Some of my climbs

The climbs described below can be done by any reasonable fit person. It helps if you are able to run twenty kilometres within two hours. Basic knowledge in mountaineering such as rope technique and using crampons also are needed. The most difficult climbs are Wetterhorn , Mönch south-west ridge , Eiger by the Mittellegi ridge, Romsdalshorn and Bispen all with grade about IV to V. And of course the Matterhorn by the Hörnli ridge which is a long and demanding climb. However, some of the routes are at high altitude so it is important to take time to acclimatise. Grade or not, what is difficult or not is often decided by the weather conditions. For beginners it is strongly advised to go with a professional guide.


Mönch 4099 meter, Berner Oberland, Switzerland

Going from Jungfraujoch up the south-east ridge in terrible weather. The wind was hard and the snow was coming in horizontally. Great feeling to stand on the summit though the view was nil, (September 3, 1990).


Breithorn 4165 meter, Wallis, Switzerland

We went by skis from Kleine Matterhorn. Good weather on the way up and fabulous view that included Matterhorn and Monte Rosa from the summit. I got somewhat altitude sick on the way down since we came in to Zermatt from sea level the evening before, (April 13, 1991).


Allalinhorn 4027 meter, Wallis, Switzerland

We had a ”simple” snow scramble from Mittel Allalin above Saas Fee, (August 23, 1991).


Weissmies, 4023 meter, Wallis, Switzerland

A long snow and ice route with a lot of crevasses starts at the Hohen Saas hut. Plenty of people could be seen out in a nice Sunday sun, (August 25, 1991).


Agiuille de Tour, 3542 meter, Argientiere, France

This climb was part of the training for Mont Blanc. The starting point was the Albert Premier hut. Good scrambling but crowded on the last part of the route, (August 15, 1992).


Mont Blanc, 4808 meter, Chamonix, France

Going the normal route we slept the first night at the Tete Rouse hut and the second at the Goutier hut. Exposed situation with stones coming down the 'le Grand Couloir'. Arrived at the summit seven o’clock after a long, cold and early morning. Good feeling to stand on the top of Europe. A very long way down, (August 18, 1992).


Galdhöpiggen, 2476 meter, Jotunheimen, Norway

We started from the Spiterstulen hut which is at 1200 meter. Long rather easy route, (August 23, 1993).


Glittertind, 2472 meter, Jotunheimen, Norway

Again we started from the Spiterstulen hut. The tour took all day to complete. No major difficulties, (August 24, 1993).


Mönch 4099 meter, Berner Oberland, Switzerland

We were on south-east ridge for the second time. However, this day the sun was shining and the view round the Berner Oberland was perfect. We had to give up on the Jungfrau due to hard wind and snow the next day, (September 7, 1993).


Plattenhorn, 2600 meter, Wallis, Switzerland

I went up the Gemmi passway from Leukerbad (1000 m). From there a nice scramble leads to Plattenhorn, (July 15, 1994).


Wetterhorn, 3701 meter, Berner Oberland, Switzerland

We had an early start after a good night sleep in the Gleckstein hut. There was a hard head wind on the long ridge and hard ice on the final icefield. This was indeed a rewarding climb with fantastic views all a round, (August 10, 1994).


Romsdalshorn, 1550 meter, Romsdalen, Norge

We approached from the north side over snow slopes to reach the start of the climb. After about seven rope lengths of nice climbing we got to the top where we experienced a good view of the famous Troll Wall, (June 16, 1995).

 

Torrenthorn, 2998 meter Wallis, Switzerland

I had a long but easy scramble from Leukerbad without any major difficulties. The summit offered a perfect view of the Mischabel group in the south, (July 10, 1995).


Wildstrubel, 3242 meter, Wallis, Switzerland

Again I went up the famous Gemmi way from Leukerbad and further on to the Lämmeren hut for a night sleep. On hard snow I reach the summit in full sunshine, (July 13, 1995).


Mönch 4099 meter, Berner Oberland, Switzerland

From Jungfraujoch we this time went direct on to the south-west ridge in sunshine. There was good rock climbing the first part of the route and snow and ice from ”Nollen” to the summit. We were rewarded by a perfect view over to the Eiger. No other people were around, (August 23, 1995).


Jungfrau, 4165 meter, Berner Oberland, Switzerland

An early start from the Mönchjoch hut took us to the start of the climb. The weather was not promising; low clouds and snow in the air but no wind. We found a lot of crevasses at the bergschrund and had to cut steps in the ice for one hour further up. At high speed we went underneath the dangerous avalanche region at the Rottalsattel. It was hard work to get to the summit where the visibility was less than twenty meters. On the way down we decided for the direct route from Rottalsattel to Jungfraujoch. No other people could be seen on the mountain this day, (August 24, 1995).


Eiger 3970 meter, Berner Oberland, Switzerland

We stepped out on the glacier from the railway station Eismeer in rainy weather and arrived at the Mittellegi hut after travelling on wet and slippery rock. Coming morning the weather was good and we set out on the icy Mittellegi ridge. We had some problems at the stiff and frozen fixed ropes but were able to reached the summit at ten. Going down the long west flank makes you feel you have knees. This climb is a 'Once in a lifetime' experience! (August 1, 1996 - being the day of my fiftieth birthday).


Bispen (The Bishop), 1500 meter, Romsdalen, Norge

Again we were in the beautiful Romsdalen. Overlooking the famous troll-road is the Bishop which we climbed by the east ridge route. Exiting and difficult climbing, seven rope lengths with one pitch of grade V+, (August 23, 1996).


Nadelhorn, 4327 meter, Wallis, Switzerland

Nadelhorn is one of the beautiful peaks in the Mischabel group. From Saas-Fee it is a good 1500 meter to the Mischabel hut. Starting early we had a classic alpine ascent over the Hobalm glacier and futher from Windjoch to the summit along the long snow ridge, (August 5, 1997)


Matterhorn, 4478 meter, Wallis, Switzerland

Having had unsettled weather for days we set out from the Hörnli hut at 6 am in starlight. There was a lot of snow and ice on the Matterhorn this year which demanded going with crampons almost all the way. The traffic was not bad, only 25 persons on the mountain, this day. The weather stayed beautiful but I still had a hard time on this famous mountain. Finally, we were rewarded with some fabulous minutes at the summit before going the long way down, (August 8, 1997).

 

98trug2.gif (13649 bytes) Trugberg 3880 meter, Berner Oberland, Switzerland

I spent one week in Zermatt where the weather was no good for high acents. Like Mark Twain did one hundred years ago, I managed to ascend the Riffelberg. Hoping for better luck I moved over to Grindelwald and the Berner Oberland. We stayed two days in the Mönchjoch hut before we could climb the Trugberg the long way from the Ewigschneefeldt, (August 4, 1998).

 

98gross.gif (13623 bytes)Grünegghorn, 3860 meter, Wallis, Switzerland

Spending the night in the Konkordia hut we had en early start down the famous 300 steps to the glacier. We continued up the Grünegg glacier and futher on up the snowfield to the top of Grünegghorn. From there we went down to Ewigschneefeldt. across the heavily crevassed glacier. We had some good days in an exciting and remote part of the Alps, (August 5, 1998).

 

 

99rot08.gif (5763 bytes)Zinal Rothorn, 4221 meter, Wallis, Switzerland

"We reached - I had almost said the top; but the Rothorn has no top. It has a place where a top manifestly ought to have been, but the work had been left unfinished. It ended in a flat circular area a few feet broad, as though it had been a perfect cone, with the apex cleanly struck off", wrote Leslie Stephen in his book "Playground of Europe" when Zinal Rothorn was climbed the first time in 1864. And I can not but agree after reaching this small, high, windy and beautiful place over the South-East ridge starting from the Rothorn hut. An exiting route containing both walking narrow snow ridges and climbing good rock. (August 9, 1999).

 

BreithornBreithorn 4165 meter, Wallis, Switzerland.

After an excellent meal and a good night sleep in the Gandegg hut I took the first morning gondola up to Kleine Matterhorn. I was the first one out of the tunnel and manage to keep everyone behind all the way up to the summit where I met two arriving north face climbers. (July 22, 2000)

 

Climbing on PolluxPollux 4092 meter, and Castor 4228 meter, Wallis, Switzerland

After a day of snow we had to make a new trail from Keine Matterhorn to Zwillingsjoch. Going up the rocky south east ridge of Pollux was somewhat complicated due to lot of ice and traffic. We had some nice summit minutes before going down the same way.

The long snow flank up Castor became even longer having accended Pollux first. No view was offered at the summit so we headed almost directly down to the Sella hut. A long day. (July 25, 2000).

 

LiskammLiskamm, 4479 meter (west summit), Wallis, Switzerland

"The only problem will be the wind", said Freddy when we started from the hut with the intention to traverse the Liskamm from west to east. And he was right. The wind was so hard that we almost couldn't move on the summit ridge. There was nothing to do but to turn back at the west summit. Exciting tour. (July 26, 2000).

 

Signalkuppe and ParottspitzeParrotspitze, 4436 meter and Signalkuppe 4554 meter, Wallis, Switzerland

From the Sella hut we went over Il Naso (4100 meter) on to the Monte Rosa trail. In good but windy conditions we traversed the Parrotspitze before reaching the Margherita hut on top Signalkuppe. Coming next morning there was no visibility and we had to cancel Zumsteinspitze and Dufourspitze and instead delicately find our way down the Grenzgletscher to the Monte Rosa hut in poor visibility. (July 27, 2000).

 

Piz Palü Piz Palü 3905 meter, Bernina Alps, Switzerland

This was an interesting tour up the”Die Weisse Hölle von Piz Palü” (The white hell of Piz Palü). We went the normal route starting early from the Diavolezza hut. Reaching the summit we turned around and got down the same way just in time before it started to rain. I missed the hell but instead I saw a lot of deep crevasses. (July 31, 2003)

 


Hans Wennerström
September 9  1996, September 17  1998, August 23 1999, September 2 2003

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