October ends just like most of the month has already been: golden!

On Saturday we climb to the Spannort hut where we enjoy the afternoon in the warm autumn sun with a view over the sea of fog. Do we have to get up an hour earlier or later or what? Only because of the entertainment value of this annual discussion summertime should never be abolished!

On sunday we climb up to the Schlossberglücke. On the glacier there is an annoying breakable crust making us look like we just come back from a all-night party. Over a last steep section we reach the summit where we enjoy the view for over an hour, not only because of Mc's special request.

There are many nice places to spend a night in the mountains- my personal favourite is Bristen!

 

On saturday I start in the dense wet fog. When I reach Bristensee it is still foggy and I am soaking wet already. Only when I reach the ridge I can finally leave it behind me. There is still some snow along ridge making it a little bit slippery. Just when I reach the summit the last clouds disappear. Wow, what a panoramic view! Only a few peaks peer out of the compact cloud cover. The sunset lets shine Titlis and Spannort in the most beautiful light.

 

It is not even very cold at night. On sunday morning the clouds are gone and I can now enjoy the view down into the 2500m deeper Reus valley.

 

Bea has a new sleeping bag and of course this needs to be tested. As our bivvy site we choose a moraine in the middle of the Kanderfirn. The view out of the sleeping bag into the evening sky with its changing colors beats every movie. We all seem to sleep very well - at least we dont' t hear our alarm clock in the morning and get up 1 1/2 hours later than planned.

We walk up to the Petersgrat and to the foot of the Tschingelhorn. Here we climb up the long couloir to the ridge which we follow to the summit.

The way back is very long and our feet are burning by the time we finally can get rid of our boots.

 

 

 

 

From Grächen we start for the beautiful walk to the Bordier hut. There we enjoy a easy afternoon and prepare everything for the next day. At half past 3 in the early morning we start. At first it is a short decent over the glacier, then the long climb on the opposite side to the foot of the north ridge of Dirruhorn. Just as we reach the ridge it is getting light - a fantastic sunrise! Now we move up the long ridge which is mostly easy and of good rock quality. But it is very long. After the Klein Dirruhorn we reach the summit of the Dirruhorn. Of course the plan was to go on over the Nadelgrat from here on. But considering the tattered fitness we decide to turn back and let it be only one summit for today. As it is with these rocky ridges: the are even longer on the way down...

 

 

 

Friday on the way to the Täschhütte it is very foggy and we don't see much at all. But next morgning we already enjoy a great sunrise over the mountains of Zermatt while walking up to the start of our climb. Today we want to climb the Rotgrat to the Alphubel. A mostly very nice climb with good rock, apart from the short part where we got of the route... Die ridge is quite long and it takes us almost 7 hrs. until we reach the summit of Alphubel. From here we descent to the bivouac at Mischabeljoch.

The approache to Chamonix is a bit longer, so we already start on friday evening. On saturday it is a long walk in to the refuge Durier with lots of ups and downs. The last slope is of the sort 'vertical scree'. I am quite glad there is no one else in the slope at the same time. The refuge Durier is a cosy little hut with great views.

 

On sunday we climb the long ridge alternately in snow and rock to the Aig. de Bionnassay. Vis à vis we can already see the continuos fairy light all the way up to Mont Blanc. With only 5 roped parties, it is far more quite on our route. Just at sunrise we reach the narrow summit. From here we follow the long ridge to the Dôme de Goûtier. A superb ridge in perfect conditions, even though that kind of balancing ridges is not really my strength...

 

On the Dôme de Goûtier we meet the ants path going up Mont Blanc and join it for the long way down.

The weather forecast for this weekend is so good, perfect for a bivvy..

 

From Elm we walk up the Panixer pass. There is a refuge here but we keep going a little bit further and find a nice spot below the Glatscher da Mar.

 

Because of the cold weather of the last weeks, there is quite a lot of snow. The climb up the east ridge of Hausstock is a little bit slippery and wet. But the view from the summit is fantastic: we can see all the way from the Grisons to the Bernese alps. This great view we can enjoy for some more time as we follow the long ridge to Ruchi. Here we can see from far below Muttensee glaring in the brightest colors already. We descend to the lake where we enjoy a beer before going down to the (very hot) valley.

In a few days we will be going to bolivia. So we use the days over ascention day for some acclimatisation. High bivouacs is what we are looking for...

When we arrive in Zermatt on thursday it snows as it has never snowed there all winter long. So at first we have to stay in the valley. On friday then good weather is back. We take the cable car to Klein Matterhorn and from there walk to the bivouac Rossi & Volante beautifully situated at the foot of Roccia Nera at some 3700m already.

On Saturday we head for Castor. The skis we have to start carrying quite early already. The last meters over the summit ridge are quite exposed. We traverse the summit and descend towards the Cap. Sella. There we almost succumb to stay here for the night and enjoy the assets of a maintained hut. But we continue the long way over Passo del Naso. We have to suffer quite a bit until we reach the bivouac Balmenhorn (at 4200m already) perfectly located on a rock island.

On sunday we descend over the Grenzgletscher. Especially in the lower part some very good skiing, a worthily seasons end. But now time to go home. In less than 24h the first part of the crew will fly already...

At half past one in the very early morning we start at Roselaui. First we have to carry the skies for about one hour before we reach the snow that is still very wet down here. It has not even started to freeze yet. On the Roselaui glacier we make a first break. This night seems to endlessly long, because the moon doesn't start to rises before 6 o' clock. Just before the Wettersattel the sun is up too. The conditions in the summit slope are perfect and the view towards Eiger, Lauteraar- und Schreckhorn is just fantastic.

But there was something more? Right, we wanted to climb Mittelhorn too. So down we climb and up again on the other side.

On the way down we optimise our skiing rather by economical then aesthetical factors. No wonder with 2600 vertical meters climbed.

This weekend there was finally another Gerutti tour planned.

 

On sunday we climb Gemsfairenstock from Urnerboden. Here we have a great view of our next day goal: the impressive Tödi. The conditions are very good and so we can ski down directly the steep slope from the peak to the south. After a short climb over the Ochsenkopf we reach the Fridolins hut.

 

The sun is just getting up when we start the next day. We search for a way through the maze of the seracs. We find a good route. But at the end, where we reach the flatter part are some huge crevasses to get arround. Just in time when we reach the summit the last clouds disappear.

 

From 3600m to 1100m the very long descent brings us after that in no time. Especially in the upper part a first class pleasure.

When we arrive in Andernatt on saturday morning it's pouring with rain. At the start in Realp it is at least sleet that is soon becoming a heavy snow fall. We limit our goal to reach the Albert Heim hut under this conditions. A tour normally not really very demanding. But today a real challenge. The fresh snow is already 1m deep... Next to the Fondue and the chocolate cake the main attraction of the evening is the lunar eclipse.

Sunday is the predicted dream day with finally plenty of fresh snow. Because of the avalanche situation our operation range is limited and so we climb Chli Bielehorn just before the big masses from the valley come up...

 

 

 

Yes this winter, that doesn't want to be a winter, rather likes to be spring... it often makes it difficult for us to find a place with enough snow. But so far we found a place every weekend with good conditions. The positive side of this all: it is simply always good weather. This weekend we went to the Leglerhütte in the Glarnerland.

 

After Hanenstock on saturday we want to climb Gross Chärpf on sunday. At some point in the evening we hear about the passage at the Chärpftor and from then on our route for the next day is set. The snow in the steep flank is everything from blank ice to styrofoam like but we make good progress.

At the ski depot of the Gross Chärpf we rent out our crampons and in exchange get a ride back to our car offered. Would have been a shame to miss those great slopes down to Elm...

 

 

A weekend in at the Vermigel hut. On saturday we start on Gemsstock to the Pizzo Prevat and over pso. Sella back to the hut.

 

Sunday we climb Pizzo Centrale. Not by the normal route but by a very nice Couloir on the north side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We start our 'three kings tour' in the Val Bedretto. Ascending through Val Cavagnolo we reach Pne. Val Piana. Here the king of the day gets chosen (by eating a special cake. The one who finds a little figure in his piece) whereas the luck is on my side. Some say that the fact that we then climbed Cima di Lago AND Cristallina the same afternoon had anything to do with that... :-)

 

Next day we climb point 2693 just behind the hut. A nice ridge attracts as to climb a little unnamed peak. At Pne. Cavagnolo we can use our crampons again, climbing a nice couloir to the summit.

The weekend is finished with a great run through the Val Piana with plenty of powder snow. Quite a royal weekend!