Uteliberg and the Heatwave

For the past week Zurich has been in a heat wave. We're talking in the low 90's, 100% humidity, and of course no air conditioning anywhere. Even at work, we sit there in our little offices sweating away and hoping for a slight breeze to come in through the tiny glass windows. So you might think it odd that we decided to go for a hike on Saturday, during the heat wave and all, but that was actually our strategy for beating the heat. In the forest by our apartment, the temperature is at least, at a bare minimum, 20 degrees cooler than our apartment, and the trees filter the sun so that you feel human again. Yep, the woods were the place to be this weekend.

Instead of walking aimlessly, which is what usually ends up happening, we decided to hike to the top of Utliberg. Now, this sounds like a big deal, perhaps one of the largest peaks in the Alps or something, but it's actually just one of the most famous points along the ridge of hills that lies to the west of Zurich. It's the most famous because there is a tower up there that you can see from any part of Zurich, and there's a nice hotel/restaurant at the top with cold beer, which makes it a popular hiking destination for locals and tourists alike. Also, along the way, and throughout Zurich in general, there are free, clean, and icy cold drinking fountains that spout water continuously. All you have to do is put your water bottle (or mouth) under the running water, and wait for the refreshment to begin. These drinking fountains are seriously one of the best parts about being here (although keep in mind that I'm writing this in a pool of sweat in our apartment, so my priorities are slightly biased right now).

So after a quick 2.4 km walk straight up the hill (again, not complaining since it was more refreshing than sitting in the sauna which is our apartment), we made it to the top and had a look around. The views were beautiful, the snacks superb, and best part was just sitting on a table in the shade for even longer than we spent hiking up there. Yep, it was not a bad way to spend the day during a heat wave.

In other news, today is the Ironman competition and the start, finish, and all transition zones are within a 5 minute walk from our apartment. It definitely seems exciting and we'll probably go watch later today. Right now, though, the thought of even being outside, let alone running a zillion miles, is too painful for me to consider. For survival purposes, we are both sitting in front of our plastic fan, drinking gallons of lukewarm water, and taking turns taking cold showers. I hear it's supposed to rain tomorrow, breaking the week-long reign of the heat tyrant, so that is what we sit here quietly waiting for. Who was it that said Zurich never got hot in the summer? Boy oh boy were they wrong!

A forest friend to help guide the way.

Handsome Ben sitting by a tree

Good thing there were hand rails! Gina's legs were giving way under her gigantic cargo.

View of Lake Zurich from the top.

Another view.

The tower. You can climb to to the top for an even better view.