UKC

and how did you feel?

Mine was the Gross Glockner in 1963 and I felt on top of the world! Couldn't stop grinning.

In reply to Trangia:

Mont Blanc du Tacul, and I felt much the same as you!

In reply to Trangia: The Midi after ascending the Frendo Spur. I felt relief at having made it. I was too knackered, suffering from frost bite in my toes and sunburn on my lips to appreciate it.

Al

In reply to Trangia: Matterhorn via Hornli in 74 - first alpine climb ever!

Got shouted at three times - twice on the Moseley Slabs, and once on the Shoulder, by Swiss Guides, for queue jumping

Sitting on the summit was an incredible feeling.

We got bought down to earth with a bump a week later on the Tour Ronde!!!!!!!

In reply to Goucho:

Alpine guides, particularly Swiss, seem to think that they "own" the mountains because they work in them! I've had some antagonistic run ins with them including having to reverse a section of an arete I was already embarked on when they just barged forward coming in the opposite direction.

In reply to Trangia: The trick is to stand your ground with them - their bark is much worse than their bite, and in the number of run in's i've had with them, if it looks like it's going to get physical, they'll soon disappear in the opposite direction

In reply to Trangia:
The Mönch in 1997 and it was great! Had dragged a couple of other guys from the Uniclub up - who had less experience as me, 'the one-eyed leading the blind....'
A fantastic day out. Next day I did the Groß-Grünhorn. What a trip....

In reply to Trangia:

Define significant???

I've done 3 Saas 4000m peaks unguided with Mr K of this parish last July (Alaninhorn via the Hohlaubgrat, Weissmeis and Nadelhorn via NE ridge in very snow conditions) - does the fact that there was no failocopter make them significant!

Seriously - an amazing experience and I achieved a lot more than my battered lungs would ever have led me to believe!

PP.

In reply to Trangia: the Pigne d'Arolla or maybe the Petite Dent d'Vesivi a few days earlier but that was 'just' a rock climb & didn't feel 'alpine' (whatever that means)

In reply to PontiusPirate:

^this. Only less of the failcopter you! =oP

In reply to Trangia: Allalinhorn normal route, solo. Followed shortly by the Weismiess from Hohsaas and the Lagginhorn normal route.

First big route I did where I felt I was actually climbing rather than plodding would have been Chopicalqui SW Ridge in the Cordillera Blanca.

In reply to highaltitudebarista:

Sorry! It's such a running gag that it's almost a reflex reaction to type it!

PP.

In reply to Goucho:

I'll remember that. In the case I quoted I was descending, he was coming up with a client. The ridge was too narrow to pass on so if I'd stood my ground he had more to lose in terms of time, so I suspect that he would have retreated...(with a lot of barking!)

In reply to Trangia: wetterhorn 1963. guides turned back because of the big black clouds .we Alpine novices carried on got caught in lightning and black clouds right on top,we got away with it ,and never even had a view.was scared of big black clouds thereafter ..

In reply to Trangia: First significant, in fact first actual peak was the Weisshorn, setting off for the hut at mid-day, having arrived after driving from the UK at midnight the evening before. At 4200m I felt like death warmed-up, but with less motivation or energy. Amazingly I actually made it to the top.

Naively I assumed that the people I was with knew what they were doing. It was only later that I realised what a f**** stupid approach it was.

I make much better informed alpine climbing mistakes these days.

In reply to Trangia: Gross Biggerhorn via some ridge or other (aka pile of choss to start then a nice scrambly section followed by a nice snowy slope which turned into a scary ice slope on descent. How did I feel....okay on the way up and a bit scared front pointing down the ice on the way down (we were soloing) Then had an attack of either heat stroke or altitude sickness or a mix of both as I don't handle heat very well and always seem to end up with migraines on my trips abroad where there is bright sun (the most painful headache I've ever experienced, worse than a migraine and feeling like I had a bad dose of the flu, cold clammy skin, feeling sick and then verging towards feeling delirious)

Spent a day or so recovering then scrambled up the Lagginhorn solo via some ridge or other.

I guess my first trip was to Alpamayo Pequenyo in Bolivia in 1999. My 'guide' lost his glasses towards the summit and ended up putting his balaclava over his eyes to prevent snow bloindness. I had to shout to him to go straight, left or right as we ascended the summit ridge. It was the hardest day of my life until the following week when we tried Copoqalqui (or something like that)

In reply to Trangia:

My first big mountain was the Grand Teton in the Rockies (Pownall-Gilkey route, with a guide). I had just been a hill walker and scrambler up to that point and my only climbing experience was an introductory climbing class the day before, so I was way out of my depth. But what an adventure, and the sense of achievement when I eventually dragged myself onto the summit was just amazing. If it hadn't been for that experience I'm sure I would never have got into climbing and would have missed out on years of brilliant fun.

In reply to Trangia: Mont Blanc - learnt a lot about sunburn and altitude!

In reply to Cthulhu:

Mine also, via The Gervasutti Pillar, unless you count The Blatiere?

In reply to Trangia: 2nd, 3rd then 1st Sella Towers, followed by Cinque deta (five finger peak)in the Dolomites and then the Ruderhofspitze in the Stubai on the way home.

In reply to Trangia:

I guess I'd define "significant" as the top being a reasonable distance away from the hut, glacial skills being required and no cable car to get down.

In this case the Aiguille du Tour in 2008.

In reply to JdotP:

I know what you mean but having done both the Frendo and several routes on Aig. du Tour I can assure you that the Frendo feels FAR more significant.

Al

In reply to Trangia:

First peak was the Petite Verte, but I wouldn't call that significant. Next was the Blaitiere Spencer Couloir' that felt significant! We couldn't find the descent down the Breugeault (?) Ridge, so we ended up abseiling off tied-off pegs barely in blind cracks. Never been so scared. I guess they would be a contender for 'the placement most likely to fail' award.

In reply to Gaston Rubberpants:

Here Here!

In reply to Trangia: If we're strictly talking Alps then that'd be the Pigne de la Le from the Moiry hut (3396m). But prior to that I'd done Toubkal Ouest followed closely by Toubkal, and then three other 4000m tops in the High Atlas. The first time over 4000m put a rather large grin on my face too!