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Saas Conditions/advice

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 Freddie 1 06 Aug 2015
I'm heading out to the Alps for the first time. Climbing partner was unavailable so I've ended up on a Jagged Globe Saas 4000ers course in a couple of weeks. I've planned to go out the week before the course to acclimatise and mooch around on my own. Climbing partner is now available next week and heading out with me as well.

So.........any conditions reports around? An internet search reveals high temps across the Alps, generally stormy weather and routes not in great nick. Can anyone offer any more positive news?

Not ideal conditions to be heading out with my mate next week as Alpine novices. Will have the benefit of a JG guide the following week and so they can obviously select routes suitable in the conditions....

It's just next week that is up in the air at the moment.
johnboybuchan 06 Aug 2015
In reply to Freddie 1:

Walk in to the Horlini hut and do the dri Horlini traverse. It's an alpine rock route with no glacier crossing so should be fine. I think there a a few PD/AD routes accessible from the hut as well as some as some sport climbing nearby the hut. The jegihorn is a popular warm up peak as well. Also ask your course people for suggestions they should have some good ideas for you.

if the fighting cow festival is happening while you are there go along and try to work out just what the hell is happening!

Have a great trip.
RockShock 07 Aug 2015
In reply to johnboybuchan:
> Walk in to the Horlini hut and do the dri Horlini traverse.

Gonna be a bit of a hike getting from Hornli hut to Dri Hornli!

Almageller hut may ba a good choice though!
Post edited at 17:59
 jon 07 Aug 2015
In reply to Freddie 1:

If you're on a JG Saas 4000's course I'd either avoid the Saas valley altogether or just do walks. Stuff like Mattmark to Monte Moro or the Hohenweg. Both you and JG would be well pissed off if you go and do something that they may do during their course as acclimatisation. Also consider that just maybe you are going about this the wrong way round!
 Mountain Llama 07 Aug 2015
In reply to Freddie 1:

Hi Freddie

Bent to saas a few times, the folowing avoids most snow and ice.

My options would be;

1. Walk to allmageler hut, stay the nite . Do dri hornli ridge or climb weissmies and rtn to hut using same route. Stay at the hut.


2. Walk to wiessmies hut or take cable car and climb one of the routes on the jegihorn or do the via ferrati, stay at the hut. Or maybe try the lagginhorn ssw ridge and down the normal route.

HTH Davey
 jon 07 Aug 2015
In reply to Mountain Llama:
If I was running a 4000s course in Saas, those are the obvious things I'd plan. So why suggest that when it could well compromise his Jagged Globe week.

> heading out with my mate next week as Alpine novices

Freddie check with JG or look at the programme they must have given you. Just do lower stuff to acclimatise yourself and leave the 4000s till the next week.
Post edited at 19:55
 MG 07 Aug 2015
In reply to Freddie 1:
JG won't take you to the Fletchorn bivi hut or up the easy Sengkuppa behind it. There is also a bivi hut on the Ofental pass near the Mattmark reservoir - I forget the name but just in to Italy. A good walk and high enough to acclimatise.
Post edited at 20:39
 streapadair 07 Aug 2015
In reply to MG:

If you mean the hut just over the Monte Moropass from Mattmark, it's the Oberto and a fully featured hut, not a bivi. The walk up to the pass and on to the Joderhorn is a good first outing though.
 MG 07 Aug 2015
In reply to streapadair:
No, not that one. Up on the "left" from Mattmark.
Post edited at 21:04
 streapadair 07 Aug 2015
In reply to MG:

Ah right, don't know that one at all.
johnboybuchan 07 Aug 2015
In reply to RockShock:

He should be fit and acclimatised tho!

Fair point well made Rock Shock
 LakesWinter 07 Aug 2015
In reply to Freddie 1:

Why not go somewhere else in the valais like arolla and do the aiguille de la tsa? That's a great peak that probably won't feature on a JG saas course. There's also a decent PD ridge traverse near the pas de chevres for first day acclimatising an five heard the pointe de vousson is a nice very easy peak but I've not done that one, done the other two though
OP Freddie 1 07 Aug 2015
In reply to everyone:
Thanks all. Some good pointers.

It's definitely worked out the wrong way around but the late availability of my climbing partner has turned my first week from a chance just to bimble around and gain some acclimatisation into an opportunity to do some routes. My partner is pitching up with a car so we have options.

 Brass Nipples 07 Aug 2015
In reply to Freddie 1:

Couple of via Ferratas you can get on , one above Saas fee and the other on the Jegi horn. Both will get you up above 3000m with no glaciers involved.

 MattJ753 08 Aug 2015
In reply to Freddie 1:

Currently driving back from Saas, and as we left the weather was turning stormy, but next week may be ok? We were using Meteoblue for forecasts.

If bolted climbing is your thing then you can kill plenty of time between the Dri Horlini and the Jagihorn...

Did Panorama on Jagihorn which is a lovely route despite no stars. And Alpendurst on the left is 3 stars, although not sure i agree this is the right way round. There's another route in the middle which i like the look of but didn't get on it. Starts of routes are marked...just walk up there from Hosaas lift.

Dri Horlini has many bolted routes up the Almagellar hut side, and the traverse is great, (if you have some experience of moving together safely/making abseils).

Both of these are around 3000 so might aid acclimatisation?

Weather is warm, so the snow last week was slushy in places, and icy in others. Sometimes ok though. But maybe best avoided until the course.
OP Freddie 1 08 Aug 2015
In reply to MattJ753:

Excellent stuff. Thanks.

Sat on train sweating my balls off just leaving Geneva airport.

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