We already tried this route last year, but of course we got lost on the gletscher and reached the biwak at 1:00 in the morning. After that we said no more, and of course we got lost on our way back…But this year with the help of technology (GPS) we made it. And another team from Excelsior (Anna, Steve, Gyula, Laci) joined us.

Difficulty: PD+/AD- (in our opinion)

Parking: Fiesch, the parking place of the cable car station 46.405202, 8.136335

Accomodation: Mittelaletschbiwak 3013 m (2x)

Peak: Aletschhorn 4195 m

Variant: NO-Grat / NorthEast ridge

Style of the route: semi difficult, long gletscher route. Knowing the way is important, getting lost can easily mean hours of delay

Equipment: full gletscher equipment, ice screws, rope, iceaxe(tour), helmet (important because of falling rocks in the Mittelaletschgletscher region)

 

Gletscherstube 2363 m – Mittelaletschbiwak 3013 m

Download file: 20150822_Mittelaletschbiwak_Aletschhorn.gpx

 

Mittelaletschbiwak 3013 m – Aletschjoch 3629 m – Aletschhorn 4195 m – Mittelaletschbiwak 3013 m

Download file: 20150821_Fierscheralp_Mittelaletschbiwak.gpx

Day 1

Fiesch 1050 m – Fiescheralp 2220 m (cable car) – Gletscherstube 2363 m – Mittelaletschbiwak 3013 m

We started of the previous night and slept a few hours on the Furkapass. Then early morning we headed to Fiesch and parked next to the cable car took one, leaving at 8:10 to Fiescheralp.

From here we reach the beginning of the tunnel in about an hour. After the more then 1 km long tunnel we reach the Gletscherstube Now we do not stop here

It is not even 10 am, but it is scorching hot. We found different infos regarding crossing the gletscher. We chose to follow the trail on the left side of the valley until the valley entrance on the other side is just in line with us. There we climbed down to the ice and crossed it. On our way back we found an even better way, we will get back to it.

So we started on the trail below the Eggishorn.

After approximatelly 1,5 kms, where we saw a way, to the ice, we went down.

Here we put our crampons on and started crossing, always heading a bit to the left, this way avoiding the big cravesses.

The gletscher is full with cracks, small rivers, valleys. We had to cross these.

This year we managed to find a route with only a few jumps, it was nothing like last year.

We headed to the right side of the valley entrance. We found an easy route. On the sides the gletscher is dark grey, here the rope is not needed, it just gets stuck in the rocks and cracks. Finally we reached the other side. From here we pack the crampons and other gletscher equipment and continue on the right side of the valley. Parts of the trail has been destroyed, when the side of the valley slipped down, but a new track begins to form, so it is relativly easy to follow.

The stonemen leads us into the middle of the valley where we continue on the rocks.

The ice changed a lot since last year. The right side next to the small river is completely gone, the other group climbed up here. The left side got smaller too, but we still took it.

We started in the middle, right from the stone line, then we crossed the stones, where it got steep and continued on the left side of the stone line. Here we had to climb a little, but nothing technically hard. Then we headed a bit left and went around the gletscher and reached the biwak. The trail is marked by stonemen. We reached our cousy home for the night at around half past 6pm.

The other team Anna, Steve, Gyula and Laci was already there, they came up a day earlier. The biwak is crowded, 14 people for 13 beds. Luckily there are some mattresses. We boiled some water ate something and went to bed. It was warm. We carried heavy down sleeping bags, the turned out to be too warm and big. A small summer bag or hütte bag is more then enough.

Day 2

Mittelaletschbiwak 3013 m – Aletschjoch 3629 m – Aletschhorn 4195 m – Mittelaletschbiwak 3013 m

We got up at around 4am, made breakfast. The other two teams went ahead, we started at around 5:30. No wind, empty sky…it is going to be warm.

The first kilometer goes through rocks, luckily Steve and the others explored the track yesterday until the Aletschjoch, so we knew the way.

We reached the side of the gletscher, we geared up and using the steps left from yesterday, we took a highway up.

The track from yesterday helped a lot. We encountered one crevasse, which we avoided.

Reaching the Aletschjoch we saw two other teams, one just started crossing the narrow part. The view from here was marvellous. You can see the Mönch, Jungfrau and the Finsteraarhorn.

We took a small break, the first group just made it to the other side, the second decided to go back.

Crossing the ridge was interesting, both sides were really steep.

After a small climb on the rocks, we reached a big plateau. We were very happy that there is already a track, so we do not have to make our own in the 20-30 cm new snow.

Here it was getting warmer, it was hard to believe this mountain is considered to be the coldest in the region. The sun was burning, and then came a snow wall.

The snow wall is very steep, luckily we are on the north side, so it is not melted.

At the top of the wall, we reached the point P. 4086. Here we took a small break.

The next 500 meter goes through a plateau, no height is gained here and the melted snow made progress really slow.

After the plateu comes the steep part with a small crevasse. We met the austrian group who made the tracks and we thanked them.

The ridge had some surprises, we had to climb snow and rock.

A few minutes and we saw the cross, crossed a small wechte, and we were there!

We looked around and enjoyed the view. But we also started thinking about getting down. Getting up took 7,5 hours.

We wrote our names in the book on the top and started going down.

We climbed back down on the rocks and snow. It was melting strong.

Climbing the rocks was a bit harder because of the melted snow.

Keeping the rope between us, made a lot of sence, especially when I slipped Eszter held me. At around 3450 meters we took a small break, and I found two skiis, but sadly not a pair. They must have slipped down from the depot above in the winter season.

The others left the biwak, so we had it for our self. Nobody came up because of the bad weather forecast. We made dinner and went to bed early.

 

Day 3

Mittelaletschbiwak 3013 m – Fiescheralp 2220 m – Fiesch 1050 m (cable car)

In the morning we packed or stuff and headed down. Sadly the sky was already cloudy.

We went down the same way we came. The ice axe was handy, but we met no big technical difficulties. In the middle part we had to watch out, because of the melting ice let some rocks loose.

The weather was getting worst, rain started to fall. The GPS came handy, we followed the same route back.

On the other side we did not climb up the rocks, but took the way along the grey part of the gletscher.

We made it back to the car at around 6pm. We are tired but happy,, we made it. 🙂 21-23.08.2015