Trip Report- Zermatt/ Saas Fee Area Climbing, August, 2011

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending a week climbing with Jane and Dan in Switzerland along with John Race from the Northwest Mountain School as another guide. After a great year of climbing and preparing, we were ready to go experience some of the classic climbing that Europe has to offer. We did the trip as a 1:1 climber to guide ratio to give us great flexibility in some of the climbs that we choose. I think we all agreed it was a great way to go.

The first day in Zermatt, we awoke to clear skies and stellar views. We settled on an ascent of the Rifflehorn for our warm up day. This climb would provide a bit of acclimatization and some great rock climbing in an amazing setting. Below Jane, Dan, and John are hiking out with the Breithorn in the background. The approach included a train ride up to a short hike. Now that is mountaineering.

The Swiss have their outdoor hiking trails and huts dialed in. Everywhere there are great signs listing distances and hiking times to various destinations.

On the way, we had a spectacular view of the Matterhorn. What a peak!

The route we chose was 6 to 7 pitches long with moves up to 5.6 or 5.7 in technical difficulty. This enabled Jane and Dan to shake off the jet lag and review all of our rope systems for the upcoming days.

You couldn't beat the view up to Monte Rosa, the highest peak in the Swiss Alps.

The climbing was on really nice, solid rock and consisted of mainly face climbing on good holds.

Here is a typical belay set up- on giant ring to clip into.

Here is Jane at the top of pitch 3.

Below is Dan making some tricky and exposed moves around a corner while Monte Rosa looks on.

 

Here is Dan, Jane and I up on top of our first Swiss summit together.

It is so cool to ride the train right back to down to town! A lot of saving the knees and ankles in my case.

On the morning of Day 2, we packed up for a two day adventure where we would climb the Pollux on the first day, and descend to the Italian side to stay in the Val d'Ayas Hut. The next day, our plan was to rise early climb the Breithorn Half Traverse, and then descend back to Zermatt for the night. This day (of course), started with a tram ride on the Kleine Matterhorn to get up out of the valley and onto the glacier. Below is Dan coming through the tunnel exiting the tram. 

Here is Jane and John heading out from the tram to get out to the glacier.

Here is a view out onto the glacier as we began our approach to the Pollux.

Below is a view down of the steep snow couloir that gave access to the shoulder on the Pollux. Definitely fun climbing.

Here is Dan making some of the initial rock moves in the mid-section of the route. There are huge fixed ropes to use for handholds. We kept our crampons on as we kept switching back and forth from rock to snow.

Below is Jane beginning the rock section. Good thing we put in quite a few rock days at Smith Rock this season!

The final rock pitch required some delicate crampon work on rock to ascend, despite the fixed rope.

Right on top of the rock section there was a magnificent statue. 

Here is John and Dan on the summit of the Pollux.

Dan, Jane and I. T-shirt weather at 4000m!

After our descent of the Pollux, we dropped into Italy and stayed at the Val d' Ayas hut. Its so great to come in and have a beer and an omelet in the afternoon!

The Val d'Ayas hut is on a fantastic perch above the glacier. We were able to enjoy some viewing time in the evening.

After a 4am breakfast, we roped up and headed up the glacier towards our next objective: The Breithorn Half Traverse.

Once on the ridge, the climbing alternated between snow and rock, and often both! This is classic European climbing in the mountains. It was never really hard, but the exposure made it seem pretty heads up!

Here is John leading one of the pure rock pitches on the route in crampons. 

Here is a typical view on the ridge looking back towards Monte Rosa.

Jane exiting one of the steeper pitches to the snow.

Our team (minus John) on the summit.

Back in Zermatt, we celebrated our success with a drink and various appetizers. Three summits in three days, we were pretty happy at this point in the trip! As Jane said, "My climbing is at a whole new level!"

Day four on the trip: we decide to head to the Saas Fee Valley and spend two nights in the Weissmies Hutte. Our immediate goal: climb the Weissmies (a glacier climb), and then do a Via Ferrata on the Jagihorn. Again, we enjoyed the fruits of a well operating Swiss train system and headed out with our mountaineering packs...light and quick. Below we are at the train station at Stalden, which is down- valley from Zermatt. Here we are going to switch to a bus to go up to the Saas Fee valley.

After our commute, it was pouring down rain when we got out of the bus and headed towards the Hohsaas Tram. This is probably the only day that we had to wear gore-tex. 

After the tram ride, we had a leisurely 1 hour hike to the hut. We needed an easy day after our climbing at the past few days.

Our tradition of afternoon lunch and drinks continued at the Weissmies Hutte.

On the morning of our Weissmies ascent, the view across the valley was amazing.

Here is a view across to the peak looking down the snow cat road. This is an amazing road the actually cuts right across the glacier ice.

The lower glacier had some crevasses we had to detour around. It wasn't too tricky until we got up to the icefall and serac area.

Here is Dan and John approaching the icefall section.

These pictures don't do it justice, but it was very wild! It felt like walking on big ice cubes!

Dan and John exiting the icefall to the Northwest Ridge of the peak.

Lucky for us the weather improved as the day progressed! Once up on the ridge we had sunny skies.

Jane enjoying the summit. What a view!

John  and Dan approaching the top.

Dan expressing his happiness on top!

Jane, Dan and I.

On the final day of the trip, we decided to try a via ferrata route on the Jagihorn. This type of climbing almost does not exist in the US, but it is really fun. Basically, ladders and cable are installed along in the mountain, and we clipped into these features and climbed up. It was simply a blast!

The exposure and the fog swirling around made for a Gothic experience on the Jagihorn.

Below Dan negotiates and anchor point.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the entire trip. Jane coming out of the fog.

Near the saddle, you have the option to cross this cable and get on a slightly different route.

Here is Jane approaching the first summit.

John contemplating the crossing. Hmmmm.

John and Dan made an attempt at the crossing, but it was very wobbly. Jane and I decided to go a different easier way. 

Here is Dan and John trying to back out of the crossing in the fog. Even Scooby Doo would think this is pretty scary!

Dan and John breaking out to the summit above the clouds.

Jane, Dan and John on the top of the Jagihorn. What a great summit and great ending to an amazing trip.

The Zermatt area is a great destination for variety in climbing. The trams and trains provide great access to rock climbs as well as glaciated peaks, and there is something for everyone. Oh did I mention the rosti?

Mount Shuksan- Mountain Profile - Jewell of the North Cascades National Park

At 9131ft, Mount Shuksan is the fifth highest non-volcanic peak in the state of Washington. It is one my favorite climbs in the North Cascades National Park because it possesses great qualities like commanding position, as well as combining all the essential elements of classic alpine climbing: glacier travel and rock climbing. Even though you might not recognize the peak at first, chances are, you've seen on a bank calendar at some point or another. It is one of the most photographed peaks in the US.

After about a 5 mile trail approach one arrives at a small saddle above Lake Ann. Here is the first really spectacular view of the mountain. The Curtis Glacier spills off the cliffs and the upper mountain is guarded by rock walls. Below Stephen Perry from Minnesota takes a break while soaking in the view.

One of the coolest things about leaving the trail is the rock climbing required to get to the high camp. Below Stephen cranks some easy 5th class rock on the way up the Fisher Chimneys. How many climbs require rock climbing just to get to camp?

Perched right below Winnie's Slide, we have a fantastic camp with a great view of Mt Baker.

 

In the morning there is some moderate glacier travel as the fog breaks.

And yet another transition back to rock! Below is Stephen enjoy some steep rock on the summit pyramid of Mt Shuksan. We took the SE Ridge variation which is clean and only slightly more difficult than the standard route.

Rock climbing high above the Sulphide Glacier. Now this is the real thing!

Stephen and I enjoying picture perfect weather on the summit with Mt Baker in the background.

August and early September are a great time to climb in the North Cascades National Park. Come let us show you the hidden gems in this little known national park.

Sky Ridge- A Route Profile of a Classic

Sky Ridge- A Smith Rock Classic

People often ask us what are favorite routes are. For me, there are several qualities that make a route special to climb. First and foremost, it has to have good position. Second, the climbing has to be fun. And third, a minimum of hanging belays!

Sky Ridge meets all of the above requirements, but it really appeals to folks who want a great, exposed position. Depending on how you climb it, it is 3-4 pitches and some scrambling to get to the top. If you can climb 5.8 face, and 5.7 cracks, this route is a must do.

The first pitch, pictured below, climbs directly up a rib of rock no wider than a sidewalk, straight from Asterisk Pass. Easy, but exposed, this pitch is just a primer for what is to come.

On pitch 2, the arete climbing begins with a more moderate version of what is to come.

Pictured below, Robert cranks the crux 5.8 pitch on tiny nubbins while looking down the east and west sides of the formation. This is the money pitch.

  

After a tough stretch of thin face climbing, the belay ledge below the last pitch is a great perch high in the sky on the Smith Rock Group. Here Robert enjoys the view while belaying me, all in relative comfort. That is if you like exposed places!

Ahhhh.....the final pitch. This section of the route consists of an exposed hand traverse in a hand crack. You can see Monkey Face in the background!

All in all, this route is a must do for anyone seeking exposed spectacular climbing. At this time of year, there is a fair amount of shade on the beginning of the climb which makes for comfortable conditions in the summer heat. Come check it out!

News From the Hood!

We've been having a great season here up on Mount Hood.  Despite some days with an ominous forecast we've still had tons of successful climbs with sweeping views from Mount Rainier to the North and the Three Sisters to the South.  We're still enjoying the record snowfall year we had in the Oregon Cascades with tremendous summer ski mountaineering. For some reason it's really hard to get tired of skiing when the snow is this good!  Right now we're seeing great conditions with cold weather and firm snow. All the main variations on the southside are in great shape, although somewhat steeper.

Climbing the Wy'East with some great alpineglow.



Johnnymtguide.com and his crew on the summit.




Enjoying great snow high above the clouds.











Broken Top- A Central Oregon Classic

Last week I had the great opportunity to the climb the iconic Broken Top. Sitting south of the Three Sisters Wilderness, Broken Top is a fantastic peak for alpine climbers and ski mountaineers. I had been talking with Jane and Dan about this peak for a year! We also had been watching the weather and finally our scheduled aligned with the weather and we had bluebird day!

 Below, Jane heading towards the mountain at sunrise.

Dan entering the bowl of Broken Top with Mt Bachelor Ski Area in the distance.

Jane topping out on the top of 9 O'clock Couloir.

Traversing the west side under the summit ridge. We had to 6-8 pitches of steep traversing.

Here is Jane and Dan at a belay at the end of the long traverse. This is the final ledge below the steep summit pitch.

Jane and North Sister from the summit of Broken Top. We had some phenomenal weather and conditions!

Too Many Choices, Not Enough Time!

Spring in our neck of the woods brings plenty of options for ways to enjoy the mountains and rock of Oregon.  During this time of year it's not uncommon for us to be switching between activities each day of the week- one day you'll find us shouldering our rock packs and heading for the sun and warm temps of Smith Rock State .  The next day we may be seen skinning up a local mountain for a ski tour.  May as well round out the schedule with a day spent wielding ice axes during a climb on Mt Hood .  Here are some shots from some of our trips and programs just this past week.  Be sure to give us a call here in the office to schedule your next adventure!

Spring Climbing on Mt. Hood

Spring Climbing at Smith Rock

Spring Ski and Splitboard Mountaineering 

Spring Corn Splitboarding

Sun and Bolts at Smith Rock State Park

We've been having a great winter rock season this year here at Smith Rock.  Many people visit the Central Oregon area in the summer when temps at Smith can soar into the upper 80's and 90's.  For the rock enthusiast, mid-winter can be a great time to climb at Smith Rock State Park on clear days. In fact, most of the locals prefer to climb in the winter at the park. Down in the canyon, temperatures can often be twenty to thirty degrees warmer than in the nearby town of Redmond, providing surprising relief from what felt like winter just a few hours ago.
This week I was lucky enough to share some of that great Smith mid-weather with Stuart and Tanya who decided to take a leap from the gear plugging climbing they are used to on the quartzite cliffs of the Gunks, to the bolt clipping face climbing of Smith's welded tuff.  We had a great day sampling some of the areas classics and basking in the sun- we even had to break out the sunscreen!

Tanya enjoying the sun and face climbing.

Stuart getting some mock leading in.

Sun and bolts on Smith Rocks Morning Glory Wall.