Saas Grund Klettersteig

Alastair BegleySwitzerland, Via Ferrata Short Link

After traversing the Zinalrothorn we headed to Saas Fee where we met up with Rich, Ben, James and Lucy. As James and Lucy had just arrived we decided to start with the Jegihorn via ferrata as it is a great day out and it gets you fairly high. I have previously climbed the via ferrata, however when I last climbed it the exposed bridge near the end was in the gully rather than attached to the rock so we were not able to climb it. Becky, Lucy and I caught the first lift up from the valley and enjoyed a cool walk to the base due to some mist. Thankfully by the time we arrived at the base of the route as the mist had cleared. The via ferrata gets interesting quickly with excellent scrambling on mostly good rock, it is really enjoyable as it mostly a protected scramble up a mountain, rather than just pulling on lots of metal. We soon got our first view of the bridge with someone on it, and it certainly looked fairly impressive. After a series of ladders and some down climbing it was. Read the full article…

Zinalrothorn Traverse (North Ridge)

Alastair BegleyAlpinism, Switzerland Short Link

Having discovered that the hut for the Dent Blanche was full we developed a new plan, to traverse the Zinalrothorn from Zinal to Zermatt via the north ridge. To get to Zinal we had to get a number of buses, and due to the timetables we ended up in Zinal very early in the morning. This enabled us to have a leisurely stroll up to the hut before spending the afternoon relaxing. The start of the walk was in the mist which we both appreciated as it kept us cool during the majority of the ascent. Eventually the sun started burning off the morning mist and we were greeted with a stunning view of the Grand Cornier, the Dent Blanche and the Ober Gabelhorn. Due to the ever changing views the walk in was one of the most enjoyable I have experienced to date, this combined with relaxing all afternoon at the hut made for a very enjoyable day. All too early the next morning ours alarms woke us up and we both struggled to eat anything for breakfast as our bodies definitely wanted to still be asleep at 2:45.. Read the full article…

Walking above Les Haudères

Alastair BegleySwitzerland, Walking Short Link

After being evacuated from the campsite in Arolla due to landslides we headed down to Les Haudères. Due to an unsettled forecast we spent a few days doing day walks rather than heading up to the big mountains. The first walk was the ridge directly above the campsite, we walked up to the Col de Torrent and then aimed to walk along the ridge over the Pointe du Prélet and along to the Pointe du Tsate. The walk up to the Col de Torrent had lovely views up the valley towards the Pigne d’Arolla and down the valley towards some mountains north of the Rhone valley. As we were leaving the col we were treated to a close flypast by a bearded vulture which was stunning. The ridge was fantastic, with great views in every direction, some good scrambling and plenty more wildlife. Unfortunately we got to within 100m of the Pointe du Tsate and had to turn back due to a climb and some loose rocks which we weren’t willing to do without ropes. Thankfully the forecast thunderstorm did not arrive! The next day we planned on climbing the Pic d’Artsinol but decided to turn. Read the full article…

Pigne d’Arolla

Alastair BegleyAlpinism, Switzerland Short Link

After arriving in Arolla we decided to make the most of a weather window by heading straight up to the Cabane des Vignettes with the aim of climbing the Pigne d’Arolla on the next day. The weather on the walk up was stunning but it was very hot, and with the combination of the excessive heat and altitude I really struggled on the ascent. Thanks to some encouragement from our friends we continued, and thankfully as we got onto the glacier it clouded over which provided some respite from the heat. After an excellent evening in the hut, followed by the best hut breakfast I have experienced (bacon, scrambled egg and pancakes) we started the climb up the Pigne d’Arolla the next morning. The route is meant to be an easy snow plod, but due to the very hot summer there was a short section which was steep, bare glacial ice. As we were four on a rope we pitched the ice on the way up and down to ensure that we were safe. After the icy section the rest of the route was straightforward snow where we were able to. Read the full article…