Some technical problems with the local WiFi infrastructure are making it impossible to send photos from my iPhone, so for your sins I'll share some doggerel I've come up with while whiling away the long descents of the last couple of days.
The first is for Jean-Paul, inspired by Russell's amazement at his "Eine kleine Nachtmusik":
A genteel young man from north Utah
Accustomed to eating off pewtah
Went on a hike
But didn't much like
The sound of his bunkroom-mate's hootah.
And this one is in honor of all those, and there were many, who backed out of coming on the hike this year for health reasons:
A nice couple from Montpellier
Planned to hike Courmayeur to Closé
But they quit prophylactically
Saying quite practically
That their legs wouldn't last out a day.
Shortly before arrival in Alagna two days ago, the following lines sprang fully-formed into my jolted brain:
Three hikers arrived in Alagna
With legs that felt like Lasagna
When mocked by their guide
They salvaged their pride
By feeding him to a piranha.
Pronounced "piraña", of course. And not that I would mock my fellow hikers, but if I had then I could imagine such a fate....
The following day while going down to Macgnaga the next two limericks composed themselves:
On the endless descent into town
Opined Brother Russ with a frown
Why donna we bagga
This dumb Macugnaga?
Call a taxi and let's just drive down.
Due to a watery surfeit
The steep rocky path was quite wet
Which made Thomas Bily
Do something quite silly
An out of control pirouette.
And there you are... and here I am in Macugnaga, more than half done with the H3H/2 and thinking that maybe I'll take a nap :-). Thomas and Gabi will leave this afternoon, after which Russ and I will do some laundry and play some games, while looking forward to another excellent dinner in the Z'Makana Stube, a good night's sleep, and then another long hike tomorrow... crossing the Moro Pass into Switzerland for the first time on the H3H !!
Sent from my iPad
