SMG Alps 2011 Rock Climbing

After our success on the Jungfrau we felt like we had used up our weather karma.  With the forecast still indicating storms we decided to switch gears and focus on rock climbing.  We got an early start and headed for the local Glacier Wall right in Grindelwald.  The forecast called for afternoon thunderstorms so we got right to work.  After climbing 9 pitches we carried all our gear over the top to grab a great lunch at the restaurant, conveniently located at the top of the crag.  After a hearty lunch the rain started to fall as we walked back to the car.  With the afternoon ahead of us we decided to check out the Glacier Gorge walk.  It turned out to be much more than we expected.  With the power of the glacial river, variation in temperature, engineering of the trail, and amazing position, we ended up having a great afternoon.

The next day found us ready for some adventure.  We drove down valley from Grindelwand, across Interlaken and up the other side of the valley.  We parked and hiked through the countryside to reach the base of Hoberstad.  The area offered amazing views of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau.  We ended up having a great day of adventure sport climbing.  We even got to see some Ibex.  Considering the how grim the forecast was we ended up having some great adventures.  Thanks to John for yet another great trip!

John Climbing a long Glacial pitch.

Glacier Gorge Walkway.

Amazing Waterfall.

Engineering?

Looking back at the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau.

John walking towards the climbing area.

Ibex

Adventure sport climbing

Now that's a view!

John working it out.

Last pitch.

SMG Alps 2011 Jungfrau

 After our recovery day we decided to head back up to the Monchsjoch hut and give the Jungfrau a try.  The weather forcast didn’t look great but we thought if it didn’t snow too much we might get enough clear weather to give it a shot.  We rode the train back up to the Jungfrau Joch station and found it full of Mammut guides, people dressed in traditional 1800’s climbing gear, and lot’s of hubbub. We came to find out that it was the 200^th anniversary of the 1^st ascent of the Jungfrau that day.  There had been as many as 150 people on the summit, some in the old gear, and all in questionable weather. There had been helicopters and news reporters and it was quite a scene.  The weather was rainy so John and I stayed in the station and had some lunch. After lunch we hiked back to the Monchsjoch Hut and checked in.  There had been a lot of cancellations because of the weather so thankfully the hut wasn’t too busy.  Just the night before they had been packed to the gills for the 200^th anniversary climb.  We had a great dinner and went to bed early for the 3am wakeup.  During the night I could hear the wind and snow battering the hut and at 3 we were in a cloud and it was still snowing.  The forecast called for clearing but even after breakfast the weather had not let up. I sent John back to bed and told him I would come and get him when it was time to go.  4:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:30, and finally 6:00, were all the times I got up to check the weather.  There were two other guides looking to climb the Jungfrau as well and to this point no one had left yet.  At 6 I saw a faint clearing and got John up for an attempt.  We got organized quickly and were the first ones out the door for the day.  We were in a cloud as we trekked towards the Jungfrau but the closer we got the nicer it became, until we were treated to a beautiful sunrise blanketing the summit of the Jungfrau.  The previous nights snow had erased all the tracks from the 200^th anniversary climb and John and I broke trail towards our objective.  We knew we needed to move as our weather window and late start only allowed a short time to reach the summit and return before the threat of wet avalanches and post holing would shut us down.  We climbed smoothly and efficiently through the steep sections and found ourselves alone and first on the summit that day by 10:30.  After some summit shots, great views, and seeing that the weather was coming back in we started our descent.  We made it back to the Jungrau Joch by lunch and seeing the forecast decided to head back down to Grindelwald.  We had a great climb on an amazing peak.

The deck on the Jungfrau.

John on his way back up to the Monchsjoch Hut

John with the Gross Fisherhorn in the background.

New snow on the summit morning sunrise blanketing the Mammut basecamp.

John is ready for action.

The Clearing sunrise with the Jungfrau on the Right.

Looking down glacier.

Mixed climbing in new snow on rock.

John making it look easy.

John is all smiles with the Monch in the background.

Steep snow climbing.

John on the upper summit ridge.

Graupel was piled up from the storm the day before.

John on the summit.

Jungfrau 4158m!

The Norwegian group coming up the final ridge.  They were the only other group to summit that day.

Exposure?  I think so!

Heading back to the Jungfrau Joch.

Crossing the ropes to civilization.

Celebration Rosti.

SMG Alps 2011 Post #13 Jungfrau Joch

 After a hearty breakfast we boarded the Jungfrau Joch railway train that tunnels through the Eiger to over 11,000 ft.  There is always a strange mix of tourists and climbers on the train and this was no exception.  After an hour and forty minutes of climbing up through the mountain we arrived at the Jungfrau Joch station.  Truly a tourists paradise. You can eat in any number of restaurants, check out the terrace, ice cave, go skiing, sledding, do the glacier zip line, take a ride in a charter plane, and much more.  The Jungfrau Joch hosts about 3000 people a day and it is always amazing to go from the crowds out onto the glacier and the relative calm of nature.  John and I hiked to the Monchjoc Hut and sat down for some lunch.  John wasn’t feeling well (altitude and we think some food poisoning) so we ended up going back down the Kleine Shideg and stayed the night at a great hotel (Grindelwaldblik) overlooking the North Face of  the Eiger. The next day John started to feel human again and we decided to head up to the Via Ferata on the Eiger.  We had a great climb with great views.

Looking at the Jungfrau from the window of the Jungrau Joch train.

Looking through the window at the North Face of the Eiger from the train tunnel.

Hiking through the tunnels at the station to get to the glacier.

Mammut was having a 150 year anniversary celebration kickoff event and had this base camp set up on the glacier.

John hiking towards the Monchsjoch hut in the background.

People lining up for plane rides.

John feeling the food poisoning and altitude!

Looking at a new avalanche on the Jungfrau.

Grindelwaldblik at Kleine Schideg.

A view of the West Face of the Eiger with some Swiss National lawn mowing champions in the foreground.

John Standing in front of the Norwand.

Heading up to the Via Ferata.  You can see the first sets of ladders.

John enjoying the Iron Road.

About half way up there was a tunnel to the train if you need to escape weather.

John coming up the upper portions of the Via Ferata.

The summit of the Rotstock.

John on the edge of the summit.

Heading back down to the Eiger Glacier station.

Time for a coffee at the station.

Eiger Glacier station with the West Face of the Eiger in the background.

The foot bathing pool on the trail down.  The Swiss know what's up.

 

The North Face of the Eiger in the evening light.