Paul’s Blog – Dorina takes to the Alps – Part 3 – Switzerland

One thing I forgot to mention in the 2nd blog was that when we got down to the hut after climbing Gran Paradiso my right boot zip malfunctioned so I’d made a mental note that when we got back to the car I’d need to test it to see if it would work in Switzerland. It failed that test so our hectic turnaround later that evening would also mean a visit to Chamonix & more particularly Snell’s to buy one of the two La Sportiva models that had caught my eye 3 days earlier. Both had built in gaiters (as my old pair which had served me for 10 years), as I could have guessed the more expensive pair were the ones I needed for my Crampons, £400+ but hey it was going to happen sooner rather than later anyway.

Our goals for the next 3 days is The Breithorn for Dorina & The Breithorn & The Nordend for me. This would give Dorina another 4,000er & me two but more importantly for me it would see me complete un-finished business on the Monte Rosa massif dating back to 2014 when Kean & I with Tim’s guidance summitted 12 of it’s 14 4,000 metre peaks. For some reason best known to Tim (probably crowd related) we missed off the first peak (The Breithorn) & for a more known reason we missed out the last peak (The Nordend), the reason for this simply we were mentally & physically tired after an incredible 6 days & the Nordend just felt like an unlucky & chancy 13. I revisited Monte Rosa to tackle the Nordend in 2018 with Dave Ball but we failed to navigate the final crevasse systems just below the final summit ridge. As an additional pain in the arse being first & last they are a long way apart & cannot be tackled as a linked objective from one base, hey-ho this year hopefully I can lay both to rest but The Nordend is a big ask so we’ve agreed Dorina will take a rest day & wait for us at the hut.

Tim picked us up from the campsite at 6am on Thursday & we were off to Zermatt with the plan of tackling The Breithorn later that day. After a brief stop for coffee & Croissants on the way we reached Tache at circa 11:00am where we’d park the car ready for the short train transfer up to Zermatt (you can’t drive into Zermatt). We donned our boots & bags & after buying return tickets (that night we’d be staying in a hotel in Tache that we’d pre-booked, this saved half the cost of staying in Zermatt & although it would mean two return train journeys, rather than one, we’d probably save that on the cheaper evening meal in Tache) were soon trundling into Zermatt itself.

Next was a stroll through Zermatt in pleasant sunshine to reach the lift which would take us to the Klein Matterhorn at 3,817 metres. Despite Tim’s return lift pass being at a Guides half price the 3 tickets cost 300 Euros! You try to justify the cost by looking at the sheer scale of the engineering that takes you relatively swiftly up 2,200 metres (more than twice the height of Snowdon). This said ours journey wasn’t as swift as we’d hoped as several times our the lift stalled & left us frustratingly swinging in the wind, at least we had fantastic views which included the Strahlhorn & Allalinhorn which I’d climbed last year.

At the Klein Matterhorn we donned harnesses, crampons & roped up internally due to a strong cold wind outside, at this height glacial travel starts immediately hence early gearing up. The Breithorn is the easiest of the 82 4,000 metre peaks & as such is very busy but with our late start (11:00am) whilst we could see plenty of large groups on it they were a long way away from us & hopefully well gone from the summit by the time we got there. Initially we made a long traverse, dropping 25 metres in height to reach the start of the climb, 369 metres to The Breithorn’s highest summit standing at 4,164 metres. The Breithorn has numerous sub-summits along it’s 3 kilometre long ridge but these were not on our agenda. The climb starts on gentle slopes before steepening with a couple of zigzags. At the bottom of these we were passed by a very controlled & slick rescue cortege coming down as well as a solo & very tired older guy who had fallen over several times on a more direct descent line (should have kept to the track but at least the terrain was relatively benign). Halfway up we were passed by a Police team who were escorting a tired guy who had a prosthetic leg, clearly the mountain still presents it’s challenges.

Our progress to the summit ridge was otherwise without incident & we soon reached it’s crest with the snow covered summit coming into view, well to me & Tim at least, Dorina saw no cross or Madonna hence no summit, ‘Dorina, snow summits seldom if ever have such a feature’ I explained. Again hugs, congratulations & photo’s but with cloud now a major feature we didn’t hover long despite having the summit to ourselves. Next a ‘pleasant’ surprise a narrow snow arête lay ahead with huge exposure to our left, I would lead the way as Tim explained to Dorina ‘If Paul falls left, we jump right’. Here Dorina shone as those who have seen Tim’s video can justify whilst I focused more on ‘shit, focus & control’.

It was airy but soon ice axe plants to the right became easier & the exposure to the left eased to be less than a certain death. At a widening col we stopped & Tim searched right for a descent line he’d seen on the way up & found it albeit it had only signs of a couple of earlier descenders’ tracks. Leading the way I soon began sinking in above my knees more often than not, a bit frustrating & hard but by no means horrendous. We re-hit the main zigzags about halfway down where things became much easier.

Once on the flatter traverse we passed the Police with their Prosthetic Colleague (I’m presuming this) who were waiting for a Skidoo to get him back to the lift. We stopped soon after this with Dorina stating ‘that was an enjoyable descent’ Tim & I conferred & agreed ‘no not really, we’d been sinking in too deep’, nothing apparently gets an excitable Angel down!

We were re-introduced to the stiff & cold wind on our final steps to the lift but our job was done, we’d been out for 3 hours 43 minutes, a short but expensive tick finally done.

The lift descent went without any stops so a much faster return to Zermatt. Earlier on the summit the joke going around was Tim’s ‘Dorina’s 2nd 4,000 metre peak, it’s not about you & your 22nd summit Paul’ to which I acknowledged being yesterday’s man. So you can imagine how I tried to grab the limelight when we passed our first bar (part of a 4 star hotel) named ’22 Summits’, yes really! It was a non-negotiable opportunity for a photo. Tim offered to take it with Dorina & me in the frame but I stepped in & said ‘Dorina you have to take it as Tim has been with me on all of them’. Two aging dudes tried to look as relaxed & cool as only men of our age can. So why bar ’22 Summits’, I can only presume that you can climb 22 4,000 metre peaks based from Zermatt, my tally of those a respectable but in-complete 15 at the time of the photo.

Time for a quick drink at the bar at the train station & then back in Tache a 2 minute drive to the hotel the Walliserhof at the North end of town, 3 star. This was very welcoming, spotless & elegant in an understated way & for Switzerland & it’s location good value.

In our room first things first, sort kit for the final two days, shower & then Dorina & I went for a food shop for the days ahead before heading into a bar/restaurant for a beer. Menu looked good so a quick Whatsits to Tim ‘we are here’ see you at 6:30.

We had a good meal, although Dorina’s cheese thingy was huge & unfinishable & with an easy day tomorrow Dorina & I ordered a second bottle of wine as we waved Tim goodnight. Sleeping in the hotel far easier than a hut waking to have a good breakfast before heading back to the train station to re-visit Zermatt. From here a few short steps to the Gronergrat cog railway where we spent another large sum on 3 return tickets to the Rotenboden station, 345 Euro’s to get from 1,600 to 2,825 metres, to make that sound better roughly 33 cents per metre.

From here our day would consist of a predicted 4 hour walk into the Monte Rosa hut at 2,795 metres, no there was not simply a 30 metre descent on what turned out to be a somewhat soul destroying final traverse into the hut itself.

At this stage the weather was far better than the forecast predicted initial views along the airy & wonderful path from Rotenboden to the Gorner Glacier were as breathtaking as I remembered from 2014 & 18, this saw Dorina capture a great picture of a cloud erupting over the Matterhorn among many other things.

At a ‘new’ path choice we took the left fork, this would prove to be the new route to the Monte Rosa hut. Soon we were at the Gorner Glacier donning Harnesses & Crampons immediately. The route up & across the glacier was well marked with poles & began with a gentle climb that then steepened a little before levelling off as we turned right. Then Dorina encountered her first proper crevasse, this is the one in the video that several cafe customers have simply been in awe of her achievement. In truth the crevasses grew from here on but not really a place to linger & pose for a video. Occasionally we feared snow bridges having already seen a prime example of one (pointed out by Tim). Thankfully these risks were soon over, we were off the glacier & about to cross a rocky moraine, long traverse around a gorge/gully, another moraine & then a final unexpected gully traverse before the final climb to the hut. This all felt never ending & the rain that by now had arrived with abandon (full Waterproofs rain) just added to the fun. We reached the hut in a little under the 4 hours predicted but with me stating ‘that was crap, old route out tomorrow definitely’ Tim agreed on the tortuous traverse but still needed a little persuading that I was right. In truth most of the Glacier section was enjoyable & remote.

We had a late snack for lunch in what was a surprisingly quiet hut given it’s the main route to the Dufourspitze, Monte Rosa’s highest peak. The hut is very modern, it was spotless but no dorm to ourselves Dorina & I were in an 8 berth room, more of that later.

The afternoon was spent reading & drinking but with an early start the next day the beer was firmly restricted to non-alcoholic Erdinger.

Evening meal was served at 6:30 where we chatted to two late arriving German’s who had driven over from Munich that day, they would have a rest day tomorrow before going for the Dufourspitze & possibly the Nordend the next day.

Earlier to bed, just before 9:00, did me no good, a girl was on her top bunk playing with her phone which beeped every now again before after 40 minutes of this her partner duly came in to have a 15 minute whispered chat, really, get out & do that outside, I almost yelled. Then my bowels took over, up 3 times in the night so the fact that I’d probably got close to 3 hours sleep when the alarm pinged at 1:45am was a pleasant surprise.

Breakfast at 2:00am, quick visit to the dorm to kiss Dorina, then saw us out of the Kit room at 2:35, not bad that given the nerves being at quite an intense level. The previous evening Tim had predicted a 6 hour climb & 3 hour descent back to the hut, tad optimistic? I’d thought 10 hours not 9 but had said to Dorina ‘so maybe we will be back by 11:30am but don’t worry if it’s gone 1:00pm. We were the second group out.

Far more snow than I’ve seen before lower down saw Crampons go on only 10 minutes after leaving the hut, two groups behind followed suit but one didn’t, this seemed foolhardy as the ground quickly steepened. The crust had frozen overnight under clearing skies, simply perfect conditions. I was wearing (as on the Italian climbs) just a T Shirt base layer & a fleece albeit a warmer one today.

We set a steady pace chopping & changing places with other groups, all felt good & then things changed. About 2 hours in the wind came in from the West & it was cold before deteriorating to bitter. Left it too late to say to Tim ‘need to put my Softshell top on’ & made the mistake at that time to only add one pair of gloves over my inners. It was a stunning dawn but too cold for more than the odd photo. Re-starting my cold hands got colder so after another 20 minutes I made another shout ‘Tim must add gloves’. We weren’t alone in this, whilst I added the Outer Gloves, good call, a group of 4 passed with the third guy swinging his arms repeatedly trying to regain some warmth, we soon repassed them. Not sure if they abandoned as soon after our paths diverged, our lonely & un-tracked line went left whilst all the others heading for the Dufourspitze forked on a tracked path right. Both Tim & I noticed more than one group turn around before the summit.

We were now heading to the crux of what would decide success or failure the crevasse field & headwall that led to the col Silbersattel & Nordend’s summit ridge. This took all of Tim’s navigational & gut feeling nouse with plenty of crevasse weighing up along the way but after an absolute age & with only one short backtrack it became clear that we would finally reach the col at 4,515 metres. We had been battered more often than not & were un-comfortably cold as we stopped briefly, photo’s are all I could stomach, at least the summit ridge looked short but the Spindrift being blasted of it warned nothing was in the bag just yet.

We moved on, almost immediately hit by a blast on the narrow ridge, crouch, stop & wait, up, go again, blast, crouch……….

Every time I looked up the summit seemed no nearer, it dawned on me that the view from the Col was much foreshortened. 600 linear metres with 94 metres of ascent were turning into a very stiff task despite a lack of serious technicality. Exposure to our left increased but at least there was a 1 metre lip to our right preventing us being blown off the ridge & down the highest cliffs in The Alps. To put the spindrift into perspective it was actually stinging my legs through my trousers so imagine what it was doing to our faces where it was hitting our left side with a vengeance.

Finally, we’d both kept thoughts of ‘is this worth it’ to ourselves we reached the final crux, a 4 metre rock buttress. Tim climbed it but even he had difficulty despite his longer legs, used to reach a high placement on the left. Next my turn, one of the most difficult moves I can remember, worsened by the conditions, very tight rope from Tim & a lot of pulling, somehow I was up with no thought of how will I get back down that. I joined Tim & he congratulated me despite 4 metres of snow arête above leading to the summit rock. ‘No need to do that Paul’, he looked at my deflated stare before adding ‘unless you want to?’. I did! Tim led on but at the base of the rock he stopped & said that’s it, well done, we shook hands & turned around without taking any photo’s. Had anyone been watching us from the summit ridge of the Dufourspitze they can only have thought ‘shit those two are taking a hammering’.

Back at the rock crux, I tried but soon knew it was hopeless so only one option, stabilise my position & yell to Tim only 3 metres away (it took 3 attempts to get him to hear me) ‘Tim, I can’t do that you are going to have to lower me’. He didn’t hesitate & began to search for an acceptable belay for this. It felt safe despite the awkwardness & a bit of unnerve swing to the un-protected left but I was down & panting with sighs of relief.

Now it was Tim’s turn, I’ve never seen him so undecided as he re-set himself several times before concluding the risk was too high to both of us if something went wrong as he couldn’t protect himself from a fall. As I shivered uncontrollably Tim’s mind seemed to meet mine he’d have to skirt around the East side & try there despite the wind & exposure issues over the East face. Indeed that was the usual line & he soon joined me.

We settled & then moved on through the maelstrom with me leading the way on a short tight rope, far from relaxed but better so Tim took a belated photo of me early on & then we continued cautiously down. I had to take one short stop just to re-set myself physically & mentally, hacking coughs were adding to our discomfort. Reaching the Col was a massive relief & I finally went to take my first fluids of the climb. Coke in one bottle frozen, water in the other mostly frozen but managed to undo the frozen top & get a couple of slurps out of it. Unusually even my feet were cold & Tim had no feeling in one finger & was worried about his nose. As for my camera, shutter frozen so glad I did waste time with it up on the summit.

No time to hang around we needed to get going & follow our tracks down which a couple of pairs who were ahead (descending the Dufourspitze from the col as we’d done 10 years earlier. However I’d seen on the way up that Tim’s tracks were often almost obliterated before I’d got to them so all would not be easy. We were moving fast but safely took a totally different line through the bottom half of the crevasse field but all roads led to Rome & we finally felt low enough & out of the worse of it for a proper stop & re-fuel, my first food in seven & a half hours, by which time I had taken a couple of falls (I was leading at the time) in my haste & un-predictable snow.

From here, Tim now leading, it got easier & we were soon crossing the glacial plateau, totally different with a full snow covering this year, once across this we met & chatted to the two German guys who were reconnoitring for tomorrow. Their leader had seen the Spindrift from the hut over breakfast & had told Dorina how windy it must be up there.

We moved on & soon un-roped but left Crampons on, with, even down here, the crust still being mostly frozen care was needed on the steeper sections, a long slide here into rocks below was going to be very serious.

Finally off the snow, crampons off & we walked onto the huts balcony to be met by Dorina, she’d seen us 20/30 minutes earlier confirming that the colours of our clothing meant that it was us. It was almost bang on 11:00am, we’d done it in 8 hours 25 minutes ahead of Tim’s estimate & he would later reckon that we were capable of less than 6 hours in better conditions, once again I felt, probably wrongly, that was a tad optimistic.

We lunched with me taking on a double portion of yesterday’s cheese & ham toasty which I conceded 25% of to Tim without hesitation. Next, the walk out, not fully convinced by my ‘it has to be the old route’, Tim went over to a Swiss guide who’d just returned with his client from the Dufourspitze to ask him about the pros & cons. The guide confirmed well as your clients can climb yes it has to be the old route.

Again it was a projected 4 hour walk out, big day as we’d always known, mixed terrain, Crampons used twice but not the rope before we got to the crux & the Swiss Guide’s ‘well your clients can climb’ bit, I’d forgotten this part of the route. A vertical rock wall with a 3 metre rope hanging to the bottom of it. Tim grabbed & smeared up it whilst I looked & assessed even if I can do that Dorina won’t. Then I looked right & remembered the move, the rope was just long enough to be moved over to a groove that rose right to left, that was our key, I led through to join Tim, Dorina struggled but with Tim’s guidance & hand she cracked the crux move & was up too. This crack feature continued up for more than 50 metres, major exposure left but no more difficult moves. Next a short traverse led to two ladders climbing 45′ or so, then an easy scramble & we were safely back on that safe & wonderful path back to the Rotenboden.

We’d reached the station in a little over 3 & a half hours, good effort even if my Garmin had long since given up the ghost. Our reward was just a 5 minute wait for the train back to Zermatt, a very contented feeling seemed to spread through us all despite the knowledge that Camp & home were still more than 4 hours away. In Zermatt our train was waiting for us but we sat on it for 20 minutes before it moved on. Dis-embarking I agreed with Tim that he’d carry on to collect the car whilst Dorina & I bought snacks & wine for tonight & breakfast for the morning.

Driving away from Tache Tim asked should we stop at the coffee spot to which I replied ‘well you are driving & need to stay awake so that’s your call’, we duly stopped.

On the journey back I half-joked to Tim ‘got to come back next year to get that last metre (no genuine intent), he responded ‘no Paul, no way we could tell if that last rock was safe, you’ve got that summit’ or reassuring words to that effect.

We arrived at the campsite at 7:30pm just under 17 hours after Tim & I had left the hut, tough day but I finally have the Nordend on my CV, the 4th highest of the Alps 4,000ers at 4,609 metres, that was feeling very good indeed.

Dorina & I celebrated our incredible 6 days long into the evening despite our pitch now being shared by 4 Dutch, hopefully we didn’t keep them awake, but this wasn’t a hut, there was no early start & we weren’t going to shut up until the wine took control as it inevitably did at some time in the darkness.

Sorry that was long but it was some trip, a 4th & final blog covering our final day in Les Bossons & journey home to follow may just include a forgotten anecdote or two but promise it won’t be anything like as long as this!

 

 

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