30 (it was already 7:30 and the Swiss hate to be late, luckily some other hikers tied up the ticket booth and the "tram man" had seen them, so it didn't close on time) and then when Garrett went to get the tickets, luckily Joe was free and they decided not to charge us for Mason or we wouldn't have had enough money. It was truly a day full of drama, so we decided it was time to call it quits and take a breather at home.