The Weisshorn is the second hardest of all the Swiss 4,000m peaks and only the Lenzspitze “normal route” is harder. Of course, there are lots of harder routes on other mountains – but just getting to the top of the Weisshorn, via the easiest possible route, is a serious endeavour. The grade is AD+ but with the recent fresh snow, the challenge was likely to be greater. I have been focused on getting the “hard stuff” done whilst I am still (relatively) young and am leaving the lower grades to either do un-guided or when I am old and infirm.
Just the approach to the hut is tough for some – it’s a four-hour hike from Zinal to the Tracuit Hut. I was feeling good and I felt very smug to have completed it in under 2.5 hours only to discover that a local guide had raced up in 1 hour 45 mins. That said, apparently, he is the holder of the record for the ascent and was not carrying any kit.
The hut is the base for attempting the Weisshorn but also the Bishorn which is one of the easiest of the 4,000m peaks. The hut is brand new with spectacular views and good food – a good option for families wanting a good hike and an overnight stay. I think Tristan and I might try it later this year.
Unlike the Arben Bivouac, the hut was full of families, pensioners and others in between. Only Bertrand and I and a German pair were focused on the Weisshorn and I felt like the “serious” mountaineer in this hut.
We woke for breakfast at 2:00am and headed out. The first part is easy – up the glacier to the summit of the Bishorn which is enroute, so I claimed the Bishorn for a second time having ski toured to the summit previously. A steep descent and then the real work started.
The Weisshorn is basically a really, really, really long, sustained ridge climb of knife edge snowy ridges, rocky gendarmes (rocky pinnacles that guard the summit and which must be climbed up and over) and my favourite, knife edge rocky ridges with certain death on either side which must be crossed in crampons.
These ridges have been my biggest challenge and it is entirely psychological. Knowing what lay in store, I had spent a couple of days in the build-up messing around on the slack line in the garden with the kids. I’m not great but the slack line shows I have good enough balance, so I just made the decision that I was not going to be scared anymore.
Back up on the Weisshorn and we were making good progress – the Germans had abandoned, probably because of the cold. The Bisshorn had been bitterly cold as Bertrand had predicted and so we were ready with an additional down jacket and thick gloves. I was comfortable on the rock despite the higher grade.
When the first knife edge rock ridge appeared, I did not hesitate, I walked across confidently (albeit with great care and slowly) and the usual paralysing fear never dared show its face. Bertrand was impressed with the improvement. Fear is all in the head, if you decide something is not going to scare you, then it doesn’t. Progress was good but the snow meant we were simply in line with the guidebook time estimates where normally we are much faster.
We arrived at the start of the final series of snowy ridges and these looked pretty intimidating. We had hoped that others from the hut or from days before would have put in a set of foot-steps but this was not the case. These ridges were so sharp that there was barely enough space for a single foot. The photos do not really give a sense of how steep these damned things were.
As a fall from the ridge would have been almost unstoppable and the consequences most likely fatal, we progressed with Bertrand on one side and me on the other, front pointing (sticking the front of the crampons into the snow) with the rope across the ridge. It was ridiculously safe – normally I have to rely on Bertand spotting, within a fraction of a second, which way I fell and jumping the other side – with this technique, he had already “jumped”. We reached the summit! However, the descent is equally as challenging as you have to reverse the entire route.
The kids had recently suffered from a stomach bug and on the descent, I was beginning to suffer. On three occasions I had to answer, probably the most dangerous and highest, call of nature I have yet received. We made it down, via the Bisshorn again (so three 4,000m peaks in a day) and the total ascent and descent took 14 hours – so about normal but it was then another 2 hours back down from the hut – this was a full 16 hour mission.
The Weisshorn has a fearsome reputation and so I was pleased that I was pretty comfortable with it all. I am now thinking of suggesting to Bertrand we tackle the Lenzspitze via the NE Face, which is graded “dificile” – another level up but the easiest at this level. We’ll see what he says!
Expeditions 