UKH

Hi,

I am currently in the midst of planning my first solo trip to the alps.

My partner and I have completed guided routes in the Mont Blanc and plenty of Scottish all season walking/scrambling.

We are looking to increase our skill level (have been taking lessons) and become more autonomous.

I have a couple of nights booked in Zermatt but apart from that our 8 night trip is pretty flexible.

My plan so far is one of increasing difficulty through the week:

- Riffelhorn south face routes
- Briethorn from Klien Matterhorn station
- Traverse across the glacier to Ayas hut
- Pollux by the rock ridge route
- Back to Zermatt
- Trek to Dent Blanche hut
- Attempt Dent Blanche by south ridge

Does anyone have any views on this as a first solo outing plan? Any routes that I'm perhaps missing that would be more suitable?

We're looking to challenge ourselves on all types of terrain but dont obviously want to push our skills too far yet.

Given the weather at the moment all of the above may have to be re-worked.

We are leaving 22nd of Aug.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Euan

In reply to EuanM:

I assume you mean without a guide rather than alone without a partner/or un-roped?

In reply to jon:

Yes, without a guide but always with a roped climbing partner.

In reply to EuanM:

South Ridge of the Dent Blanche sounds like a bit of a leap compared to the rest (I confess to having only descended it).

What about the normal route on the Zinal Rothorn as an option?

In reply to Simon4:

Zermatt to the Dent Blanche hut will probably take 2 days.

In reply to EuanM:

When you say "rock ridge route" for Pollux, which do you mean?. The ridge to the col with Castor is a bit chossy - the normal route (rock and snow) is nicer. Maybe descend to the col to make it a traverse.

Have some reserves in case weather/events intervene too, as they will. Alphubel and Rimpfischhorn could be worth noting as replacements for Pollux if needed. Obergabalhorn is another possible Dent Blanche alternative - the Arbegrat is a solid (in both senses) AD rock ridge.

In reply to EuanM:

The normal rock and snow rock on Pollux is the one I've been planning. Looks like an enjoyable climb.

Thanks for the idea I'll look in to all of them.

The descent of Dent Blanche is my biggest worry so far. We'd be traversing the gendarme to make it easier but I'd appreciate any views on the difficulty from anyone that's done it.

Trek to the Dent Blanche hut could be a struggle with poor weather.

In reply to EuanM:


IIRC, it has a couple of steep but not very long abseils.

Steady after that, made more exciting by a forced bivi above 4000m in a thunderstorm with heavy snow, after a long lob onto a no 1 wire. (These last are not obligatory).

In reply to EuanM:

How about from Saas - the Weissmeis traverse, Lagginhorn normal route, Alpendurst on the Jegihorn, traverse of the Dri Horlini, Hohlaubgrat on Allalinhorn - all pretty moderate routes I would have thought would be good for a first trip on your own..

In reply to Simon4: sorry to hijack which route up db it's my favourite hill.

In reply to alasdair19:

An interesting question. The South Ridge is by far the voie normalle, it is quite short due to the high hut (870 vertical m), but not a gimme given the AD grade and pitches of III. Like I say, I have descended it, which was OK but not trivial, maybe if someone who has climbed it could post something that would be helpful.

I thought the West Ridge was comparable, but I see that Martin Moran gives it D with pitches of IV. If you feel like a "good value" route and some excitement, the North Buttress will certainly give it to you, don't necessarily take that as a recommendation!

Of course virtually all these routes will be highly problematic under present conditions, perhaps a ski-touring ascent of the North Face?

You are right, it is a very fine mountain, like the Dent d'Herrens, a real mountaineers' mountain.

In reply to Simon4:


It is, of course, the Dent d'Herens.

In reply to jon:
I recall once being on the glacier beneath the Grand Capucin, hearing a long series of increasingly frantic shouts in French. Finally we shouted up "est-ce-que vous avez un problem?"

"Oui. Appele un helicopter" came the response.

We dropped our sacks and ran frantically back to where things were more trafficed and flagged down a passing chopper. From it emerged a French guide with not a hair out of place, his Yves St Laurent crampons perfectly colour coordinated with his fleece and stylish hat. (Me as usual following the normal British traditions, you can imagine just how stylish I was, if one can use the words "stylish" and "Simon" in the same sentence!).

"Monsieur, Monsieur, ill-y-a un partie qui avait un grand problem sur la Grand CapUChin (my phonetics)"

French Guide (pushes back an impeccably tonsured lock into its exact place from the 2 mm it had become displaced by the near gale from the chopper, slightly polishes his already gleaming ice-axe) : "Oh no, monsieur, il-y-a un partie qui avait un grand problem sur la Grand Capucin!" (pronounced correctly with a soft s like sound at the end).

In reply to EuanM:

An excellent article here on how to get into an Alpine mindset:

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/climb-skills-speeding-up

Have fun!

In reply to Simon4:
Ah, you misunderstood me completely. I was referring to the historical mix up between the two peaks, not your appalling spelling! (Or indeed I would have made sure I'd spelt Hérens correctly myself!)

In reply to EuanM:

Just coming back on track, a couple of thoughts:

1) Will one day on the Riffelhorn be enough acclimatisation for you before the Breithorn?
2) The Breithorn is a bit, well, dull on the way up (nice views from the top though). How about Cable-car>Pollux>Ayas hut one day, then Ayas>Castor>Zermatt the next?

In reply to Simon4: I tried the n buttress weber route few years ago. got a bit freaked out by poor belays but am keen to go back with pegs and micro cams.

have you heard of people climbing the n face routes? I met a German speaking sponcered hero who had (and said he had a good time but nobody else.

In reply to jon:

Did you ever get the refund from that charm school Jon?

In reply to alasdair19:

I assume that the Weber route is the standard North Buttress route? I never heard it called that.

I can't say I've ever heard of people actually climbing the N face routes, but then it is quite a while since I was trying the DB. CampToCamp is your best bet to find any recent records, though I am not sure how much German speakers use it and record their climbs there.

Last year I was trying to find out something about the Schreckhorn N face climbs, found some guidebook stuff but actual records of recent ascents were completely absent. This either means that there are very few ascents of these big face routes in Swiss areas like the Bernese Oberland, or else that people are either not recording them or not recording them in places that I am aware of. I suspect some combination of the 2 is happening, a German speaker might be able to find out more.

In reply to Simon4:

Yeah, thought you'd like that! Anyway, without wishing to labour the point...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dent_Blanche

There's a Wiki link for the Dent d'Hérens too but UKC doesn't seem to like it for some reason - probably something to do with the é - but basically says the same thing about the names being wrongly attributed.

In reply to alasdair19:

I see from the old Alpine club guide that there were at least 2 mainstream routes up the North face, plus the enigmatically titled "Japanese route" with faint dots only.

In reply to jon:

I've often seen the Aiguille Noire de Peuterey looking quite blanche as well! I bet it is now.

It was only fairly recently that I discovered that there is a village called Peuterey (or tiny hamlet I believe), that gave the great ridge its name.

In reply to ByEek:

Thanks for the link, very interesting stuff. There's always a temptation to over prepare/pack!

In reply to MG:

I've been thinking about this and might incorporate an extra day for acclimatising. We arrive early on the Friday so could try and squeeze in a high level hike.

I take your point on the Briethorn being dull, I added it in as an easy route to build confidence etc.

After some further reading/route planning and given the current weather and potential snow on Dent Blanche I think the Zinalthorn will be a better option. Only if the south face is clear of snow though.

In reply to Simon4:


I'll bet it is. You know, for 23 years I'd look out of my window and see the Aiguille Verte - and not once did it look green.

In reply to jon:

Bloody useless for sowing with as well, why on earth do the French call it a needle?

In reply to EuanM:

Take a look at Berghaus Flue. It has rock climbing and high-level walking nearby. A night sleeping high and a days activity might be an alternative to a day on the Rifflehorn. Not cheap but a delightful place inside.

In reply to Simon4:

And how do think France was sown to Switzerland?

In reply to EuanM:


Agreed. However, with an Alpine mindset, the temptation should be to make do. The more stuff you take, the less likely you are to achieve your goals.

There is also a brilliant hints and tips from UKC's Bob.

http://bobwightman.co.uk/climb/gear.php?p=alpine-gear-tips and
http://bobwightman.co.uk/climb/gear.php?p=alpine-climbing-tips

In reply to ByEek:

Some of those tips could do with an update! Does anyone still own (and more importantly, use) a Petzl Zoom??

In reply to EuanM:

Yes - when I did this, the traverse from the snow to the couloir leading up to the Gabel was snow covered and pretty hairy, would not have wanted to be crossing that after it had softened.

In reply to Simon4:

Sewing?

In reply to graham F: with an aiguille a dent is too blunt

In reply to graham F:
Grand Cap O Chin to you mate!

Didn't expect that - well you sowed the wind, so ....

In reply to graham F:

Yes I saw that but resisted!