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Day Two of our Oberland trip and a reasonably early start with breakfast at 5.30 - I say reasonably, we were just about the last to leave!
Karl took the first few of these shots - this is looking down on the Konkordiaplatz in the early morning light. The foreground peak is the Kranzberg, 3,666 metres - the route up it snakes through the various rocky areas lower down before following the left side of the rocky spine.
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Looking from the hut terrace towards our goal for Day Two - the Trugberg, 3,880 metres. You can see most of the descent, with various options, pretty much heading down the centre of the shot.
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But before that, it was back down the steps...
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...and getting the skins sorted.
We figured a 5.30 breakfast was fine - but by the time we'd eaten, faffed around at the top, on the steps and down where we'd left our skis it was after 7.
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Not that we're super-fit by any stretch of the imagination, but we found that being lucky enough to ski and tour for most of the season and operating in a compact unit of two, we usually caught up with most groups that might be on the same itinerary as ourselves.
Karl sets about reeling in the group in front of us. You can see the Trugberg already in the sun.
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The initial climb up photo right of the serac field was about the only place I felt I could have done with some ski crampons on the trip - the weight I'd saved in leaving them at home was a false economy as I wasted a lot of energy, having to work and concentrate hard to stop my skis slipping in the hard snow.
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An hour or so later and we've left the other group well behind and are crossing the Ewigschneefald, fast heading into the sunshine. This was one of quite a few huge glacier plateaus we would cross on the trip.
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Back to some switch-backs. Karl is on the last set before we dumped the skis for the last climb to the summit.
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For someone who claims he dislikes boot-packs and scrambles, Karl seems to be staying well in front...
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Rather than the loose rubble on the final stretch, I opted to boot-pack in any available snow. |
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Karl on the summit of the Trugberg with the Monch behind. The picture time says 11.30 or so - around four hours climb to give you an idea. |
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Looking more or less West - you can make out the snowy dome of the Louwihorn in the centre of shot and the Jungfrau - dominating the right of the picture, with an altitude of 4158 metres.
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Back down to the skis and a spot of lunch. The peak directly above Karl is the Aletschhorn, 4193 metres - which can be approached from the side we are looking at when conditions are right - Karl spent a lot of time looking towards the route and muttering about arbitrary guide book gradings! |
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We probably could have given the snow a little more time to soften up - but what you lose higher up, you gain below I guess - and I think Karl had a shandy or two in mind.
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You wouldn't know it but there's a fairly big bergschrund between Karl and myself... |
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The skiing was fairly short lived - Karl coming to the end of the last pitch at around 12.50, with some interesting holes behind. |
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Any need? Apparently yes. I managed to hold out another day or so before having a snow bath - quite invigorating, wish I hadn't waited. At least a little away from the base of the refuge steps Karl was vaguely discreet - a couple of days later I had to point out that what he thought was a quiet corner away from the hut terrace was actually covered by their web-cam! |
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Nice to enjoy a little relative solitude before joining the masses at the hut.
About two minutes after this I realised I'd dropped my gloves when I took off my jacket for the pole push back to the refuge - DOH! No shandy for me - it was an hour of pole pushing in the afternoon heat to retrieve them - idiot :(. |
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Six in the evening and everything looking a little more glassy compared to Karl's early morning shots. Glove issues soon forgotten, and a couple of shandies later I clambered up behind the hut to take in the view before dinner.
Our last day would culminate in heading over the Lotschenlucke - the col way off at the back of this shot. |
