This Article first appeared in
AAC(UK) Newsletter 181
published Spring 2009
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Beauty & Beast
Bernese Oberland Round 2008
by Martin Haydon
It seemed endless: ice, crevasses and snowbridges - narrow ones, wide ones, humps and dips, a cacophony of ups and downs, ins and outs as we slowly zigzagged along the mighty Aletschgletscher. It was our second day and we were on the way to the Konkordiahütte 2850m situated high above the glacier at the Konkordiaplatz.
The view to our right barely seemed to change as we slowly progressed. The ‘Platz’ is the meeting of glaciers, a huge area large enough to house a small Swiss town like Chur. My mobile rang, “Hello Martin, I’ve had a fantastic helicopter ride”. It was Gottfried whom I learned was in hospital in Visp, awaiting an operation on his broken ankle.
That morning, we had left the comfort of the Youth Hostel at Fiesch and taken the seilbahn up to the Fiescheralp. With the excitement that accompanies the start of an expedition, we had set off for what we expected to be a routine 5 hour walk to our first hut. It was day two of the Bernese Oberland Round. Our objectives included three huts, five glaciers and four 4000m summits.
With sacks loaded, we had steeply traversed around the Eggishorn, yesterday’s successful summit. We reached the Gletscherstube near the Marjelensee, had soup and made for the Aletsch the longest glacier in the Alps. From above, the glacier looked relatively flat. Now at eye level, we could see a snowless expanse of bare ice full of runnels and an endless line of crevasses.
The descent was steep, loose and awkward as Gottfried found out. He stumbled, lost his balance and fell awkwardly into a pit of rocks. Initially, it seemed he had bruised his ankle, but then it became apparent that it was more, so Alun and Robert took his sack and accompanied him back to the hut. Two hours later, we were on our way again, with the hope that Gottfried might rejoin us later on the tour.
Four hours later and still on the glacier, we took a line across to the moraine to cut off the corner and the normal route to the ladders. At last we could see the hut high up on the rockface and to our right a cone marked a thin track to the hut. With relief we started the ascent. As we moved, the rocks and shale did so too, but soon we were climbing steeply up the face on fixed wires, platforms and rock. We reached the hut at 8pm and despite our concern, were welcomed and offered dinner by the friendly and willing Hüttenwirt and staff.
First stage accomplished. But it was 21:30 and too late to prepare for the serious and long climb of the Grünhorn the next day. I retired dazed and a little numb. The week before I had been in the Chamonix valley and traversed to the magnificent Mer du Glace. The sight of the bare glacier bed took me by shock. This too was reflected in the Aletsch. Nothing had prepared me for crossing glaciers in this now advanced stage of deterioration. After 10 hours, my sack had felt like a ton weight and I knew at this stage that we would have to adapt our plan.
We elected to traverse the Grüneggfirn via the Grünhornlucke and then down a very crevassed and icy slope to the Finsteraarhornhütte high above the Grosser Fiescherfirn. It was another steep climb up to this fine hut which lies in the remotest area of the Bernese Oberland. The weather was splendid and the scenery stunning. We had time to relax and prepare sacks for tomorrow's climb of the highest summit in the area.
We arose at 03:00 and after struggling to eat breakfast, left at 04:30. Out into the dark we went and set a brisk pace and up steep rock to the glacier. Dawn began to break. Alan felt unwell and after two days carrying a full sack I could not face the effort either. Regrettably we turned back, but for the others it was a great day as they had a wonderful climb to the narrow summit of the Finsteraarhorn. The weather was perfect and one could admire the wonderful scenery. We greeted our triumphant summiteers on their return as we soaked up the sun and views.
We decided it was too far to traverse the Fiescherhorn on the way to the Mönchjochhütte. Instead, we reversed our route to the Konkordia with the intention of taking the Jungfraufirn the next day. With Mick out in front, we became aware that three had become two. Mick had gone down a crevasse. By the time we arrived John, who had arrested the fall, was tiring under the constant strain as Alun, who was in a rather confined area of dangerous snow backed him up. Mick had gone down a long way and, despite trying, was unable to prussik out. We set up a stance from a safe position, and eventually pulled him out after nearly an hour and a half. He landed like a fish, and shouted, “Did you get a photograph?”
It rained all next day so we stayed put. Wednesday however was a beautiful day as we traversed to the Jungfraujoch with stunning mountain scenery. It was all uphill, tiring and again, with full sacks! On arriving at the Sphinxstollen, the contrast couldn’t be more obvious as we were thrown into the world of tourists. Our plan was to climb the Jungfrau, and then return down the glacier back to Fiesch. However, the weather forecast that evening changed our plans as Friday was to be wet.
At 3am there was the shuffling noise of climbers getting up in the dark and the flickering of torches as folk found their clothes and kit. Our revised plan was to climb the Jungfrau and return to Fiesch in one day via the railway. Three of our group had a wonderful day and succeeded on the Jungfrau. We had completed the circuit, four glaciers traversed, three huts visited and three summits climbed.
On Friday evening, we celebrated a happy and successful tour. We had experienced Beauty in the wonderful Bernese Oberland, but the Beast in global warming.
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Last updated: 06 March 2009