Page 33 - 2011 AMA Winter

The Bordiernhutte
tacular views. The clouds were drawing in fast as we reached the summit; marked by a narrow ridge and a wooden crucifix which looked increasingly sinister against the rapidly incoming cloud. We headed down quickly, just escaping the worst of the weather.
The next day however, the weather did not treat us so well and the days mountaineering was cancelled. It was something we would have to get used to for the weeks to come. Weather will ultimately make or break every expedition in the Alps, and we would come to learn that knowing when to turn back, and indeed when not to venture out at all is one of the most important skills to have if one wants to return from the mountains in safety.
Getting used to crampons on day one
The following day the weather improved and my group did our first Via Ferrata (Iron Route). A terrifying experi- ence for those who like myself suffer badly from fear of heights. The last hour, which comprised a wire bridge across a valley followed by what our instructor named “the vertical wall of death,” was enough to push me well beyond reasonable limit, and I left the top still shaking, adamant that I would never do Via Ferrata again. My friend quoted that: “Via Ferrata was really challenging but a great climb with the cargo net at the end” whereas I recall screaming: “whoever invented this should be jailed!” But each to their own.