rgg - Feb 20, 2015 2:29 pm Date Climbed: Jul 6, 2014
A bit too warm...
In a period of mixed weather, we had one good day. We were ready for it, camping just below 2900 m, some 20 minutes away from the Brunegg Glacier. Clear star studded skies were waiting for us as we woke up at 3 am, and that immediately lifted our spirits. Though some clouds developed later on, it stayed mostly sunny for the rest of the day.
High Camp
However, it was also much warmer than usual, which meant that the layer of snow on the ice of the north face was soft and didn't offer a particularly solid and trustworthy climbing surface.
We pitched out the whole route from the schrund upwards, and that, combined with the soft snow, meant that we needed no less than 5 hours to ascend just 200&nbbsp;m. For the final few meters we followed the NE ridge; the very top of the N face was almost more rock than ice, and the occasional stone whizzing by told us that it was better to avoid the very center of the face right below the summit.
After a late and short lunch break on the top, we quickly descended the normal route. In two hours we were back at our tent.
rgg - Feb 20, 2015 2:29 pm Date Climbed: Jul 6, 2014
A bit too warm...In a period of mixed weather, we had one good day. We were ready for it, camping just below 2900 m, some 20 minutes away from the Brunegg Glacier. Clear star studded skies were waiting for us as we woke up at 3 am, and that immediately lifted our spirits. Though some clouds developed later on, it stayed mostly sunny for the rest of the day.
High Camp
However, it was also much warmer than usual, which meant that the layer of snow on the ice of the north face was soft and didn't offer a particularly solid and trustworthy climbing surface.
We pitched out the whole route from the schrund upwards, and that, combined with the soft snow, meant that we needed no less than 5 hours to ascend just 200&nbbsp;m. For the final few meters we followed the NE ridge; the very top of the N face was almost more rock than ice, and the occasional stone whizzing by told us that it was better to avoid the very center of the face right below the summit.
After a late and short lunch break on the top, we quickly descended the normal route. In two hours we were back at our tent.