Around the Alps in 10 days!

Flying in to Geneva airport and the layers of mountain peaks started to come into view… it’s been 10 months since my last visit, but it feels like a whole life time ago. Its strange isn’t it, how life can change so much in such a short space of time?

If you’re up to date with my previous posts, then you’ll have read my ‘Introduction to Mountaineering’ blog post. I guess essentially, this is where it all started. It was my first taste of Alpine mountaineering which really captured my imagination and sparked a desire for more Alpine adventures! If you have followed the thread of my posts this won’t be news to you, but for any new readers I should explain… you see it was from this trip, where my climbing journey began. Being a hill walker, it was the rock climbing element of this trip which was my weakness (and fear) and I suppose I hadn’t really appreciated how relevant and necessary rock climbing would be for moving around in the higher Alps. I know… quite the oversight!

After a few coffees and conversations at Kendal Mountain Festival… okay and a few beers… a plan was devised and come spring I was ready to rock! I was even able to secure some sponsorship from ‘Go Outdoors’ who kindly kitted me out with a full trad rack, a bouldering mat, ropes, a helmet, harness and some rock shoes. Queue four months of big Lake District classic rock routes, Lancashire cragging and a couple of days climbing over in the North East. I threw myself into “learning the ropes” … and the rest of the knowledge and skills that are required for rock climbing, coupled with some indoor sessions to work on my movement and technique and before I knew it, we were touching down in Switzerland!

After a very early alarm to catch our flight, we arrived in Switzerland midday; the weather was so hot when we arrived, we took the short train journey to collect our van and then headed straight down to Lake Geneva to cool off and freshen up before heading to the famous Montreux Jazz Festival for a few drinks and a dance; day one was the perfect start to the trip.

Swimming in Lake Geneva with the beautiful back drop of the surrounding mountains

We had a later start on day two, catching up on some much needed sleep, before we drove up the Rhone Valley to Saas Grund in the Saastal. Once settled in, we sorted our kit ready for two nights up in mountain huts, with our main objective being the Weissmies!

The Weissmies is a prominent mountain surrounding the famous Saas valley in Wallis, Switzerland. The Weissmies is one of the 82 mountains above 4000 meters (UIAA-list) in the Alps and therefore a (very) popular objective for climbers. The mountain was first climbed in 1855 by Jacob Christian Häuser and Peter Josef Zurbriggen. Interestingly, the elevation of the Weissmies used to be 4023 meters. However, due to global warming, the elevation of this snow capped summit has somewhat decreased to 4017 meters which is now the widely accepted altitude of the Weissmies (although lots of older topographic maps and books still appear to state 4023 meters as the altitude).

From Saas Almagel, a small sleepy village in the Saastal, we followed the walking trail, zig zagging its way up the the steep valley side and through dense woodland before the views opened up at the base of a hanging valley.

Hiking up to the Berghotel

Continuing along the valley for a short while, we soon reached our first stop, the Berghotel Almergelleralp (2194m). After setting off walking rather late in the day (16.30!) we opted for a relaxed pace and a quite night, after all, we were on holiday!

The Berghotel

The Berghotel sits along the Almagell High-Altitude Trail in the Almagellertal and it is often bypassed by swarms of eager mountaineers who continue straight up to the Almageller hut (2894m) which is ideally situated on the south side of the Weissmies and is the starting point of many Weissmies ascents, as well as ours! The Berghotel had three guests in total; Adrian, myself and one other hiker.

A quite meal at the Berghotel

There was something very charming about the Berghotel and its air of peace and tranquillity. After dinner we took some chairs over and onto the Almagell trail where we sat and starred as we sipped wine and watched the sunset over the Mischabel group of mountains. After a relaxing night at the Berghotel, we enjoyed our morning coffee and some breakfast before continuing on our journey to the Almergeller Hut.

Approaching the Almergeller Hut

Once again, missing the rush, we arrived at a relaxed and relatively quite hut, and, after a quick introduction to the team and the hut guardian we dropped some kit, had a quick change of clothes and headed back out.

Neat stack of hut slippers - a good indication that everyone is out adventuring!

Great motto!

The plan for the day… the Dri Hornli (3209m). The Dri Hornli is a well known and popular gneiss ridge which has a steep southeast face and a number of well bolted rock climbs. Our aim was to complete the three star Dri Hornli Traverse (AD) and as the name would suggest, the ridge is made up of three horns of which we would climb up and over to reach the summit.

On the first horn!

Ade on the Dri Hornli

The Dri Hornli was a really fun and relaxed climb and it made for a perfect acclimatisation peak, ready for a 4000 meter peak the following day. While you can maybe just about climb a 4000m peak with no acclimatisation, it won't be much fun if you do! A much better idea is to spend a couple of days before your climb ascending higher and higher to get your body acclimatised and used to the thin air of the high alpine peaks.

At the summing of the Dri Hornli

After the Dri Hornli Traverse, we descended back to the hut for dinner and an early night and ready for an alpine start!

Toasting back at the hut after a great day!

Spotted these little beauties just outside the hut!

The early morning is a reality for adventure seekers of all kinds, however, the ‘alpine start’ got its name from mountaineers who wake long before sunrise to avoid the melting snow on glaciers and slopes. So a 03.45am alarm for a 04.00am breakfast! Generally, in an alpine hut, everyone is up at this time and all with similar objectives.

4am at an alpine hut is a hive of activity!

A trail of headlamps and mountaineers as we headed out early morning

The trail from the hut goes up to the saddle above named ‘Zwischbergenpass’ and then from there continues to the left up onto the SE-ridge of the Weissmies. It was a gusty morning on our hike up to the saddle and more so on the saddle due to the funnel effect of the wind being pushed up the valley; fortunately for us, the wind was much less prevalent on the ridge as had it not been, we may have needed to turn back.

Dreamy early morning views from the Zwischbergenpass

With a lack of snow to the slopes east of the ridge, we had no option but to stick to the crest of the ridge all the way to the top in what felt to me like the worlds longest ever ridge scramble! I bet you’re thinking ‘sounds great!’… Well… not at 5.30am and not at altitude!

Ade leading the way up the ridge

The scrambling was fun but prolonged and tough. I was compensated with the incredible views and motivated to reach the summit. As we neared the top of the ridge we put on our crampons and followed the snowy ridge to the summit.

Summit selfie on the Weissmies

There was only Adrian and I at the summit along with one other team, despite around 75 people leaving the hut with us at 4am. We later learned on returning to the hut that many teams had turned back at the saddle due to the gusty wind and heard that one person had been blown over and injured. The descent from the summit retraced our steps up; we had considered descending via the NW flanks and the Trift glacier however Adrian had enquired with others at the hut and learned that the conditions on the glacier were not good, thus not safe. We dropped back down to the hut for lunch and a drink before continuing all the way down to the van in Saas Almagel.

Feeling pretty beat and very tired, we checked into the Hotel Kristall-Saphir for a much needed shower and rest! The Hotel was the perfect spot for some post summit R&R with its restaurant, bar, fitness suite, sauna and steam bath… unfortunately for us though we were too tired to take advantage of all the facilities. We did however make it to the bar and then across to the restaurant where we had a great meal!

We ordered dinner with hungry eyes!

Sitting outside contently sipping our coffee in the sunshine the following morning, we devised a plan to visit Zermatt. It’s been high on my list of places to visit so it was a great opportunity to be a tourist for the afternoon, I’ll cover this day trip more in another blog.

Ade and I in Zermatt, The Matterhorn pictured behind us!

Following an afternoon in Zermatt, we drove over the Simplon Pass to a little Italian village called Staffa in Macugnaga where we found a small family run restaurant for dinner. As we sat with our wine, taking in the views, we looked up at the skyline and saw a distinct peak, the Joderhorn (3036m).

Dinner in Staffa

Adrian had heard about this peak some time ago and was keen to explore, it sounded like a fun climb and with lift access up and down the mountain side it was a hard yes from me!

The Joderhorn stands above the Monte Moro Pass on the Swiss-Italian border and at the head of the Saastal. It is a small peak but the summit gives excellent views of the huge East face of the Monte Rosa.

Wooden stairs leading down and around to the track to the Joderhorn

Two climbers at the start of the Joderhorn route

Climbing a corner crack on the Joderhorn

We took a three star route up and over the South East Ridge (D) which was a great climb on excellent rock (gneiss). The route is relatively short for an alpine route which makes it accessible for a single day trip; there were several pitches of varying difficulty and after the second pitch, which I had found very difficult, I was ready to quit! I didn’t though…I continued on and I am pleased I did and the rest of the climb was thoroughly enjoyable!

My expert guide keeping me safe and encouraging me along!

Ade and I at the summit of the Joderhorn!

Carrying the rope for the hike back to the refuge

We stopped at the Refugio for refreshments before taking the lift back down to the valley.

Heading back down to the Valley - coats soon came off!

In the intense 36c heat, we drove straight to Lake Maggiore to cool down with a swim followed by a snooze on the sun-beds at the lido beach resort!

Lake Maggiore

After an hour or so snoozing at the lake side we made our way around the lake for dinner, before continuing along to the small Italian village of Arona for some lake side music and cocktails… its all about balance, right?

We had a beautiful impromptu lakeside cocktail night!

We returned to Arona for coffee the following morning

The following morning, after plenty of coffee, we headed to the village of Arnad in the Aosta valley for some climbing on the Paretone. Ade had climbed here previously and recalled a route called Dolce Al Banano (5C) which he thought would be a good climb for us.

After checking the topo and heading up to the crag we instead opted for Bucce D’Arancia (5C). The route was a 5C (allegedly), a 280 metre climb consisting of 9 pitches… we bailed after 2!

Ade on the first pitch of Bucce D’Arancia (5C)

I was feeling pretty disappointed with myself as I had found the second pitch really difficult. We dropped down and went to bar in the valley… I know, there’s a theme here… #traditioninit.

Drinks and a light bite back down in the beautiful valley

I looked up the route and found multiple posts and discussions about the grade and the general consensus seemed to be that the route is a sandbag for a 5c and that the second pitch is a 6a/6a+ … which immediately made me feel better about quitting!

On the way down from the crag, Ade spotted a sign for a B&B called Maison de Noe, so he made a quick call and secured a reservation. We landed in the dark and after wandering the small cobbled streets, closely tucked in buildings and meeting the resident donkey, we found our room. Maison de Noe is everything you could hope for from a small B&B nestled in a high Italian Valley. In the morning, we sat beneath a trellis of grape vines shading us from the sun, eating freshly picked figs, soaking up the relaxed atmosphere and drinking great coffee.

The beautiful Maison de Noe

There’s a certain feel in Italy which is hard to explain; a gentler pace of life, a more relaxed vibe, a general air of content that washes over you and you can’t help but stop and slow yourself, to relax and to match the energy of the country and the people around you.

We could have stayed there longer, but we had somewhere to be!

We stopped in Pont-Saint-Martin for coffee and Ade made a quick call to the Rifugio Quintino Sella (3585m) and made us a booking for the night, we then headed up to Stafal (Gressoney) where we accessed the lift to Colle Bettafora (2680m); first a cable car and then a chair lift. The chair lift dropped us at the start of our path to the hut, path number 9, which was indicated by yellow markers. The path was very pleasant up to and around Colle Bettolina, it then became steeper as we travelled through some boulders until reaching the start of a ridge.

Ade heading up to the refuge

The well equipped ridge with fixed ropes and a wooden bridge!

The last section of our hike to the hut consisted of an open ridge, the ridge was well equipped with a fixed rope and as we neared the end of the ridge traverse the hut came into view, and behind it was our objective for the following day… Castor (4223m).

Adrian approaching the Rifugio Quintino Sella (3585m)

The first ascent of Castor was made on the 23rd of August 1861 by F. W. Jacomb and William Mathews with the Guide Michel Croz; Croz is a name that frequently comes up in alpinism literature and was a very well known and respected Guide from the Chamonix valley. Croz made several first ascents during the golden age of alpinism. He is most remembered for the first ascent of the Matterhorn where tragedy struck and he lost his life!

The hut sits on the edge of the glacier so a friendly sign not to wear crampons in the hut is needed here!

Busy hut on our arrival, the boot store and kits store starts to fills up

The Quintino Sella hut has an interesting history and around the communal dining areas you can see many old photos displayed. The first shelter was built in 1885, rebuilt for the first time in 1907 and a second time in 1924, after being damaged by an avalanche. The current three-story building was completed in 1982 and is prefabricated glulam. The hut was named after Quintino Sella, the founder of the Italian Alpine Club.

Ready for dinner in the Refugio!

Dinner in the hut was swiftly follow by a quick kit check and an early night; this time we were prepared and had remembered to bring our headphones so we could listen to an audio book in bed!

Another 03.45am alarm… another 04.00am breakfast… another Alpine start!

As the Quintino Sella hut sits on the edge of the Felik glacier, we roped up and put on our crampons right outside the hut ready to cross the glacier lit only by our head lamps.

There’s an old legend about the Felik glacier… they say that once upon a time, where the Felik Glacier now stands, there was a rich and prosperous city. The inhabitants were wicked and so one day God sent down eternal snow upon the city. They say a mountaineer, on a particularly hot day and clouded from fatigue, claimed to have seen the tip of a bell tower!

Heading up to Castor in the 6am light

Our ascent of Castor from the Quintino Sella hut took us across the Felik glacier, up and over the Felikhorn (4087m) and the Punta Felik (4174m) and then along the long and narrow picture perfect white alpine ridge to the summit at 4223 meters.

The picture perfect snowy summit ridge

Looking back on the ridge from the summit of Castor!

Castor is one of two ‘twin peaks’ the other one is Pollux… they are named after the Gemini twins of Greek mythology.

We were among the first few parties to reach the summit and after a few moments taking in the views we headed back, retracing our steps back over the airy summit ridge… this time, with oncoming traffic!

Ade and I, back down at the col after summiting Castor

It wasn’t long before we were back at the hut, warming up with some hot coffee and refuelling before making the descent back to the lifts.

Ade on the ridge as we retraced our steps back down

It made for a long and tiring day and once we had made the journey back down to the valley we drove around to the old town of Aosta where we checked into our apartment and took a much needed shower!

After a rest we headed out to explore… and eat! Dinner followed by gelato, perfect!

Exploring the old town

Gelato!

The old town of Aosta was beautiful, bustling in the cool evening, lit up and looking pretty… and brought to life by the buskers.

The following morning we headed through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Chamonix, where we went for a wander around the village. It had rained pretty consistently all day and with thunderstorms predicted, it was not a day to be in the mountains.

As a result the place was bustling!

We headed to the graveyard, not the typical tourist destination I know, but we actually found it to be quite therapeutic, walking around the cemetery, reading about and remembering those who went before us.

The final resting place of Edward Whymper

Whymper is buried in Chamonix, he’s buried beside Herzog. There are also memorials to those who lost their lives on Mont Blanc and to the Chamonix guides who lost their lives in the mountains. It was very poignant and the weather matched the mood.

The sun came out in the afternoon and dried the rock so we headed to Servoz for some roadside cragging before the weather turned again. We weren’t climbing for too long but it was nice to be able to add some French rock to my log book!

My first climb on French rock!

Ade, somewhere way up...

Even got a lead climb in!

Dinner in Chamonix for the last night of my trip!

For the last night of my trip, we headed back to Chamonix for dinner and after a relaxed evening and morning, we closed the loop of our tour around the Alps by driving back to Geneva so I could catch my flight home!

There was no set agenda for this trip and we had decided to ‘go with the flow’… fortunately for me, Adrian has spent so much time exploring and working in the Alps that he has enough knowledge of the area to have been able to easily link the travelling, hiking, summits and climbs together so seamlessly. With no set schedule, it meant that we could move around at our leisure, explore the villages, swim in the lakes, dance at the jazz festival, nap on sun loungers or sip cocktails late into the night in obscure Italian villages!

We made the most of the ten days we had and squeezed as much into each day as possible, yet at no time did anything feel rushed, pressured or stressful… it really was the perfect trip!