Swiss Cable Cars & Gondolas

As we mentioned earlier the infrastructure to access the glaciers, high mountain passes and mountains in general in Switzerland is amazing. Small mountain roads wind there way up the hillsides and when they stop there are often gondolas, mountain railways or cable cars going even higher. We have a free pass to take any of these mountain modes of transport while we are in Zermatt and we are enjoying it. Mike insists he is doing OK but the photo at the bottom taken by Starr perhaps suggests otherwise.
Yesterday we were on Europe's highest cable car (shown above). The cable car climbs to the Kleine Matterhorn (the 2nd peak on the right). We believe it was the highest pylon and also the longest distance between pylons in Europe. Being able to take a cable car above a glacier is an incredible experience and the company that runs these gondolas has even greater plans for the next few years. Amazing.

On the final day we take a mountain train to the finish area that actually goes through the mountain in a tunnel the entire way.

WARNING! Wadd Squad Rant below...

Today on the rest day during the orienteering week we decided to take a couple of extra gondola rides without the big orienteering crowds. We love orienteering and the orienteering community is generally a very friendly bunch BUT we are getting increasingly less patient with the pushy Europeans. But it seems that central Europeans take budding in line to the next level. They don't seem to care if they use their elbows to get past you for the last seat on the train up the mountain or jump past you in line in your full view. Poor Emma was almost trampled several times by ignorant people. On the first day we were bumped from behind for the first time and in typical Canadian fashion we responded with "Oh I'm sorry" (Why is it anyway that Canadians apologize when they are hit by somebody else?). Now we look out for these pushy people and throw our elbows out wide and are very willing to give a jab or two to protect our spot in line. I guess we are now a pushy Euro type as well. BUT if any of these pushy rude idiots ever tried this maneuver in Tim Horton's back home (where everybody knows who's turn is next) they would be thrown into the penalty box and given five minutes for "rudeness and lack of manners". End of rant.