Sunday 12 August 2012

Alps 2012 Part 5

On Saturday Pat and I went back up to Hosaas to attempt the North ridge of the Weissmies (4017m). This long and difficult route would be the hardest thing we'd ever done. Being rock nearly all the way we opted for a later start around 3:30.

We made a big route finding mistake on the approach, traversing NW across a glacier rather than NE, and ended up on icy choss miles from the start of the route. After retracing our footsteps to the base of the glacier we spent awhile wondering what to do. Having already wasted time and energy, with our confidence in the conditions shaken, we debated turning back for the tent. Then some other climbers appeared. Reminded that later starts seemed to be the norm out here, we carried on.

Having finally found the right way across the glacier, an easy snow slope led to the start of the ridge. It was just before 7:00. The route followed the jagged crest over an endless series of pinnacles and towers. We moved together quickly over the first third. Protection was a simple case of looping the rope over spikes as we moved. The exposure was constant but the climbing straightforward until the first crux.

Called the 'Grande Dalle', the crux was a steep grade IV (equating to roughly Severe/Hard Severe) slab protected by various in situ bits of kit. I led, and found it tenuous and challenging. The footholds were very small and hard to trust in big mountaineering boots. I climbed it 'French Free', which is to say not free at all, time being the key rather than style.

Easier scrambling led to a subsidary peak at around c3700m. After a brief descent to a col, the ridge rose up sharply in a series of knife edge pinnacles. Here we encountered the most sustained climbing of the entire route. None of the pinnacles were easy, and we had to move together over slabby Diff/VDiff terrain for long periods of time. The last tower was the second crux, a short pitch of IV-. It was well protected by bolts, so we moved together past this as well, pulling on gear wherever possible.

Although the hardest climbing was now done, it took us almost an hour to negotiate the rest of the rock section and reach the snow arete that led to the summit. It was now gone 12:00. Very late to be topping out on an Alpine peak. The arete was easy but in shocking condition, the snow largely melted away leaving bare ice that our crampons could barely penetrate. We put our heads down, and Pat led the way to the top.

We reached the summit at 12:50. Conscious of the time, we hurriedly snapped a few pictures then started straight down. Although the standard descent route of the Weissmies was a simple snow plod, it was threatened by numerous seracs, which would be very prone to collapse under the hot afternoon sun. We went as fast as we could. A couple of crevasses proved awkward to negotiate, but we made good time, and were back to our camp an hour and a half after leaving the summit.

Sadly, finnancial issues forced us to end the trip a few days early, and we packed up and left when we reached the valley. However, it was a fantastic week, the most successful in the Alps I've ever had, and the North ridge of the Weissmies was a fitting climax.

Saas-Fee 2012 - Friday 3rd to Monday 13th August.

Peaks/Routes climbed;

Lagginhorn (4010m) - West-South West ridge, PD, descent via the same route.
Allalinhorn (4027m) - Holaubgrat, PD+, descent via the West-North West ridge.
Weissmies (4017m) - North ridge, AD+ IV, descent via the North West face.

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