Been quite busy moving house and starting to finish a degree, but we did go to the Alps around a month and a half ago.
Our aims for the couple of weeks were to play around with some multi day routes, traverses, bivvies – basically enjoy the relative security and safety of the Alps compared with more remote places.
Our aims dropped slowly through the week, passing ‘a couple more one day routes’, ‘some valley climbing’, to end up with us appreciating the couple of hours of sun we eventually found on the way home.
After a brief warm up we headed up the Alphubel. Followed the guides’ recommendations and did it in a day from the lift station. Excellent little ridge over the Feechopf to start the mountain proper. Given the large amount of snow, the rest was just a slog. A lack of acclimatisation and heat of the day made it a struggle, one that was only just made worth it with the cloudy views from the top.
After consigning the next day as a rest, we headed up in the afternoon rain to the Mischabel hut. A good hour’s walk up relentless zig-zags, followed by 2 hours of ladders, chains and staples. Eventually the hut appeared out the mist and we dried off in the fantastic hut.
The next day was clear, so we set off (with everyone else) up the hill. We soon found ourselves towards the front of the groups. Jo then led a storming pace up the ridge (following a very speedy UK guide). We didn’t realise we were leaving everyone behind for a while, but it was fun chasing the guide. Also meant that we had the top to ourselves, before the 8 groups behind us converged on the tiny summit of the Nadelhorn.
We found the guides very helpful, and it was fun to be on the mountain with other people after a few years of remote mountaineering.
After zooming down the ridge (Jo in front again), we took in the Ulrichshorn and headed down into the cloud and the 2 hour descent past the staples and chains.
The next few days were spent at lower level. We spent Saturday night in a hut – great fun over dinner, but a bit busy for sleeping. Unfortunately the next day was raining despite everyone’s predictions. We spent a day on a blumenweg learning alpine flowers instead. Over the next couple of days we managed the Joderhorn and the Mittaghorn in the cloud and snow.
Having effectively given up on mountaineering for the trip, we then found an SAC guidebook with the Stellihorn, and thought we might be able to squeeze this under-appreciated peak in on the last day. This started by alarming everyone at 3am by revving the van out of the ruts it had established over 2 weeks and driving to Mattmark. While walking up past what would be an incredible bivvy site, we got very confused by silent flashes illuminating the night sky. Eventually as daylight broke we saw the most enormous thunderstorm heading our way from the Italian border. We decided to turn back if it started raining. We took a wrong turn and ended up in a large boulder field, at which point it started raining. We decided to keep going. Eventually we found the remains of the glacier, and (as usual) the top was still an hour away, despite looking so close. The summit pitch even provided some icy fun and our decisions paid off – we just managed to get a view from the top.
Writing our names in the summit book, it seemed that the mountain was only summitted once every 10 days or so. On the way back down, we found a party of three following us up.
It was good to be out in the Alps again, but the weather was disappointing – I think everyone found that this year. Maybe next year we’ll get the chance to do something more interesting without having to guess the weather every few minutes.
I almost forgot to write about the van – because it worked so well that it felt like our home from home. It was a really good thing to have with the weather this year, and our friends with small tents appreciated the tarp and outside chairs. The best thing was we didn’t come back with too many alterations, additions or repairs to implement in the near future.
Links to photos – Dave’s and Jo’s
Yellow Van Mountaineering 