This Article first appeared in
AAC(UK) Newsletter 176
published Winter 2007

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Last updated 13 December 2007

'More Beethoven Than Bach'

A Meet Leader's Reflections on the Bernese Oberland Round

by Martin Haydon

We met, nine AAC members, at the most splendidly situated Youth Hostel in the Alps. Grindelwald hostel is set on south facing slopes above the bustling village with its two train stations at around 800 and 1000m. Three stayed in their camper vans and two others were to meet us at the Mönchjochhütte. I arrived a day early, after a splendid week in the Totes Gebirge with my family where we climbed the two major peaks in the area from the scenically positioned Prielschutzhaus. I can't say enough about the hospitality of the warden and staff which, coupled with some wonderful weather, set me up for the challenge ahead in Switzerland.

The weather was near perfect and we had a great day getting to know each other walking the Alpigen, Eiger trail to our high point of Eigergletcher Bahnhof 2320m. Thirty minutes below lay the famous village of Kleine Scheidegg. Here many dramas have been played out in the last 70 years, none more so than the tragic death of Toni Kurz who dangled to death just 2 metres short of rescuers back in 1936. Today, the television camera crews were gathering as this week was to be special for Grindelwald when it hit TV in a big way, not for a dramatic ascent of the notorious Eiger, but for a more modern version of tourism.

All seemed well until that evening when the first wisps of clouds appeared and thunder was heard through the valley. We all packed for the morning, ready to get the train up to the Jungfraujoch. Tuesday dawned to rain and at the guides' office we learned all tours had been cancelled and there was no possibility of good weather for at least four days. We delayed by two days and again by two days. All three huts we had planned to visit reported at least half a metre of extra snowfall.

It was a measure of our group that those four frustrating days were enjoyable. Swimming, museum visiting, concert going, walking and a really good preparation day in the deep soft snow on the Waldspitze. There was constant re-scheduling, re-booking, moving rooms, unpacking and repacking until at last we took the train up on a morning as the sun once again appeared after its sabbatical in the cloud. On the way up through the centre of the Eiger, the train has two stops to view the Eiger's vertical walls from windows in the mountain. On emerging from the darkness of the station tunnel we were suddenly transported into another world of brilliance, stunning beauty and fantastic fresh air. The magnificent Jungfraujoch is truly "Top of the World", dominated by three of the great mountains, the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the world's important observatories sits on top of the Sphinx 3571m above the station complex.

The Mönchjochhütte, whilst accessible due to the train, is at a breath-taking 3650m of which one is patently aware after ascending by some 2500m in under two hours. Another session of booking in and sorting gear followed, this time for our climb on the Mönch the next morning. Our big day started at 5am and we were out into brilliant early morning light by 6.30am. The Mönch requires no glacier crossing, albeit for a 15 minute excursion, before one sets steeply up the SE ridge. I couldn't believe how different the mountain was from my previous ascent. Then there was a lot of rock but this time the mountain was plastered in snow from start to finish. The climb was exciting (about PD+) with an increasingly narrow ridge as we got higher. The use of belays on the steep sections and the ascent of snow covered rocks added to the experience. The last sections were barely more than a few centimetres wide with steep drops on both sides. A cornice hugged the north slopes as one trod carefully just below its breaking point. The views on all sides were magnificent as was the summit dome where one cannot be certain which is solid ground or cornice. With seven of us on the summit, there was not much room for the other groups now appearing from below. We took our time, the weather was perfect, there was no rush and l intended to savour every little bit of the entire experience. We ate 'elevenses' sitting on a rock by the rain gauge, watching the tourists enjoying the wide piste made by the hut warden in his giant snowcat.

Elated on our return to the hut we planned a possible attempt on the Fiescherhorn. only to have our hopes dashed by another poor forecast and all tours cancelled. We decided to go down in the morning. At 4am the wind was up, mist swirled around, we had made the right choice. At 8am and strangely elated we gathered for a photo session as the clouds left the summits and beguiled us with more exciting views. We spent some time at the Sphinx and from its high point could almost touch the virgin snow of the Jungfrau. Both our last days were brilliant and we had an energetic klettersteig on the Schwarzhorn at just under 3000m. Clean air, flowers, birds and mountain scenery and we were all contented.

My meet which seemed doomed as we waited those four days of bad weather, was a huge success judging by the happy faces as we sat outside a restaurant celebrating our successful time together. It may not have had the climax of the Ninth Symphony, but full of pulsating moods, it was definitely more Beethoven than Bach.... and still the Eiger drew the eye upwards.

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Last updated: 13 December 2007

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