DO OR DIE EFFORT
I became very apprehensive as I couldn't retrace my steps since the cable car would have long stopped by then. The weather also deteriorated. Thoughts flew in my head - shout for 'Help' or better maybe 'Hilfe' - how could I survive a night here - any way to get down? etc etc. Finally I decided to take a calculated risk.
Using my extendable walking stick, I put it firmly 10 inches downward in front, put my right foot sideways near it balancing carefully, then my left one, thus doing a tiny bit of a very narrow, perilous slope where one slip meant serious injury or even death.
After 15mts of this - SUCCESS. Exhausted but calm, my rough path continued for a further hour until I saw a clearing with a single wooden house and two trucks.
It took me another hour to reach this clearing but I was disheartened because on the way down, I saw one truck leaving. Having reached this house, I couldn’t even knock due to a wooden fence around it so I started shouting towards it and walking around.
SAFE AND SOUND
This was when I saw a head peeping from behingd the steering wheel of the other truck and I made a sign for him to stop. Being only a wood-cutter I suppose, he didn’t speak any other language except his own, so my broken German came in good stead. He kept looking at his watch and listening to me. Finally, he took me down to his hut at the mountain base, then changed his outer clothing and took me in his car to the railway-station
The next day, complaining at the tourist office, I was informed that they don’t recommend Mt Stanserhorn to tourists!
Anyway ENDE GUT ALLES GUT.
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