Yearly Archives: 2015

Peter, Nona and I drive back in the afternoon over the Nufenen Pass and we go back to the Corno Gries Hut.

Distance: 2,3 km
Time: 40 minutes
Vertical distance: 310 m uphill

Logistical rest day

Dave, Peter, Nona and I all went down to catch the post bus to Airolo, then went by train through the Gotthard tunnel to Gõschenen.  Here a good connection took us directly to Visp in two and a half hours.  Then another train to Sierre.  Peter and Nona waited here for just over two hours while Dave recuperated his car (short taxi ride from the station) and kindly drove me to Mattmark to collect my car.  He then went on to Evolène.  I picked up Peter and Nona and drove home.

July 24th

Itinerary:  Binntal Hut – Ofenhorn (3235 m) – Hohsandhorn (3182 m) -Blinnenhorn (3373 m) – Corno Gries Hut

Distance: 25,0 km
Time taken: 14 hours
Vertical distance: 2170 m uphill; 2090 m downhill

We were committed to getting to the Corno Gries Hut:  Dave needed to get home the next day and I was meeting with Peter Rowat, an ex-climbing friend, who would be there this evening and would accompany me for the next 3-4 weeks.  When we mentioned Corno Gries to the hut warden, a nice lady, she almost said it was impossible but instead said it would be very difficult and long.  I did not dare tell her we intended to do three summits as well!  We left at 6 a.m. and were on the Ofenhorn 3 hours 15 minutes later.  It was foggy and misty all day, which did not help orientation.  Another problem was that the glaciers had retreated, leaving many rocky outcrops exposed that were not marked on our maps and GPS.  Nevertheless, we found our way to near the Hohsandjoch.  We had planned to go on to the Ober Hohsandjoch on the snow slopes below a rocky ridge, but Dave thought we could traverse the ridge to avoid losing height.  In the event this rocky ridge – unnamed on the map and hardly mentioned in the guide book – gave interesting but very time-consuming climbing, going around many gendarmes made of huge slabs of rock.  I estimate we lost up to an hour of precious time here.  From Ober Hohsandjoch to the Hohsandhorn was easy, as was the descent of the crevassed upper part of the Hohsand Glacier.  We then traversed across the whole South face of the Blinnenhorn, well below its SW ridge, on scree and snowfields, ending up at the top of a residual glacier.  Three pitches on rubble, where everything you stepped on slid down, took us to the ridge.  How Dave managed to lead these I will never understand!  However, we were on the summit at about 4.30 p.m. from where I was able to phone the hut warden, who was none too pleased with our arrival which would be late.  We finally reached the hut at 8 p.m. after navigating the Gries Glacier in the mist, and were welcomed by Peter (and wife Nona) who had persuaded the warden to keep some supper for us.

July 23rd

Itinerary:  Alpe Veglia – Alpe Dèvero – Binntal Hut

Distance: 27,5 km
Walking time:  8 hours 15 minutes
Vertical distance:  1730 m uphill; 1240 m downhill

There are many passes and cols between the Swiss Binntal and the Italian Alpe Dèvero area but the summits are more accessible from the Swiss side.  The highest summit, Helsenhorn, lies entirely in Switzerland.  The forecast was still not very good and we were somewhat stuck on the Italian side, so we decided to have a longish day and reach the Binntal Hut.  We left at 6 a.m. and reached Alpe Dèvero at 10h45.  One section, the final “wall” up to the Passo di Valtendra, was a steep, stony and vicious path – the 330 m vertical height had taken us a good 45 minutes.  We treated ourselves to an ice cream and went on to Crampiolo for a plate of spaghetti for lunch.  Finally, the ascent to the Albrunpass and down to the hut.  It had been partly overcast with some spots of rain all day.

July 22nd

First part: Monte Leone Hut – Wasenhorn (3252 m) and back, 2,5 hours

Second part: Monte Leone Hut to Alpe Veglia, Rifugio Città d’Arona (CAI), 2 hours 45 minutes
Total distance: 14,6 km
Vertical distance: 520 m uphill, 1600 m downhill

The morning started very misty and the weather forecast was not good.  We took in the Wasenhorn and had one glimpse of the valley through the clouds.  To continue on the ridge was not advisable under these conditions, so we then descended to Alpe Veglia in Italy.  Nasty descent down some short cliffs exposed by the retreating glacier, with several metal chains and footholds.  Later it started raining, enough to make us put on rain gear but not enough to soak us.  It only lasted half an hour and when we reached the mountain hut around lunch time we were dry and there was even some sun.  Lazy afternoon.

July 21st

Start:  Simplon Hospice, 07.55;  finish: Monte Leone Hut, 18.15

Distance: 22,4 km
Time:10 hours 20 minutes (plus 50 minutes for the stops)
Vertical distance: 2340 m uphill;  1490 m downhill

Summit: Monte Leone, 3553 m

Following the frontier from just below Gondo to the summit of Monte Leone would have involved a climb of 2750 m, and even more if all cols and pinnacles before and after Punta Valgrande were counted as well.  Besides, the first section is very steep scree and rubble, normally only done in descent by abseiling.  Dave and I decided this was too much, especially with heavy rucksacks!  So we opted to start at the Simplon Hospice, which saved 1200 m ascent.  But because we could only get breakfast at 7 a.m. in the hotel in Simplon Dorf this made for a late start.  We made good progress but suffered from heat and soft snow later on.  The easy scramble up large slabs and boulders on the final ridge seemed endless before we finally reached the summit at about 2 p.m.  Reasonable weather but quite a few clouds.  On the way down, Dave suggested crossing to the Monte Leone Hut directly, without losing height, but we were blocked by gullies and small cliffs so had to go down in any case – the result was a loss of time of at least 30 minutes.  Beware of short cuts in mountainous terrain!

July 20th

Start: Bivacco Camposecco; finish: Gondo
Distance: 24,5 km
Time: 8 hours and 30 minutes (plus 1 hour for the stops)
Vertical distance: 820 m uphill, 2300 m downhill

Off at 5.20 a.m., aiming for Rifugio Andolla that we should have reached the evening before.  It took us nearly 4 hours and allowed us to bypass the Portjengrat, necessary because all the guides advised against the long descent from the Portjengrat to the Andolla pass.  Breakfast at the hut, then up the 400 m to the Passo d’Andolla, followed by the long descent to Gondo, which we were committed to reaching today (meeting with Sally who came by train and reservation in Simplon Dorf).

Night: Hotel Fletschhorn, Simplon-Dorf

Photo:

Boundary “stone” at Passo d’Andolla

July 19th

Start:  Rifugio Oberto; finish:   Bivacco  Camposecco (CAI)
Distance: 19,9 km
Time: 12 hours (plus 1 hour for the stops)
Vertical distance: 1700 m uphill, 2140 m downhill

Good breakfast at the hut at 4.30 a.m., set off at 5.20.  Climbed Joderhorn (3036 m), then Spechhorn (3189 m) and Ofentalhorn (3059 m) further along the frontier ridge.  No paths at all, mostly loose scree and tiresome, unstable boulder fields and we realised that we were not moving as fast as expected on this sort of terrain.  The next summit, Jazzihorn (3227 m) and subsequent descent to the Altronapass were particularly time-consuming.  Clouds were building up and we decided to aim for the Italian  bivouac hut Camposecco over a small pass of the same name.  Here we went too far and reached the Vorder Latelhorn by mistake, in spite of GPS.  The descent back to the pass was graded “facile” in our guide book but we didn’t find the right route.  We had to put on the rope and do some delicate climbing just as it started drizzling and a thunderstorm raged the other side of the valley.  We hurried to get down to the bivouac hut and found we had been on the go for 13 hours.  I had to borrow  matches off an employee of the nearby hydro-electric facility (and also scrounged some beer off him) and we brewed some tea and ate what little food we had.  Comfortable night (mattresses and blankets in the hut).

Photo:

Dave on the Ofentalhorn, Monte Rosa behind

July 18th

Start: Mattmark dam wall; end:  Rifugio Gaspare Oberto (CAI)
Distance: 7,9 km
Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
Vertical distance: 680 m uphill; 70 m downhill

Euan had to go back to Scotland.  This afternoon met with my fifth British guide, Dave Kenyon.  We drove to the Mattmark dam wall, above Saas-Almagell, and from here went up to the Monte Moro pass and a little way down the Italian side to Rifugio Oberto.  We started in cloudy weather at 4.20 p.m. but by 6 p.m. it had started raining, not very hard but continuously and there was thunder in the air.  By 7 p.m. we had reached the col and 15 minutes later we were taking off our wet clothes in the hut.  Friendly reception and we got a good supper.  The “lobby” of the sleeping quarters had a large pellet stove blazing away all night.  Initially it showed 19°C but by the morning it was a stifling 28°C; good for drying out boots and clothes but otherwise unbearable.

Rest day