Page 26 - 2000 AMA Alps

AMA ALPS 2000
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meanyoufinditplasteredinsnow. Leaving at about 0250, the footprints in the snow beyond the khazi led us uncompromisingly a rocky wall. Dutifully we scaled this, (Diff), to become lost in a sea of loose rotten crap. Guided by an infallible sense of direction, and diverting only for a few scenic variations, we gained the upper snow field at a point quite unrelated to the guide book's proposals, and climbed this on hard nevee. The new track we found led us uncompromisingly to a second rock wall, (also Diff), which again dutifully we climbed.
The hounds were out below us now, and head torches were flashing all over the place. Some seemed to be quite drastically off route, until we realised they were heading up the Trift glacier, and in due course, the Wellenkuppe, with the ultimate objective of the Obergablehorn. Above the second wall was a second sea of loose rotten crap, trackless in the dark, but providing unlimited scope for trundling deliberate or otherwise. We were tempted. Again our inimitable route finding skills led us out of the choss, with only a few scenic variations, to gain the final snow field which would give access to the ridge.
As the light came, we had watched with detached interest the growth of a vast thunder head to the east. It was very pretty, and laced with gold in the approaching dawn, quite photogenic. In an idle moment of wheezing and gasping we pondered on its probable direction of travel.
The ridge is deceptive. From a gentle rolling mantle of snow, it leads the innocent onwards, slowly narrowing, while the declivities on either side steepen. It dawns upon you suddenly that you are on seriously steep ground, with 600m drops on either hand, and the rope is still in your partner's rucksack - ahead of you. With a sudden tightening of the sphincter you lurch towards the rock ahead, only to find that rather than improving, the situation has deteriorated, in that you are now on exceedingly steep ground, and that instead of good solid gripy gneiss, you are seeking security on verglassed slabs, and you should have put your crampons on long ago.
From this point, although still gaining height, things went down hill if you follow me. What should have provided a classic rock climb of several hundred feet of sun warmed gneiss became several hundred feet of icy nasty.
Our thunder storm was feeling sociable, and had casually wandered over to join us. Various aspirant storms seemed to want to come to the party, and were growing like mushrooms from the valleys around, also quite pretty in their way, I suppose. However given the effort put in to get this far, and the need to bag the peak to increase the Zermatt team score, we weren’t going to be put off by a little thunderstorm and its mates. No way. We continued to scrabble up the steep snow that plastered the lower part of the final pyramid.
The route takes a rising traverse left across what is normally a steepish rock wall, leading into a shallow gully, and I must admit there’s a lot of loose rock in there, which jolly Continentals are wont to shower down on one’s head. The up side of the snow was that it secured all the loose stuff. It was also quite sound, so we made good progress up to the notch on the south ridge, despite Tim being assailed by a passing attack of glacier lassitude. From here the route climbe exposed slabs out on to the West face, with super north face views of the Matterhorn, Obergabelhorn, and Dent Blanche, if you are happy to let your concentration wander at this point.
The opposition had caught us on the traverse, and a Hungarian pair came past exhibiting more speed that style, and indulging in profligate expenditure of energy. Whether from hunger (no pun intended) or apprehension, they halted long at the notch, and we followed a solo Frog up the slabs. Being on the shaded side of the peak the slabs were very cold and quite nasty, and at the top there are some interesting places on the crest where you step round blocks directly above the vertical 800m east face. Again on a fine sunny morning this can be exhilarating, but in bad conditions it can simply add to the laundry bill. However this intrepid pair pursued their way to the summit, which was reached at 0730, thereby reducing the outstanding balance of Pennine
peaks by 20%.
We thus qualified to write this drivel for the corporate account of Alps 2000, and with a combined age of 110, we anticipate we may also qualify for the geriatrics’ prize for participation in the exercise. As an afternote, we met a Brit pair on return to Zermatt that afternoon who had just climbed the Matterhorn, and the Obergabelhorn fell to two parties the same day. Bad luck, Kevin!.