Weissmiess

difficulty: PD+
altitude: 4023 m.
date: 24.4.2015

I was little bit scared of winter ascents after bad experience on Grand Paradiso, but even though we (me and Venca) decided to give a try to Weissmiess in early spring. Conditions have been still winter-like, but avalanche risk was set to 2nd degree what means "quite" safe. I think we decided for the most optimal route (see the map) given the snow condition, we didn't risk any avalanche at all. Note that the south slopes above the Almagelleralp were already without snow.

We crossed the Zwischenbergpass at the same day and found nice place to dig ourselves to the snow. Maybe Venca wanted convince me down in the valley that we should take a tent, but he didn't said a word and I really didn't want to carry three more kg those 1800 meters of altitude. So we spent few hours in nice snow bivak in some state close to sleeping.

Early morning. It was a fight. Me against my sleeping bag. I won and Venca as well. Things started to work better after first sips of hot tea. We prepared our equipment and after while, we are rising up the summit on very solid firn. Sun is rising up together with us. We are here totally alone. I am following some very old steps in the snow. Nobody, nowhere, solitude, silence. Just the wind and our breaths.   

There is few technical steps at the ridge but nothing serious. Little bit more serious is the snow ridge bellow the summit but there are also worse ones in the Alps. We are reaching the summit with no difficulties and very happy that everything run smoothly.

The way back to the car was long, at least in my mind. But it is the price for nice summit. One should not think about beer down in the valley, otherwise it is even longer.  Let me note that those 2500 m of altitude to the summit and back to the parking place have been done in 24 hours, what I find quite nice.

Du Saleve

Du Saleve is an amazing wall above Geneva, playground for climbers, runners, sky-runners and all the other outdoor activities. It isn't any wild mountain wall anymore but very well equipped net of routes. Better description would be to call it a big open climbing gym. I see larger potential in skyrunning there, please see my project: run-the-wall
where one can find also 3-d model of Saleve.

The knowledge of Saleve is very well provided in plenty web pages. I don't want to bring any new information with this post but rather to summarize that and maybe point out some issues at specific routes.

Important links:
Touristic paths: link
1-length routes: stone
Longer routes:Morgans main-wall
Boulders: boulders
Maps: geoadmin

Please inform me in case that you have any other nice source of information!

WARNINGS:

(I hope I don't have to tell this but:)

- Some of the tourist paths are very difficult!
- Stones are falling down very often, wear the helmet even  for walking tours!
- Don't go there when it is raining, it is limestone!
- There is a risk that big part of the rock falls down. Please see the warnings down at the parking place close to the tennis courts.

Grand Paradiso

dificulty: F
altitude: 4061

Quick description:

If you plan to climb that, don't worry. It is very easy mountain. The route from Refugio Emmanuele  is very clear and safe. There are only two things which one should NOT underestimate, namely: WEATHER - really check the forecast and go there only in case of nice weather for whole day (without gps in bad conditions you are done), take at least 10 m of rope for last few meters. It is very easy. I wouldn't call it climbing. But there is one point where one can fall very deeply. 

The normal route, the right picture is stolen from somewhere.

Let me know if you find the source.

Our story:

Day1:

Weather forecast is o.k., snow conditions amazing, firn holds fest and lower part bellow Ref. Em. is very safe. We are happy about nice winter day. I thought that we would stay in Winterraum, but the Refugio is already opened (March) so we have comfort like in first class hotel. We have some dinner with group of six Austrian guys, some beers and so.

Day2:

Early morning, totally clear, still with the stars above us. We are rising up with our skies. I feel like in paradise on Grand Paradiso. We are reaching the summit very quickly as everything went smoothly, just waiting for few guys than leave the summit (place for very few people). Just few minutes at the summit as the wind is strong and we rather want to begin our descent, still clear. Arriving to our skies, still arround 4000 meters, weather changed dramatically in 15 minutes, not more! I see one guy in the crevice between glacier and the rock. We approached him quickly to help him, but he was o.k. searching for his ski in crevice. Wind. Snow hitted our faces every few second. We don't see anything just our skies. I am not able to recognize if I am sliding down or not. But the guy with only one ski is perhaps in much worse situation so I am not complaining. We keep the rocks on the left, otherwise we could end up in seraks. Small plateau, we have to find the ridge. Large group is skiing down via glacier to different Refugio. I don't want go that path in this weather. We are joining only group of four people trying to find the ridge with gps. We succeeded and we are sliding down thin ridge we steep faces on both sides. I don't see anything and I am fucking afraid that we could cross the edge. We are skiing down the hill, much slower than we went it up. At some point that group of four guys turned left. I didn't like that so we rather turned right. When we reached the bottom of the valley we saw them skiing down the wall, which I would not be able to ski. We and up in the Refugio, staring at each other, totally appalled by what happened. No happiness that we survived, but still the fear. Mountain rescue was searching for that guys which we had the dinner wtih the day before.

Day 3:

Weather is still terrible. Wind is so strong, that one can not stand straight. Some people try descent from the Refugio but we are still waiting. Afternoon was better so we could try descent. Except of two times when we had to lay down to the the snow, otherwise we would be blown away, everything run smoothly. I am loosing my ski by my stupid mistake. But it is just ski. Maybe I was more happy that we survived than sad about the ski.

Just a comment:

there was few cases of selfishness which I saw:

Somebody wanted to the summit and didn't care about people around pushing them and so ... , somebody didn't want to help that guy in the crevice, and so and so.

I would say that nobody can count the summit which he reached with selfishness. Everybody who helped somebody can count it twice.