UKC

I am looking at heading out to the alps for a long weekend, currently looking at 6-9th September. I have done various bits and bobs in the alps over the years but never huge amounts.

Ideally we are looking at flying out and getting sorted on the Friday then doing an amazing route on the Sat/Sun followed by beers and celebrations and then heading home on the Monday!

I am currently thinking of maybe the Cassin Route? Or possibly a traverse of the Matterhorn? I'm quite open to other ideas though as long as it is good, long and fun! We can both pretty happily lead E1 or harder if we need to but I wouldn't fancy much harder than that on a huge alpine scale although the odd crux pitch is not a problem.

Any advice on logistics, where to stay, whether to hire a car or not etc is most welcome.

Cheers

Simon

In reply to maybe_si:

Er acclimatisation?

In reply to maybe_si:

There are hundreds of routes in the Alps which dont require any acclimatisation at all, I know a lot of people who have done long weekends in the Alps before, I'm just seeing if anyone has any fantastic ideas that I may not have thought of yet!

In reply to maybe_si:

True, but a traverse of the Matterhorn would be ambitious to say the least without some sort of warm up. If I were you I would look at things around the 3500-3750m mark. Wetterhorn, Herbetet, Mont Dolent as a few possibilities in various locations all of which have routes at a variety of grades. There are dozens of other possiblities.

In reply to maybe_si: Salbits Sudgrat. Altitude isn't too much of a problem. Possible to fly, drive and walk in to the hut day 1. Climb day 2. Crag day 3 (Incredibile for example?). Walk out, drive and fly home day 4.

In reply to ChrisBrooke: Or of course the Westgrat if you're gnarly.

In reply to ChrisBrooke:

Chris, that is an excellent suggestion, so good in fact that we did is a couple of years ago!

In reply to ChrisBrooke:

However something else along those lines would be perfect! We are definitely after mainly rock routes/scrambling routes etc with a bit of snowy stuff on approaches/descents. Not really after just a big long snowy plod up a big hill!

Cheers though, keep the suggestions coming!

In reply to maybe_si: Aiguille Dibona?

In reply to Pero:

Not a bad shout, thanks!

In reply to maybe_si: traverse of weismies, saas grund area. Good pd scramble from almegeller hut, then snowy descent. Good climbing on door step of almegeller hut. Good transport link from Geneva.

In reply to maybe_si: Comici on the Cima Grande.
Fly to venice/Verona, two hour drive roughly.
45 min mostly flat walk in.
500 metre route up to about E1 finish on a 3000m summit.

Dan

In reply to maybe_si:

Which Cassin route do you mean? Walker, Badile and Cima Ovest spring immediately to mind, although those are obviously only the most well-known.

...although the acclimatisation thing would certainly count against the Walker.

In reply to maybe_si: Friday: fly to Turin or Geneva, go to Courmayeur. Sat: walk to Borelli hut, carrying light bivi gear and food. Keep going past hut on to mountain. Climb as far as you can on Aig Noire S Ridge, maybe even going over the top if you're fast. (It's very long, with 1,200 m ascent and lots of gendarmes, but not sustained.) Sun: finish route, descend, beers.

Other suggestions:

Klein Wannenhorn S Pillar (remote, on good granite, 3,700m, above Fisch in Rhone Valley)
Another Day in Paradise on Badile (you're going to find the Cassin easy)
Gervasutti Pillar on Tacul - from first frique on Saturday with bivi. It's 4,000m at the top, but the main difficulties aren't much above 3,000m.

In reply to Mountain Llama:

Probably a bit easy and snowy for the OP. A traverse of Weissmies going the other way might fit the bill though. Up the rocky North Ridge D** http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=133733
Then down the easy but very good scrambly South South East Ridge PD*** http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=203569 to the Almageller hut. You are then conveniently located for a good days cragging on the Dri Hornli (multi pitch bolted stuff, Heimweh and Hittuleicht are excellent routes at sustained 5+ standard) http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=3077
The Almageller hut is a stunning location, the guardian there speaks good English and bolted the adjacent crag himself, you can buy good colour topo leaflets to the bolted climbs in the hut.

In reply to maybe_si: Also starting from the North means you get the benefit of uplift on the Friday from Saas Grund (to Hohsaas or the Weissmies hut). Rather than the long but scenic slog up to the Almageller hut ...save that to be enjoyed on the way down.

In reply to The Ivanator:

Guys this is all great stuff thanks!

I was referring to the Cassin Route on the Piz Badile, is that a fair long weekend objective? Alas my extensive climbing geekery appears not to extend itself to alpine routes very well!

In reply to maybe_si: Definitely the Dibona. And you can finish with some cragging in La Berarde.

In reply to maybe_si:


Yes, if you're fit enough.

(However, I'd advise you to book good weather for the weekend 6-9 September, as well as the period immediately before that. Perhaps have a direct word with God to get that sorted out now ...)

In reply to maybe_si:

Surprised nobody has mention Frendo yet. Seems made for a long weekend provided decent weather. Day one leave Cham and climb to the bivi and day two finish the route and descend back to Cham.

Triftigrat on Breithorn would be another suggestion as lifts are in easy reach of the start and end of the route.

In reply to maybe_si:

Hi.

I was planning to fly out afternoon of 5th to Cham and return on the 10th, my partner has had to cancel on me due to work commitments however I am still keen to go out.

We were planning to go up and bivvi on the Midi and do the Cosmiques Arete (been out may times but always left that little gem) and then looking at the Aig.D'Argentiere (Normale or Fleche Rousse).

Let me know if you want to hook up.

Thanks.

In reply to MG:

I am planning an attempt on the matterhorn traverse sept 12th in a weekend, is possible as already done it once...

In reply to tscoobydoo: whats possible for you is interesting but individual responces to altitude vary greatly. I know I couldn't do it!

The original poster could try the zinal rothorn traverse followed bu the N face of the obelgabelhorn.

For pure rock climbing the cassin on the badile is hard to beat and if the weather isn't quite good enough the mello valley is available. you can link luna nacente into something else for 20+ pitchs

In reply to maybe_si: Two years ago (first weekend in Sept) I did a 72hour trip from UK to climb the Eiger, up the Mittellegi Ridge and down the Suth Ridge. It worked out very well.
Suppose you've just got to have some degree of flexibility (a few options), at the other end if you're booking flights in advance.

In reply to Alan Bates:

Alan Ive also done the mitttellegi.. other than throwing up a few times on ascent it was all good.. I agree with having a back up plan though, i booked flightw in advance and was very lucky both times with weather, fingers crossed its good again in september for me..