When we moved to Switzerland over 10 years ago, I had never set foot on a mountain. Now that I was livening in the mountains, I decided that I should climb the three mountains that I had heard of; Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and the Eiger and I thought that would be it.
I hated my first 4,000m peak, the Matterhorn in 2011 (busy, stressful, angry Zermatt guides, rock fall and flying ice axes) and it was only the serenity of the Eiger that persuaded me to complete the “branded” trilogy.
I shared my novice mountaineering experiences with my father-in-law, Arthur Muirhead, who had climbed many of the Alpine 4,000m peaks himself. I was in awe of stories of simply tying a static rope around your waist in a bowline and carrying a few stones in your pockets to jam into cracks to offer some form of protection. He also told me about his failed attempt to summit Aconcagua (6,960m) in the Andes, when, aged 70, he had to turn back a few hundred metres from the summit. I decided that I would set myself the goal of climbing every one of the 48 4,000m peak in Switzerland before I was 70 and so was born Project Swiss 4,000m Peaks.
Yesterday I summited my final 4,000m peak, the Lauteraahorn (summit report to follow), completing the project a few years ahead of schedule – I was 53 in July. It has been an amazing journey through which I have made some great, lifelong friendships and shared some incredible moments. To celebrate, this autumn I am going to invite to lunch anyone who has stood alongside me on a 4,000m peak and Arthur will be the guest of honour.
Whilst strictly speaking Arthur should not be on the guest, it is the fact that when I asked him recently if he would like to climb the Breithorn with me before the celebratory lunch, he needed a full two days to think it through before finally declining – Arthur will be 89 this year and has lost nearly all his sight, yet it was not an easy decision for him to decline. It is not surprising that I have drawn so much inspiration from him.
So, thank you to everyone who has ventured onto a mountain with me and keep an eye on your inbox for an invitation to lunch later this year.
As I have a few years left before I am 70, I have decided to extend the project to include all 82 Alpine 4,000m peaks as well as tackling some of the North faces including the infamous North Face of the Eiger. In addition, this autumn I will be heading to Nepal for the first time and in the next few years I have aspirations for polar adventures and the North and South poles – so if you want to be invited to the next lunch, drop me a line.
Here is the list in height order. The first person is the lead climber or guide and in brackets are people with whom I have shared the summit on subsequent occasions.
Dufourspitze 4634m Olivier Roduit and Andrew Noble
Nordend 4609m GF lead with Michelle
Zumsteinspitze 4563m GF lead with Andre Noble & John Strachan
Signalkuppe 4554m GF lead with Andre Noble, John Strachan & Duncan Robertson
Dom (fetigrat) 4545m GF lead with Frank Persyn
Lyskamm Est – T 4527m Giulia Monego
Weisshorn 4506m Bertrand Martenet
Täschhorn 4491m Sebastian
Lyskamm West – T 4481m Giulia Monego
Matterhorn 4478m Alain Michellod
Parrotspitze 4436m GF lead with Catie
Dent Blanche 4357m Bertrand Martenet
Ludwigshöhe 4342m GF lead with Andre Noble & John Strachan
Nadelhorn 4327m GF lead with Richard
Corno Nero 4321m GF lead with Andre Noble & John Strachan
Combin de Grafeneire 4314m Alain Michellod
Lenzspitze – T 4294m Sebastian
Finsteraarhorn 4274m Kenny Grant
Stecknadelhorn – T 4241m Sebastian
Castor 4228m Bertrand Martenet
Zinalrothorn 4221m Bertrand Martenet
Hobärghorn – T 4219m Sebastian
Alphubel 4206m Alain Michellod (Sebastian x2)
Rimpfischhorn 4199m Sebastian
Aletschhorn 4195m Sebastian
Strahlhorn 4190m Alain Michellod & Andrew Noble
Combin de Valsorey 4184m Alain Michellod
Dent d’ Herens 4179m Sebastian
Breithorn West 4165m Bertrand Martenet (Amelie, Simon, Tracy)
Breithorn Central 4160m Bertrand Martenet (Simon and Tracy)
Jungfrau 4158m GF lead with Andrew Noble
Bishorn 4153m Alain Michellod (Bertrand x2)
Combin de Tsessette 4141m Alain Michellod
Breithorn Est 4141m Bertrand Martenet
Breithorn Pointe 4106m Bertrand Martenet
Mönch 4099m GF lead with Andrew Noble
Pollux 4092m Bertrand Martenet
Schreckhorn 4078m Giulia Monego
Roccia Nera 4075m Bertrand Martenet
Ober Gabelhorn 4063m Bertrand Martenet
Piz Bernina 4049m Kenny Grant
Gross Fiescherhorn 4049m Kenny Grant
Gross Grünhorn 4044m Kenny Grant
Lauteraarhorn 4042m Alan Tissieres
Dirruhorn – T 4035m Sebastian
Allalinhorn 4027m Allain Michellod (Bertrand & Tristan)
Hinter Fiescherhorn 4025m Kenny Grant
Weissmies 4017m Alain Michhelod
Lagginhorn 4010m Bertand Martenet
Expeditions 