Canadian skimo racing team member Michelle asked me to step in at the last minute to compete in the Pierra Menta three stage trail race after her two previous team-mates had pulled out – it was tough and she pushed me hard. In return, Michelle agreed to accompany me on Nordend after my planned partners also had to pull out. After a day of rest following the Pierra Menta, we set-off to Zermatt and the Monte Rosa hut.
I had previously failed on two occasions on Nordend (avalanche risk and then high winds and fatigue being the causes) and so I was determined to succeed this time. Nordend is a simple mountain featuring a long-glacial plod, a ridge-climb and finally a few rock moves to reach the summit. We decided to attempt a speed ascent and so packed light (which basically meant I did not take my camera and lenses).
We rose at 1:30am for a 2:00am breakfast and left the hut at 2:30am ahead of the other parties. The first part is on rock and moraine and we moved really fast, not quite running but power hiking. We reached the snowline and put on our crampons and began the ascent. Route finding was a bit challenging and we lost some time but then spotted another party and picked up the correct line. We were not working hard and made steady progress reaching the Silberstattel (the saddle between Nordend and Duforspitze) in just over four hours, comfortably beating the guidebook which suggests 6 to 7 hours from the hut.
Conditions on the glacier were excellent but with clear skies it was still quite cold and I was grateful for my @stellarequipment soft shell, down jacket and lightweight hard shell which was the perfect combination. We began the route along the ridge line which leads to the summit.
The going was generally very good with some recent fresh snow making for solid foot placements. However, in places the ridge was transforming to ice and whilst I was comfortable, I could see that Michelle was not feeling quite as relaxed. I was glad that I had decided to pack some additional ice screws for just this scenario and so we set up running belays to protect against the risk of a fall. A fall could well be fatal because if tumbling over the seracs below did not do the job, the deep crevasses that followed would most likely seal your fate.
We reached the final rock section and whilst the moves were simple and straightforward, a fall would certainly kill you, so again I put some protection in place. At the summit we paused briefly for a selfie before reversing the route.
We then began the descent and as we passed under the towering seracs which represented the only real objective danger on the route, Michelle’s crampon inexplicably decided to fall apart. She began to try and slot it back together as we remained motionless under the seracs. A serac collapse on our local summit the Grand Combin had recently killed a number of climbers and a similar recent collapse in Italy had been equally fatal. I was immediately nervous and is it was soon clear this would not be a quick fix I gave the executive order to continue descending on the one good crampon. As I was behind, I was well placed to protect a slide but Michelle made good progress on a single crampon. I was relieved to make it out from under the seracs without further incident.
A Spanish guide and his French client were also heading down and as they were moving fast we tucked in behind them to relieve me of the stress of navigating the crevasses on the descent. We arrived back at the moraine, removed crampons and made good progress back to the hut completing the round trip in under 10 hours versus a guidebook time of 12 to 13 hours. I was really pleased with our speed and especially as we were not pushing hard at all.
It was a huge relief to tick Nordend off the list. The train station at Rottenboden affords incredible views of the 38 4,000m peaks around Zermatt and it gave me a huge sense of achievement to be able to look around, knowing that I had summited each and every 4,000m peak. With Nordend climbed, it now means that only Taschhorn and Lauterrhorn remain of all the Swiss 4,000m peaks which is my goal. I have already have two trips planned with Sebastian this summer and so, with luck, I should be able to achieve my goal this year. To celebrate, I plan to invite anyone with whom I have stood on a 4,000m peak to join me for lunch where Catie’s dad, Arthur, will be the guest of honour as the man who inspired me to undertake this challenge.
Expeditions 