Glacier Archives - The Best Viewpoints

July 2, 2023 • 0 Comment

All you need to know about climbing Mont Blanc

The highest mountain of the European Union, Mont Blanc, was to be the hardest test of my expedition. I had already climbed the mountain three years ago, but it was with an experienced guide that time. This time I had to rely just on my and my friends’ skills. For the first time I took the so-called Three Monts route from Aiguille du Midi to the top, which was until then the most demanding climb of my life. This time we chose the simplest option, namely via the Gouter Hut. Which route is better?

Two most popular routes to Mont Blanc

There are several routes to the highest mountain of the Alps Mont Blanc. Choose wisely according to your fitness level and climbing experience. For visitors without climbing and glacier experience, a guide is a must.

Gouter route: The so called normal route is the easiest way to Mont Blanc. I will describe this route thoroughly in this article.
The 3 Mont Blanc Traverse: This is a more demanding route leading from Aiguille du Midi. On this route you will pass two more mountains Mont Blanc du Tacul and Mont Maudit. This route is more technical and also longer than Gouter route but there are less climbers so this route is recommended to more experienced visitors.

Important information for climb of Mont Blanc via Gouter route

Short description of the ascent from Nid'Aigle: Demanding multiday climb on via ferrata and on glacier
Essential equipment: Full climbing and glacier gear
Best time to visit: June - Septmeber (June and September best)
Fees or restrictions: It isn't allowed to enter Gouter route without proper climbing equipment
Camping allowed: Only nearby Tête Rousse Hut
Height of the peak: 4807m
Distance to the top: 9 km (one way without acclimatization climbs)
Time to ascend from Nid'Aigle to Mont Blanc and back: 4 days are recommended (see recommended itinerary below)
Elevation climbed (one way without acclimatization climb): 2465m 
Water availability on the mountain: At all the huts on the way.
Difficulty level: ****** (6 stars maximum) 
Personal rating of the mountain: ****** (6 stars maximum) 
Beer on the peak: Mont Blanc La Rousse ***** (6 stars maximum)

Recommended itinerary to climb Mont Blanc via Gouter route

Since Mont Blanc is the highest mountain of the Alps, a proper acclimatization is a must. If you haven’t been this high before in your life, it’s highly recommended not to underestimate the acclimatiztaion process. Below you can find my recommendation:

Day 0: Acclimatization in the Chamonix area – for example by a lift to Aiguille du Midi
Day 1: Train to Nid’Aigle and hike to Tête Rousse Hut with subsequent acclimatization to Gouter Hut
Day 2: Climb from Tête Rousse Hut to Gouter Hut with acclimatization to the mountain Dome du Gouter
Day 3: Climb from Gouter Hut to Mont Blanc to Gouter Hut and back
Day 4: Descend back to Nid’Aigle

Map of the climb via Gouter route to Mont Blanc

My story of climbing the deadliest mountain in the world

After the accident in Scotland, I thought it was the complete end of my expedition. When I later decided to continue, I promised at least at home that I would omit the dangerous Mont Blanc. After the car accident not only those at home were worried about me, but even I was afraid myself, especially when it came to “The deadliest mountain in the World”, where over 6000 people have already died. Therefore, the plan was to conquer all remaining mountains except Mount Blanc itself. I cancelled my plans and told my friends who planned to climb Mont Blanc with me about it. Instead I planned the ascent of Dinara, the highest mountain in Croatia.

*Aiguille du Midi viewed from the Gouter Hut during sunset*

However, as it sometimes happens, the circumstances changed. While hiking on the Alpine peaks I got enthusiastic for traveling again and I was looking forward to going to Croatia. My friend Mara, however, was so tired after climbing Triglav that he refused to go to Croatia with me. So, I was thinking what to do next. I didn’t want to go to Croatia on my own and I had six days left before my flight to the highest mountain in Finland. My flight was scheduled from Geneva and my friends Alča and Hozna were trying to persuade me to join them for the climb to Mont Blanc. Since I had successfully climbed all the Alpine highest mountains so far, I gained enough confidence back. It was a perfect weather forecast, too. Great opportunity. Those circumstances finally convinced me. I decided to climb Mont Blanc.

Gouter Route to Mont Blanc

Our trip started in a nice accommodation in the village of Saint Gervais-Les Bains right next to the train heading towards Mont Blanc. We slept well and we departed by this train at 8:30 towards the starting point of our expedition Le Nid d’aigle.

Mont Blanc Tramway taking us to Le Nid d'aigle — *Mont Blanc Tramway taking us to Le Nid d’aigle*

Since camping on the trail via Gouter Hut was forbidden at the moment and still is, we had a plan to hike to the Tête Rousse Hut, sleep there, the next day climb to Gouter Hut, acclimatize for a day around, sleep over at the Gouter Hut and we planned to summit Mont Blanc during the third day. We got very lucky that there were some vacant beds on both huts, despite booking them very last minute. In fact, the huts had been sold out for a half a year but we were saved by some last minute cancellations.

View from the the Tête Rousse Hut — View from the Tête Rousse Hut

Dangerous Grand Couloir

During the first day we reached the Tête Rousse Hut. We had lunch – local cheese, which smelled like sore feet, but it was probably the best I had ever eaten. During the lunch we were looking at a scary Grand Couloir, which would wait for us on the way up to the Gouter Hut. Rocks kept falling down roughly every minute. We didn’t like that at all. The danger was obvious. Therefore, we decided to get up early in the morning before the sun started shining on the slope and while it was frozen. This should eliminate the risk of accidents.

In the end, we decided to wake up as early as at 1:30am to have a safe walk through this probably most dangerous part of the expedition and even more time for more acclimatization the following day. That’s why I also went to sleep right after lunch. It still seemed that I had been a lot exhausted and I had lacked sleep since the whole previous trip.

Grand Couloir (Mont Blanc) on the way to Gouter Hut — *Grand Couloir (Mont Blanc)* on the way to Gouter Hut

My friends hiked up the slope to see where we should pass the couloir at night. I thank them very much for this check. It saved us a lot of time in the middle of the night. Two hours later they were in the hut and fell asleep too. Four hours of quality sleep were handy for us. We woke up refreshed. We didn’t have much work left that day, just to pack up, eat a kilo of pasta and go back to sleep.

Tough Alpine start

Apart from us, our neighbors went to sleep, too. Unfortunately. This time, the risk of dormitories proved its strength. One of our neighbors sounded like a carefully sharpened chainsaw. We did not understand that he didn’t wake himself up with his snoring. Unfortunately, he was the only one in the dorm who managed to sleep. At that moment I was really grateful for our afternoon nap. I didn’t close my eyes till the alarm rang.

*Climbing from Tete Rousse Hut to Gouter Hut (picture taken on the way back)*

We woke up at 1am at night, had a quick breakfast and we started to climb up during the starlight. It was surprisingly warm outside. All we needed was a long sleeve t-shirt. Soon we got to the couloir, where, fortunately, no stones were falling at night, and we overcame it without any trouble. The introductory part of the journey reminded me of the ascent of Triglav. It was similarly steep, similarly carefully protected by steel ropes and under us there was a similarly steep slope. There was no need for belaying and tying up, so we didn’t waste time. Only a fool would take this path without a helmet, though. Rocks could still fall at any time. Unfortunately, we met many of these fools along the way.

The climb went really well for my friends. Unfortunately, I felt a little worse. That delicious cheese apparently did not settle well in my stomach. I did not feel good and was looking forward to reaching Gouter Hut to have some rest. I secretly hoped that my friends felt alike, so we could shorten the planned acclimatization and go to sleep early.

Putting crampons on next to the Gouter Hut and time to acclimatize for Mont Blanc — *Putting crampons on next to the Gouter Hut and time to acclimatize*

Midnight snack saved me

We stopped at the Gouter Hut. We were hungry and we had a smaller snack. But I saw in my friends’ faces that there was no chance to talk about quitting climbing. We got rid of a part of the load, which we would not be needed for the acclimatization, we put on the crampons, harnesses, we tied up the rope, picked up the ice axes and we started to go upwards. We would see how far we would climb.

Sunrise over Mont Blanc

Suddenly, as if by magic, all of us were doing perfectly. After the climb to the Dome du Gouter we were in perfect time, so we decided: We would try to climb to the Mont Blanc itself. It started to get brighter and we finally glimpsed the top of Mont Blanc. This majestic mountain rises at least five hundred metres higher than the surrounding peaks. Really beautiful. After a few minutes the sun began to rise. It was a spectacle. The first rays reached the top of Mont Blanc, and in a few minutes, they fell on us. At that moment it would have been worth stopping the time. These are the moments that made me undertake the expedition. This spectacle gave us so much energy that we would surely jump to the top as alpine chamois.

*View over Mont Blanc from Dome du Gouter*

And indeed, we did. The sun was supplying us with energy, and we were progressing great. We just had respect from the final ridge but without a reason. The wind was not blowing and the path was great, so everything went without a problem. We were not in a hurry. To rush would not even be possible, because the air was sparse. After about every twenty steps we took a half-minute break to replenish the oxygen, and in the meantime, we enjoyed the views of the surroundings.

On top of the Alps

After another hour we were already standing on the top. It was warm up there. It was blowing only a faint breeze and we enjoyed the sunshine. Surprisingly, the view from the top is not as beautiful as on the way up. At the very top there is a small plateau, and thus the horizon obscures the views. But when a person steps a little down aside, there is a beautiful view of both the Italian and French Alps. I saw even the path I took last time. But I was glad I hadn’t taken it this time. The path via Gouter Hut is much easier, and I think that anyone who is trained, acclimatised, properly equipped and who would not underestimate the weather could make it.

On top of Mont Blanc — *We made it! Mont Blanc reached!*

Unfortunately, a large percentage of tourists on the Mont Blanc doesn’t have proper equipment and enough experience or disregards the dangers of the weather. They do not only risk their health, but also others’. We could have convinced ourselves of this during our descent. After another hour, when we arrived back to Dome du Gouter, black clouds started to approach. It was clear that a thunderstorm would soon come, exactly as the weather forecast had said the day before. Despite this change of weather, however, we met several other groups heading upwards. We were worried especially about the last group of five Japanese tourists who didn’t really look like they knew what they were doing. They didn’t even have a rope. Our warning, however, did not interest them. Stubbornly, they continued.

The deadliest mountain in the world

Similarly, we couldn’t believe our eyes when, just before the Tete de la Rousse Hut, when we were passing again the dangerous couloir, where the stones were falling in the afternoon without a stop. Here we met a group of six Swedes who wore no helmets. What happened with the famous Swedish saying “security goes first”?

There is a reason why people say that Mont Blanc is the most dangerous mountain in the world. It’s not because of the technical difficulty, but because of irresponsible tourists. Over 6 000 people have died on Mont Blanc. When I saw the approach of some of them, I understood that an accident is not quite a coincidence. The climb to Mont Blanc definitely requires both respect and experience. Hopefully nothing happened to either the Swedes or the Japanese.

To end on a more positive note though, I’d like to mention write a few more sentences about our accommodation at the Gouter Hut. The overnight stay is definitely the most expensive I have experienced in dormitories anywhere in the world. Views of the sunrise and sunset from the hut are, however, absolutely fantastic. Even here it is definitely worth to spend one night. Look at the pictures.

Sunset watching at the Gouter Hut — *Sunset watching from the Gouter Hut*

Sunrise at Gouter Hut — *Sunrise at the Gouter Hut*

My tips for climbing the mountain Mont Blanc:

Proper acclimatisation and good weather conditions are the key.
If you are a beginner, you should definitely not consider the ascent without a mountain guide or a friend who has experience in movement and safety on a glacier. Keep in mind that Mont Blanc is the deadliest mountain in the world and you should behave accordingly.
If you are a beginner, choose the so-called Classic route via Gouter Hut. Book at least two nights in advance at the Gouter Hut or Tete de la Rousse. If you require accommodation in a dormitory, you must make a reservation at least half a year in advance. If a tent rental at the Tete de la Rousse Hut is enough for you, you can be more flexible. I recommend this option because you might sleep better. There will be less snoring people around you.
If you are an experienced mountaineer, try the Three Peaks route. It is a very demanding ascent, but with fewer tourists and there are no tenting restrictions.

May 7, 2023 • 0 Comment

How to climb the highest point of Norway Galdhøpiggen?

Galdhøpiggen, Norway’s and also Scandinavia’s highest mountain is located in the Jotunheimen National Park. It is about the same distance from Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim. It takes time to get there but it definitely pays off. The Norwegian mountains are beautiful. In this article you can find all the information you need before your climb of Norway’s highest mountain. You can also read about my own experience of summiting Galdhøpiggen in winter.

Two most popular routes to Galdhøpiggen

There are two main routes leading to the highest peak on Norway. Similarly to summit of Swedish highest mountain Kebnekaise, you can choose to take a longer hiking route with no glacier crossing or shorter route which requires glacier experience:

From Spiterstulen: This is the most popular route to climb Galdhøpiggen and is also known as the “normal route.” It is a non-technical climb that can be done by anyone with reasonable fitness and endurance. The trailhead starts at Spiterstulen, a mountain lodge located in Jotunheimen National Park. From there, it takes around 4-6 hours to reach the summit, depending on your pace. The trail is well-marked and easy to follow.
From Juvasshytta: This route is more challenging than the Spiterstulen route and is recommended for experienced hikers or climbers. The trailhead starts at higher a altitude compared to Spiterstulen. Juvasshytta, a mountain lodge located at the foot of Galdhøpiggen lies at 1850m.a.s.l.. From there, it takes around 5-7 hours to reach the summit. The trail is steep and rocky and you will have to pass aglacier, with some sections that require the use of crampons. The route is only open during the summer months and is subject to weather conditions. If you don’t have glacier experience, a mountain guide is recommended.

Important information for climb of Galdhøpiggen from Spiterstulen

Short description of the ascent from: Hiking on rocks all the way to the top, well marked
Essential equipment: Standard hiking equipment sufficient
Best time to visit: June - October or March - May for winter climb
Fees or restrictions: No
Camping allowed: Yes
Height of the peak: 2,469m
Distance to the top: 6.1 km 
Time to ascend from Spiterstulen to Galdhøpiggen: 3 hours 10 minutes 
Elevation climbed: 1418m 
Water availability on the mountain: There are streams on the way up to 1600m.a.s.l.
Difficulty level: *** (6 stars maximum) 
Personal rating of the mountain: ***** (6 stars maximum) 
Beer on the peak: Bad Mango ** (6 stars maximum)

Maps of the climbs from Spiterstulen and Juvasshytta to Galdhøpiggen

Click on the maps to see the distance, elevation and more details about the routes.

My story of climbing Galdhøpiggen in winter

After visiting the highest mountains of Vatican, San Marino and Monaco, I waited for suitable conditions for climbing the next mountains. The climbing break took in the end two months. At the beginning of March days were finally getting longer in Scandinavia (about 10 hours of sunshine) and the weather was improving. The dark northern winter seemed to be over. Time to climb a new peak!

Freezing Scandinavia

My Norwegian friends told me that March is the best time to climb Galdhøpiggen. There are wonderful winter conditions and the mountains are generally without tourists. Ideal mountain for tour skiing. This vision attracted me so I teamed up with two friends Honza and Víťa, who love ski touring, and we set out for a trip.

The only thing my Norwegian friends didn’t disclose was that it will be cold. The weather forecast was predicting −21°C for the weekend we planned our trip. We were afraid that the weather might make our climb to Galdhøpiggen impossible but we still decided to try.

We all met at Víťa’s place in Oslo on Friday. The weather seemed to be best directly on Saturday (still −21° C but clear sky and mild wind) so we decided to leave early in the morning to reach Galdhøpiggen already in the afternoon.

Speeding in Norway not recommended

The alarm rang at 3:30 am. We quickly packed our stuff and left Oslo at 4 am. The journey was smooth. You don’t meet many cars on Norwegian roads on a Saturday morning. It would just be great to have different road regulations in Norway. The speed limit of 90 km/h on highways is absurd. My experience told me though that exceeding this limit could result in a significantly increased budget of this trip. One year ago I was fined 5000 NOK (about 500 EUR) for speeding by 5 km/h and therefore we did not take a risk.

We arrived to Spiterstulen, the start of our climb at ten o’clock. This time was still promising. We can probably make it to the summit and back before sunset, which is expected at 6:45 p.m.. That’s enough time. We quickly packed our backpacks with proper avalanche equipment (the so called “ski alpinist holy trinity” – a shovel, a transceiver (beeper) and a probe), snacks and hot tea. We put on our skies and started our ascent.

Winter paradise around Galdhøpiggen

It was cold when we were preparing our equipment but we had to stop after a while for another reason. Surprisingly, we were hot. Thanks to a windless and cloudless sky, we felt warm after the first 200 elevation meters. The first part of the climb was the steepest, maybe another reason. We took off a layer and continued up.

Luckily, we were not the only ones trying to reach Galdhøpiggen that day. Other enthusiastic ski mountaineers headed up ahead and created a nice trail so we saved some time by not having to look for the best possible route. After two hours we had the steepest passage behind us and reached the ridge. There was not much snow so we are took off our skis for a while and crossed the rocky passage with skies on our backs. Even though there was not much snow we were happy anyway. It means that the avalanche danger is low.

Fight for nose

After the next one and a half hour we stood on the top of Svellnose (2272m) from which we saw Galdhøpiggen for the first time. The wind also began to blow. It was suddenly very cold. We put on all of our layers. We climbed to the top as quickly as possible to warm up. The peak seemed to be near but the climb still took us an hour.

Finally we were on Galdhøpiggen. The views from the top were wonderful. I regretted a bit that all my previous ascents took place in summer. Winter ascents are simply amazing. I started to photograph the winter paradise. Since I was constantly moving I was not cold but my friend started to have a problem. I was in the middle of photographing a large panorama when Honza called me: “We have to go down. Víťa has a completely white nose. He doesn’t feel it at all. ”

*Peak selfie including Víťa’s slowly freezing nose*

It was clear that fun was over. I sent my friends ahead so they didn’t have to wait until I packed my photography equipment. Honza and Víťa are very good skiers so they left quickly. I just saw them gradually turn into two small dots and they disappeared soon beyond the horizon. I wasn’t happy about that. Even though I regard myself as a good skier (I worked several years as a ski instructor), this was only my second trip on back country skies in my life.

Don’t ski with heavy backpack

*The last sunrays on the way down from Galdhøpiggen*

I realized that skiing with a heavy backpack isn’t fun. The snow conditions were not the best ones. There was an unpleasant ice crust so the skiing was difficult. I skied down in the most precise plow-style I could to descend as safely as possible. I went down at the speed of a racing worm. Finally, I appreciated the lessons as a ski instructor when I had to be in the plow position all the time. The descent was very long. What long. Infinite! My legs were hurting. The sun started to set and the visibility was getting worse. I just kept one hundred percent focus not to make any wrong move. I don’t know how I would deal with a fall or some injury by myself at −21° C and in darkness.

Fortunately, my legs were sufficiently trained so I managed to get back to Spiterstulen after two hours of seemingly endless descent. I came to the reception where Víťa and Honza were warming up. Víťa’s nose was already bright red. It looked good. His nose is safe.

My tips for climbing the mountain Galdhøpiggen:

Although there is a hut on top of Galdhøpiggen it is closed in winter. Don’t rely on it and check the opening times.
Take your own meal with you to save money. It is very expensive to eat in the hut Spiterstulen and there is no kitchen to prepare your own food.
For skilled skiers, Galdhøpiggen is suitable for a back country skiing trip. The difficulty isn’t very high but be aware of snow conditions and avalanche danger.

April 30, 2023 • 0 Comment

How to climb the highest peak of Iceland Hvannadalshnúkur?

The land of fire and ice is hiding one of the most demanding ascents of the project the European Peaks. The mountain Hvannadalshnúkur is an inactive volcano covered by Europe’s largest glacier Vatnajökull. The summit is not only very physically demanding but also very unpredictable when it comes to weather. Strong winds and blizzards are common here even in summer. Here are all tips you need to know before your climb to Iceland’s highest mountain including my own personal experience.

Important information for climb of Hvannadalshnúkur

Short description of the ascent: Very demanding long hike on glacier, glacier experience necessary, difficult navigation
Essential equipment: Back country skis/snowhsoes/crampons, hiking poles
Best time to visit: April - June
Fees or restrictions: No but guide strongly recommended
Camping allowed: Yes
Nearest accommodation/food supply: Svinafell
Starting point: Parking lot Sandfell (see the map below)
Height of the peak: 2,110m
Ski touring/hiking distance: 11.5 km (one way)
Time to ascend to Hvannadalshnúkur: 7 hours 30 minutes up, 4 hours down
Elevation climbed: 2066m 
Water availability on the mountain: No
Difficulty level: ***** (6 stars maximum) 
Personal rating of the mountain: ****** (6 stars maximum) 
Beer on the peak: Víking Rökkr **** (6 stars maximum)

Description of the best route to Hvannadalshnúkur

The climb has four parts. Up to about 1000 m above sea level there is a rocky section with a path to follow. Then you will enter the glacier on which you will climb to the altitude of about 1800 m above sea level. There will be waiting a large plateau. Do not walk the shortest possible route to the peak over the plateau. There is the largest risk of falling into cracks. Instead, follow the peak on a curve, do not go straight. At the end there is a steep final section to the peak (ca 300 elevation meters).

Map of the route to Hvannadalshnúkur

My story of climbing Hvannadalshnúkur

After winter ascents in Andorra and Norway I was facing even bigger winter challenge. The majestic mountain Hvannadalshnúkur is both beautiful and demanding and it became one of the highlights of the expedition. To reach the summit the majority of your climb will be on a glacier where you are in danger of falling into cracks and you have to get ready for hostile weather. Blizzards and strong winds are common here even during summer.

*Jakub and I under Hvannadalshnúkur. Will we manage to climb it?*

I had a big respect for this mountain so I wanted to book a mountain guide (which I strongly recommend to you too if you want to summit this amazing mountain). However, the circumstances changed. No guide was available on my summit day so I decided to climb the mountain only with my friend Jakub.

Proper preparation is the key

Because Jakub and I wanted to climb Hvannadalshnúkur at the beginning of the climbing season, early April, planning was the most important success factor. In Iceland there were still winter conditions, and climbing in bad weather would mean gambling with our lives. We planned to stay in Iceland the whole week with the hope that one of the seven days will be suitable for the climb.

Before we arrived in Iceland, we closely monitored the weather forecast. That was very changeable. It seemed that predicting Icelandic weather was like throwing a dice. Completely random in the long term. Therefore, I was looking for Icelandic climbers on Facebook to ask how to prepare our climb and where to watch the weather. I got answers from three climbers who had already climbed the highest mountain of Iceland. We got these recommendations:

“Check the weather forecast at this Icelandic website: en.vedur.is.
Be careful when climbing over the glacier. It is necessary to be tied on a rope and to be very careful. The glacier is safe in winter if you follow the recommended GPS route exactly.
GPS is important to not to get lost. Don’t forget an extra battery/ powerbank.
Register your climb at safetravel.is, so local authorities know about your venture.

Weather lottery

Based on the weather forecast we decided to climb Hvannadalshnúkur right after our arrival to Iceland. The forecast looked amazing. Sunny the whole day, just a strong wind in the morning. I contacted local mountain guides who perform regular ascents. However, I was told that the ascent was canceled due to bad weather. “Too windy,” they said. The climb was supposed to move to the next day, but we didn’t like that at all. It was supposed to blow less, but it was supposed to be cloudy with snowfall. There was no other summit day before our flight back to Stockholm so we decided to climb the mountain on our own.

In Reykjavik we rented climbing equipment and managed to get harnesses, crampons, a rope and hiking poles. According to the rental company and local climbers, this should be enough for us in the current conditions. According to them, the main risk – glacial cracks – is safely covered with snow from the whole winter during this time of the year.

First day in the winter wonderland

Then we rented a car and headed towards the starting point of the climb – Sandfell. The trip usually takes four hours. We left Reykjavik and took the Highway 1 (also called Ring Road) to the southwest. The 90 km / h reduction was annoying, but we soon understood why there is such speed limit. It started to blow like crazy, temperatures dropping below zero, and snow was blowing from the mountains. The visibility was suddenly only a few meters. Blizzard. We were glad we could drive at speed of 30 km / h.

The journey was longer than we expected. We arrived late at night to a village called Vík. Due to the high rocks there was a significantly weaker wind than elsewhere on the road, so we decided to stay there overnight. We hoped not to find ourselves lost in snow the following morning. We spent the night in the trunk of our rented Subaru Forester and it was surprisingly comfortable.

*Nearby Vík you can also find the famous plane wreck*

We woke up to see the sunrise on the Vík’s beach and the view promptly forced us to leave the car to see the beauty. The black sand beach together with cliffs around was perhaps the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. But the harsh Icelandic climate was showing us its strength. It was so windy that we took just a few pictures and headed back to our car.

Too windy on Hvannadalshnúkur

We decided to continue towards Hvannadalshnúkur. As we drove out of the village Vík, the wind doubled in strength. It was even stronger than the previous day while bringing even more snow. We realized what white darkness looks like. We couldn’t see further than two meters. At that moment we were very glad that we did not borrow a smaller car, which would certainly not handle this furious weather.

There was no rush. We continued very slowly but we still managed to reach the Europe’s largest glacier Vatnajökull pretty early in the morning. We saw Hvannadalshnúkur for the first time. Unfortunately, it was immediately clear why the guides canceled the climb. Even though the sky was clear, the wind was blowing so hard that it created snow clouds on the mountain. We realized that we wouldn’t see anything during our summit. At that moment we were sure: today we won’t climb anything.

*The first view over Hvannadalshnúkur and crazy wind on the road*

We drove to the village Hof, ate breakfast and thought about what to do next. Will we take some warming up hike and will we follow the climbing company tomorrow in cloudy and snowy weather? During the breakfast however, the wind miraculously calmed down, not only in the lowlands, but also in the mountains. It was nine o’clock in the morning, which is still relatively late to climb Hvannadalshnúkur, but the sun is already quite high at the beginning of April and sets as late as at half past eight in the evening. ‘What if we try to climb? We have more or less 12 hours until it gets dark. We’ll return if it feels dangerous.”

Perfect weather conditions

After a brief discussion, we decided to go for it. We packed food, water, tea, all necessary climbing equipment and power banks in case our phones run out of battery and of course headlights. We registered us on safetravel.is in case we need help and started our ascent. In a few minutes I got a message from safetravel.is : “Do you have complete glacier equipment? Do you have experience with alpine and glacier tourism? During this time of year the climb is very challenging.”

We were very pleased that the local authorities were so interested in tourists and wanted to ensure our safety in the mountains. We reported an expected return time at 23 o’clock. If we don’t report two hours after, the organization would send a search. We left the parking lot Sandfell at 11 am. I guess it was the latest leaving time to climb Hvannadalshnúkur of all previous April climbers.

*The first part of the climb was easy. It led on rocks*

The wind completely left the mountains so we could climb only in T-shirts. We quickly ran up the first 1000 altitude meters across stony and snowy terrain. In this part it was easy to find the way. After about two hours we reached the glacier. It looked clean and without cracks. We were relieved. Time to put crampons on, tie ourselves to the rope and climb up.

Climbing on the glacier

We climbed the glacier more slowly. I often checked the terrain in front of us to make sure there are no cracks. I also checked the GPS regularly to see if we were going in the correct direction. We climbed slowly but steadily up. We expected to reach the plateau several times but there were several endless horizons ahead.

We came across one crack. Luckily it was narrow and well visible so we easily overcame it. It was interesting to look for cracks. It reminded me of skating on thin ice, which I do with a local Stockholm skating club at the beginning of the skating season in autumn. The thickness of the ice often changes, so every skater must have a stick with a sharp end to examine the thickness of the ice. Here it was similar. I tested regularly to see if there was a crack below blown snow.

At around 6 pm we finally reached the plateau below the summit. “The summit is near now” I encouraged my friend Jakub but I saw that it would be still quite a hike to the top. We followed the Icelandic climber’s instruction and didn’t follow the shortest route to the summit. Instead, go along the contour line around. You will avoid a great risk.

Sunset on top of Hvannadalshnúkur

*The sun was already setting when we were getting close*

We continued even more cautiously than before. I checked the surface in front of us before every step. We encountered two more cracks. Both weren’t well visible. After another hour we got to the final climb. The sun was slowly setting which we expected. We knew we would be going down in the dark. The last climb was steep, but could be handled without an ice axe. We passed the beautiful snow-covered rocks and reached the summit. We did it!

The wind was blowing on top so it quickly became really cold but the gorgeous view of the setting sun over the cloud-covered valley and ocean behind warmed us up. Indescribable scenery.

We knew we were only half way. The descent would still be very difficult so we spent only a few minutes on the top and headed back. We knew it would be dark in about an hour and a half, so we tried to get back to the plateau as quickly as possible so that we would pass as much of the glacier as possible before it got dark. Thanks to the perfect weather conditions our traces remained visible. We didn’t have to look for a new path, so we could go back much faster. Indeed, the Icelandic forecast was correct.

Descend in the shine of northern lights

We managed to pass the plateau before it got dark. Then we had to slow down but it was still easy to follow our steps with our headlights. After two and a half hours we came back from the glacier to the rocks. The toughest and most dangerous part was behind us.

We expected the rest of the hike to be easy but we ended up in a crisis. Clouds occurred and the navigation got much more complicated. We couldn’t even see our traces anymore and we got lost several times. Our legs were in pain and we were tired so we decided for a break.

Icelandic dried fish with bread and a bit of tea gave us new energy so we could continue. We walked down in darkness and a bad mood when the sky suddenly cleared up and we saw northern lights. The aurora was so strong that it illuminated the path we wanted to follow. Suddenly we could easily see where to go. Thanks to the aurora we managed to get back safely to the car. After our arrival we texted safetravel.is that we are safe and went to sleep. We fell asleep within a minute.

One week road trip around Iceland

In the morning we were woken up by a group of tourists led with a mountain guide at six o’clock in the morning. It was cloudy and snowy. It was certain that even if the climbers managed to climb Hvannadalshnúkur, they would not see anything. On the other hand, I must admit that we took a risk. If one of us fell into a glacial crack, we would have a big problem. We didn’t have any equipment to rescue each other from a glacier crack. Climbing Hvannadalshnúkur with only two people and without glacier equipment is definitely not an exemplary approach. Based on my experience I definitely recommend to climb the mountain only with an experienced local mountain guide.

*Well deserved relax after the summit day*

Anyway the goal of our Icelandic expedition was managed on the first day of our visit and we still had six days on Iceland. Time to explore the island. What was the first stop? Hot springs and relaxation.

My tips for climbing the mountain Hvannadalshnúkur:

I highly recommend hiring a mountain guide or joining a guided tour. This is a very demanding ascent even for experienced climbers due to the extreme weather conditions.
It is necessary to monitor the weather. Climbing Hvannadalshnúkur is only possible in perfect weather conditions.
GPS navigation is necessary.
Complete glacier equipment is recommended.

May 23, 2020 • 0 Comment

PEAK 44: Russia – Elbrus

Many people consider Mont Blanc to be Europe’s highest mountain. In fact, it is Russian Elbrus in the Caucasus Mountains. Elbrus is a volcano with two peaks. The western one measures 5642 meters and is 21 meters higher than its eastern brother. Compared to Mont Blanc or Dufourspitze, it is technically simple to climb Elbrus but it is demanding due to meteorological conditions and high altitude.

Date of summit: 8th June 2019 8:45 
Traveling mode: Alpinism
Height of the peak: 5.642m
Alpinism distance: 4.93 km (Day 1) 
Alpinism distance: 3.16 km (Day 2) 
Alpinism distance: 6.16 km (Day 3)  
Alpinism time from village Azau to Station Mir: 2 hours 26 minutes 
Alpinism time from station Mir to Maria shelter: 1 hours 58 minute 
Ski touring time from Maria shelter to Elbrus: 6 hours 4 minutes 
Elevation climbed: 1063m (Day 1)
Elevation climbed: 599m (Day 2) 
Elevation climbed: 1527m (Day 3) 
Map of my journey from village Azau to Station Mir: Movescount
Map of my journey from station Mir to Maria shelter : Movescount 
Map of my journey from Maria shelter to Elbrus: Movescount 
Personal rating of the mountain: **** (6 stars maximum) 
Beer on the peak: Valaisanne Baltika 7 Eksportnoe ** (6 stars maximum)

Is Elbrus in Europe? By definition, the border between Europe and Asia is formed by the Caucasus watershed. That places Elbrus in Europe because it lies on the northern side of the watershed in Russia, the European part of the Caucasus. According to this definition there is no doubt about the highest point of our continent.

I flew to Russia with my father and a friend from Sweden Alča. We met at Istanbul airport and arrived together to Mineralnye Vody airport. There we didn’t stay long. We took a taxi (very cheap – 4500 RUR for 180km) to Terskol, a mountain village and main center in the Caucasus mountains.

When we arrived we couldn’t find our pre-booked accommodation in for a while. Google Maps were showing a wrong spot. I wasn’t surprised because I had similar experience also in other Eastern European countries. It would be interesting to know why Google maps often show inaccurate information from these coutnries. However, helpful locals showed us the way so we easily found our cosy guest house. We were tired after long journey so we fell asleep at eight o’clock, accompanied by lightning and rain.

Acclimatization is key to success

For the next day we planned an acclimation climb to Chezem mountain (3461 m). We took a lift in Terskol to 3095m and took a nice hike to the peak. Chezem seemed to be very near. But it wasn’t. Even at this altitude there is nothing free. It took us about an hour and a half to reach it. All in all, it was a very nice acclimatization walk. We warmed up our muscles and we were rewarded with a magnificent view of both “Elbrus’ breasts”.

We decided to stay on the top as long as possible to acclimatize as much as possible. In the end we spent over two hours sunbathing and watching the surrounding snow-capped peaks. We were happy to climb Elbrus. All the other mountains in the area were much sharper, which would mean a technically more demanding climb.

Next day we were ready. Time to move towards Elbrus. We ordered a taxi that took us to village Azau, the starting point to Europe’s highest mountain. There you have three options how to get up. Either you can take the old cable car, the new cable car, or you can climb your own. The village of Azau is only 2350 meters above sea level, which means that you have to overcome the altitude of 3350 meters to the top of Elbrus. Given that the path led along the cableway all the time we decided to use the invention of today’s civilization.

*A “beautiful” painting but useful map for the upcoming climb at the old cable car entrance*

Sleeping in a container

We took the new cable car and after two changes we reached the height of 3800 m above sea level. The only climbers we saw from the cableway were soldiers on duty. The container village of Garabashi lies just next to the end of the highest lift. We started searching for accommodation. It didn’t take us long time. We found a free container with eight beds in a few minutes. We were lucky. For 800 rubles a night we got the whole container just for ourselves. Traveling before the high season showed its advantages.

*This will be our home for the following days*

The accommodation was very modest. We actually didn’t expect anything in the container except for the beds. But we were surprised by electricity and heating in the end. It looks like we won’t freeze. It was also great that there was also a café at the top of the lift so we could order both food and drinks and save our food supplies.

We wanted to take it easy the first day to get used to the altitude but we were feeling good and were a bit bored so we took a walk to Maria Shelter – the last container village at an altitude of 4100 m. It took us an hour to get there. A beautiful suny day was spoiled only by passing snowcats which were taking Russian tourists to a height of 5000 meters.

We decided to relax at Maria Shelter for a while but we couldn’t stay long. A very strong wind arrived. It was so cold that we decided to return. How can it blow on the top when it is so windy here? We returned to our container just before arrival of the next afternoon storm.

The next day we planned to acclimatize by ascending to Pastukhov Rocks at the altitude of 4700 meters. We were feeling well again. However, we entered a cloud at an altitude of 4400 meters, temperatures suddenly dropped and we were freezing. Despite that we managed to get to 4700 meters but couldn’t get higher. The wind was too strong. On the way down another storm arrived and it started to hail. We were returning while covering our faces from painful hail.

The weather wasn’t looking good even for the following days. The wind was supposed to grow even stronger and clouds with snow settled on the top. The only thing we could do was playing cards in our container and walking up and down the same route to acclimatize. The weather forecast showed that the next weather gap might come in three days. Then we can hopefully climb Elbrus.

From Azau to Elbrus

My father and friend Alča planned to acclimatize during the following days. I felt acclimatized enough (my previous climb to Dufourspitze definitely helped) and was bored by going up and down the same path all the time so I was looking for an alternative program for the next two days. In the end I decided to climb the part from village Azau to Garabaši where I “cheated” by going up with the cable car at the beginning. At the altitude below 4000 meters bad weather shouldn’t matter. In the worst case I will get wet. I won’t melt. I’m not made of sugar.

As I planned I also did. I went down with the first cable car. When I reached the village Azau I bought some extra food supplies since our stay on Elbrus will be longer and started to climb up the ski slope. I enjoyed my hike. There were very nice views. I was even lucky with weather. The rain and fog showed up as late as when I reached the second last cable car station – Mir at 3500m. It actually didn’t rain. It looked like an apocalypse. The thunderstorm brought all rain hail and snow and I realized I am partly made of sugar.

Luckily I found there one open café where I found a shelter. I wanted to wait for better weather but it was still falling cats and dogs in an hour. What will I do? The café was closing and I was ready to continue climbing up in the insane weather but I was saved outside by a snowcat. It was going up with supplies. I was a little ashamed that I have to “cheat” again but the weather was really bad.

The next morning we woke up in a sunny day but the wind was still too strong for climbing Elbrus. That’s why I decided to complete my last day’s interrupted climb. I returned to Mir where the snowcat saved me last night and continued climbing up to Garabaši. This time there were no obstacles.

*Hiking in good weather on Elbrus is easy*

When I got back to our container we checked again weather forecast and it looked like the following day should be finally great weather for the summit. We decided to move to the highest container village – Maria Shelter and attempt climbing Elbrus the following day.

Going up around noon with heavy backpack was nothing pleasant. The sky was clear and the sun was burning. Exactly how I imagine staying in the desert – with the only difference, here you have to carry all the winter gear. The climb was not long, but it exhausted me anyway. I was glad I didn’t have to do anything for the rest of the day. Just relax and finally get ready for the climb to Elbrus.

The forecast really looked great. There should be a big storm from afternoon to midnight but then windless and cloudless two days. It was supposed to be cold (around -15 ° C) but this shouldn’t be a problem with no wind. It sounded like ideal conditions for ascent.

We prepared everything we needed and went to bed at eight in the evening to get some rest before the alarm clock would ring at midnight. We were falling asleep during the loudest storm during our whole stay in Russia. That was forecast. It will surely leave before midnight.

Blizzard

We woke up at midnight but the thunderstorm was still there. It was still very strong so we decided to move the alarm clock by an hour. We woke up later at 1 a.m. but the storm hasn’t changed. Still snowing and thundering. this time we decided to get up. The storm will disappear before we take breakfast.

We took a tea and outmeal with dried fruits. We ate everything quickly and prepared to leave. It was positive that the thunder and lightning disappeared. On the other hand it was still snowing heavily and the wind seemed to be even stronger. Since the forecast was predicting a nice sunny day We decided to try it anyway with hope that the storm would leave soon.

We started to climb up but it was difficult. There was about thirty centimeters of new snow. Although two groups set out for their climbs before us we had no chance of finding their tracks. Too heavy snowfall.

We were very slow (actually twice slower than during our acclimatization ascends) and the weather was still not getting better. We continued up in the dark and blizzard. Sudenly we heard a snowcat. Russian climbers decided to simplify their climb and go by the snowcat up to 5000 meters above sea level. However, the huge amount of new snow was tough even for the snowcat. It passed us but turned around soon. The driver saw that it would be impossible to climb Elbrus that day and returned back to the barel village. When we saw the snowcat failure we decided to give up as well and returned to bed.

Next day we woke up in the most beautiful weather. the fresh snow created beautiful scenery but we were depressed because of our fail. Last night mother nature showed us its power. Luckily, we had one more opportunity the following day, on the last day of our Russian visa. The weather was supposed to be prefect and even with no storm the night before. Now or never!

Time to climb Elbrus

Next day we woke up into a clear night with no wind. These were the conditions we have been waiting and hoping for. We took a quick breakfast and started to climb up. Everything went incomparably better than the previous night. This time we started at pace of 350 elevation meters per hour. We passed other groups which set out to the summit earlier, and enjoyed the peace of a beautiful mountain night. The only thing that disturbed the climb was again the snowmobiles, which were taking up lazy tourists as close as possible to the top.

*Today or never. View from the elevation of ca 5000m*

The higher we were the colder it got. We had to put on our down jackets and took some hot tea. It warmed us up except our frozen feet. We have to continue climbing up and wait for the sun to rise. Then it will be warm.

At 5000 meters the sun finally rose above the horizon and started to warm our frozen bodies. There the road for snowcats ended too. Now it’s going to be beautiful. With the sun and without hum of annoying snowmobiles. Our speed dropped with every hundred meters of altitude. From 5000 meters we took a short break to properly oxygenate the body after each 20 steps. With this pace we were still one of the fastest groups. Especially larger groups with Russian mountain guides were moving at a really snail pace. I think I would freeze. I was glad to have read the warnings on various blogs beforehand: We don’t recommend ordering local guides.

At the elevation of 5100 meters we had to take a longer break. Alča got a headache due to altitude. She took one ibuprofen, took a lot of water and we conitnued.

At the altitude of 5300 meters we finally got to the valley between the Eastern and Western Peak. There was no wind and pleasantly warm sun and the climbers took advantage of it. They were taking the last break and snack before the final ascent. We couldn’t resist and also took a short break

The final climb and last 300 elevation meters were the steepest. There was even a fixed rope that most climbers used to secure themselves. From the last break we were climbing up really slowly – 10 steps − pause − 10 steps − pause. After an hour we finally reached the horizon and saw the summit. Now it will be easy. The last passage is almost without elevation.

*We made it. This is the view from the top*

The weather was still great so we had very nice views. The last part was a nice alpine walk. We reached the top among the first climbers, though just after a large group of back country skiers so we had to queue for our summit selfie. But we didn’t care. It was a beautiful day so we enjoyed the views. On one side we could see the vast Russian lowland and on the other sharp Georgian peaks. I wouldn’t mind if time stopped for a while. This moment was amazing. After nine troubling days we finally reached th top of Elbrus. It was the last day of validity of our visas. We wouldn’t get any other opportunity during this visit.

Now there is another challenge. Our flight from Mineralny Vody is leaving in 14 hours. Fortunately, it was very easy to descend in this beautiful weather. I managed to descend to the Maria Shelter just in 1 hour and 30 minutes. Then we just took three lifts and taxi and we could still make a toast with Russian vodka at the airport. Mission completed!

My tips for climbing the mountain Elbrus:

The way to the top of Elbrus from the south is not technically demanding. One can even climb to the top without ropes. Th path is perfectly marked but it is very important not to leave the trail. If you don’t follow the route you can easily end up in a crevasse.
This is only valid in good weather. In poor visibility, strong wind or snow one can easily get lost as we could see the previous day.
Do not underestimate acclimatization!
Although you can find information on the internet that you don’t need your own sleeping bag to stay in the container villages I highly recommend to bring it. You do not want to use old blankets used by numerous climbers before you.
Although some barels offer kitchenettes, do not rely on them and bring your own self cooking equipment
Avoid large groups with Russian mountain guides. Their clients are often badly acclimatized.

May 21, 2020 • 0 Comment

PEAK 42: Switzerland – Dufourspitze / Monte Rosa

The most challenging mountain of the entire expedition Crown of Europe is the Swiss Dufourspitze. Climbing Dufourspitze, named after the Swiss founder of the Red Cross, requires even more physical and mental preparation than Mont Blanc. It requires all – proper acclimatization and experience in both rock and glacier climbing. Those who can cope with all these pitfalls will be rewarded with unforgettable views.

Date of summit: 23rd May 2019 11:35 
Traveling mode: Ski touring
Height of the peak: 4634m
Ski touring distance: 13.77 km (Day 1) 
Ski touring distance: 8.37 km (Day 2) 
Ski touring distance: 17.25 km (Day 3)  
Ski touring time from Klein Matterhorn to Monte Rosa Hut: 5 hours 27 minutes 
Ski touring time from Monte Rosa Hut to Dufourspitze: 8 hours 1 minute 
Ski touring time from Dufourspitze to Zermatt: 5 hours 59 minutes 
Elevation climbed: 499m (Day 1)
Elevation climbed: 1778m (Day 2) 
Elevation climbed: 200m (Day 3) 
Map of my hiking journey from Klein Matterhorn to Monte Rosa Hut: Movescount
Map of my ski touring journey from Monte Rosa Hut to Dufourspitze: Movescount 
Map of my  ski touring journey from Monte Rosa Hut to Zermatt: Movescount 
Personal rating of the mountain: ****** (6 stars maximum) 
Beer on the peak: Valaisanne Lager Hell *** (6 stars maximum)

After four weeks on the road through the East European and Balkan countries, I took a few days break in my second home in the Czech Republic. I was waiting for proper weather for the most challenging summit in Switzerland. Since I had a big respect to this mountain I booked a mountain guide this time. I was happy I also found one more climbing partner on Facebook. The skiing and rafting instructor Petra decided to join us.

Since there was still a lot of snow in the Alps and it had been snowing lately, we decided to climb Dufourspitze on backcountry skies. We were waiting for a weather gap for a long time. We had to be very flexible. It took one week before the perfect weather gap showed up. It was supposed to be sunny and windless for 48 hours. Time to go.

The move to Switzerland took us a very long time but we had at least some time to get to know each other. It was clear that I would be the least experienced back country skier. The mountain guide had been guiding people on back country skies for thirty years and Petra is a skiing instructor who spends every free time on back country skies. Hopefully, my quadruple back country experience will be enough to handle their pace.

Driving from Czech Republic to Switzerland was tiring. We arrived late at night, slept shortly and arrived early in the morning to the village of Täsch which is the last place you can reach by car on the way to Zermatt. There we took a taxi to one of the most famous villages in the Alps.

Time to acclimatize

We didn’t stay long in Zermatt. We planned to acclimatize and move to the Monte Rosa hut that day, so we quickly headed for the cable car station and bought a ticket for the Klein Matterhorn. It is the highest cable way station in Europe with its height of 3883 m above the sea level. A perfect starting point for an acclimatization walk.

I was short of breath. Overcoming more than 2,000 elevation meters in a few minutes isn’t the easiest task for people’s lungs. I was getting used to the thin air while looking at skiers who were coming back to Zermatt on still perfect and almost empty slopes. Shouldn’t we rather go skiing?

In a few minutes my lungs got a bit used to the thin air, so I was ready to start our acclimatization skiing day. The plan was to traverse around the mountains Breithorn and Roccia Nera and then descend via the Schwärzegletscher glacier to the Monte Rosa hut where we will sleep before the subsequent summit day.

My first challenging off-piste skiing

We moved slowly to get used to the thin air. Fortunately, the journey was not long. It took us two hours until we reached the point from where we wil ski down. When I saw where we were going to go down, I thought to myself how much percent chance I had to survive this. Will an avalanche or a fall in a crevasse kill me? But we were with a mountain guide so I trusted his route selection.

The skiing was amazing. Until we reached the elevation of 3300 m above sea level there was perfect powder snow. Then, the downhill was much more difficult since there was a layer of ice on the snow. I had to use the “plow position” most of the time. Nevertheless, we managed to descend the slope, and even managed to enjoy views of the Matterhorn and other sharp peaks of the Swiss Alps.

When we were almost down the glacier below theMonte Rosa Hut, Petra and our mountain guide noticed a shortcut. It looked great. If we manage to pass it we can skip climbing at least 200 elevation meters. At first I was glad. I don’t like unnecessary climbs. After a few meters, however, I saw what we have to descend: a rocky field covered with heavy wet snow. Is this a good idea?

End of the Dufourspitze climb?

Our mountain guide managed to reach the glacier without problems. I was following but then I fell for the first, second, third time. Fortunately, these were all controlled falls so I just shrugged it off and kept on skiing. I thought I could handle the downhill in the wet snow and continued down when one of my legs suddenly fell one meter deep in the snow. My leg got stuck in the snow and my face just fell straight down.

*Don’t shovel like this. It doesn’t work. It’s better not to be lazy and assemble it first*

I must have looked ridiculous and worse, I couldn’t get out of the position. My leg was stuck and I didn’t feel it. Does that mean that I lost it or that nothing happened to me? When Petra came to help me, it turned out that my leg is alive. She helped me to dig out of the snow and I was ready to continue descending.

But then I realized I am missing one pole. Where is it? Petra and I started shoveling. We dug and dug but couldn’t find it. What now? Finally our mountain guide returned. I was hoping he would help us finding it but the leader said instead: “If you don’t remember at least roughly where it might have ended, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. You have no chance.” Of course, I had no idea so I sadly gave up on my pole. Hopefully I would find some solution to replace it.

We still had to climb a few elevation meters until the Monte Rosa Hut. The glacier towards the hut was already influenced by afternoon sun so it was difficult to climb up. Even more for me, because I had just one pole.

Time to Improvise

We arrived to the Monte Rosa Hut just before sunset. I was super tired. Well, it makes sense. What would you expect after acclimatization at 3800 meters, unsuccessful shoveling of roughly a wagon of snow and ascent of ca 500 altitude meters. I ate one Adventure Menu quickly and wanted to go to bed early but before going to bed I had to solve my pole problem. The shops in the Monte Rosa Hut are closed during off season so I had to find an alternative. I walked around the hut when I suddenly saw my salvation: a broom! It was was the perfect size. The same size like my remaining stick. Problem solved!

After consulting with the only other group trying to ascend Dufourspitze the following day we decided to leave at 2:30 a.m. in the morning. Time to sleep.

But I couldn’t sleep. The risk of shared dormitories was once again manifested. Two of the six people snored loudly and my earplugs didn’t help. I rolled over and tried to fall asleep but in vain. After four hours of rolling, the alarm clock rang and everyone started preparing their breakfast. I gave up and went to eat too.

Summit day to Dufourspitze

Chicken tikka masala may sound like a weird breakfast at two in the morning but it tasted good and gave me the energy I needed. Then we quickly packed up our equipment and got ready for the summit. Dufourspitze is waiting.

It was surprisingly warm at the hut but that was about to change soon. First we climbed relatively quickly and my broom stick worked well, so I didn’t cause much delay. The problems occurred from about 3500 m above sea level. I wasn’t as well acclimatized as my friends but there was nothing to be done about it. We had to climb together. I just had to follow my pace and hoped my friends wouldn’t freeze.

The closer to sunrise was the colder it was. Unfortunately, the forecast was correct, −17 ° C was absolutely right. For the first time in my life I put on my expedition feather jacket on the actual climb (mostly I use it only during breaks or on top of mountains). Again, I hoped my friends wouldn’t freeze.

It was very cold but we had incredible views. I will never forget watching the first red sun rays covering Matterhorn and the surrounding mountains. Unfortunately, the sunshine didn’t reach us as the sun was behind the Monte Rosa massif.

Nothing for people having fear of heights

After five freezing hours we finally reached the Sattel ridge, where the bright sun warmed us up. Suddenly I felt pleasantly warm, just a bit scared of what is ahead. From now on we will have to climb a narrow and steep ridge. It was time to take off the skis, put on the crampons, tie in on the rope and continue on the steep ridge.

It was going well on the snow. The problem occurred when we had to start climbing the rocks. At that point I was really happy to have an experienced mountain guide with us. I would have turned around without him. I felt secured being on the rope.

I regretted not leaving my huge feather jacket and my large backpack with my skis. I felt very awkward during the climb but I was at least not cold. The ridge was very long and there were a few misleading horizons ahead. I thought several times that we must be on the top but there has always been a new one. The climb on the ridge took us over two hours. It was very challenging. Fortunately, we were lucky with the weather. The sun was warm and there was almost no wind. We finally reached the top at 11 am and enjoyed the well-deserved rest.

Deserved views from Dufourspitze

*The views from the top are simply amazing*

Even though the views were amazing we didn’t stay on the top for a long time. We took a snack, took the necessary photographs, and decided to return. We still had a long way to go. The ridge was very difficult even during the descend. We returned to our skies as late as at 2 p.m. Then everything went much faster. We put our skis on and enjoyed the deserved descent back to the Monte Rosa Hut. In half an hour we managed to ski down 1,500 meters of altitude.

We wanted to take just a short meal and continue to Zermatt but the weather was against us. The sun was burning now. Compared to the morning −17 degrees, it had warmed by 40 degrees. The thermometer was showing 25°C, which meant that going downhill on the glacier to Zermatt would be dangerous. None of us wanted to fall into a crevasse so we stayed one more night at the Monte Rosa Hut.

We slept twelve hours. We recharged our batteries and finally skied down back back to civilization. The glacier was still frozen in the morning so we could ski down for the entire 10 kilometers. When we passed the glacier we still had to hike an additional 8 kilometer along the glacier river. It was also tough in ski boots and with skies on the back but we managed to get into Zermatt safely. In Zermatt we were welcome by draft beer and tasty garlic soup in restaurant Furi. We made it!

My tips for climbing the mountain Dufourspitze:

Climbing Dufourspitze is even more challenging than Mont Blanc. Experience with belaying not only on the glacier, but also on the rock is a necessity.
Acclimatization before the climb is necessary too.
Choose a mountain guide you trust.
Don’t bring a large jacket and backpack on the final Sattel ridge. It feels very clumsy.

August 6, 2019 • 0 Comment

PEAK 21: Austria – Grossglockner

Grossglockner was one of the toughest challenges of the whole European Peaks expedition. You have to cross a glacier on the way up and the last part is very exposed so securing on rope is essential. It was also the first mountain after I was in the car accident in Scotland so I was pretty nervous. Luckily, I found the best climbing partners so the experience was amazing. Follow my climb to the highest point of Austria.

Date of summit: 12th August 2018 8:00 
Traveling mode: Hiking 
Height of the peak: 3,798m 
Hiking distance: 8,12 km (Day 1) 
Hiking distance: 1 km (Day 2) 
Time to ascend to Erzhog Johann Hütte: 6 hours 
Time to ascend from Erzhog Johann Hütte to Grossglockner: 3 hours 
Map of my hiking journey to Erzhog Johann Hütte: Movescount (I had wrong settings, inaccurate) 
Map of my hiking journey from Erzhog Johann Hütte to Grossglockner: Movescount (I had wrong settings, inaccurate) 
Personal rating of the mountain: **** (6 stars maximum) 
Beer on the peak: Edelweiss Dunkel ***** (6 stars maximum)

After the accident in Scotland I was sure my expedition was over. I lost all my equipment and I was very depressed. It is difficult to describe the feeling but I was just lying on my bed with negative thoughts about what happened and what could happen. I didn’t have any motivation to do anything, felt hopeless and didn’t know what to do next. Should I just cancel my remaining holiday and go back to work? Should I stay a bit at home to recover?

Amazing support from family and friends helped me to set out again

People around me couldn’t help me either. I had to make some decision myself. The problem was that I was not able to do that. I was so desperate that I visited a psychologist for the first time in my life. We had a long discussion and the psychologist found out that I actually deep inside wanted to continue and finish the remaining mountains. She found out the most important thing: I hate giving up.

As I said I didn’t even think about continuing after the accident because I was scared about failing and I didn’t want to let others down again. But it was true. I just didn’t want to give up. The meeting brought the right spark for my decision. I would do all my best to continue and to finish the expedition!

The highest mountain of Austria - Grossglockner — *Next mountain to reach – Grossglockner*

On the one hand, it was a wise decision. I still had all the tickets booked and many friends were waiting for our appointed climbs. On the other hand: was it even possible? I didn’t have any equipment and almost no money. But I decided to give it a try. I posted on social media that I need help and what equipment I am looking for. The response was amazing. I managed to borrow and rent all the equipment I lost within just 24 hours. Only thanks to my amazing family and friends around me I regained the lost trust and I believed again I can make it. That assured me. I should get back to the mountains.

My gear fixed in 24 hours — *Expedition equipment fixed in 24 hours*

Grossglockner is one of the most challenging mountains

I quickly packed all the new equipment and set out on the trip. Let’s climb Grossglockner! I met my friends Martin and Stefan in Austria and we continued together to the car park at Lucknerhaus. That’s where our two day climb started.

Looking stupid in my mum's sunglasses — *My mum even lent me her glasses (she has more or less the same dioptres). I looked like an idiot but it worked. Let the journey begin.*

At the beginning it was a very easy hike with stunning views. We expected potential difficulties after the hut Städlhütte because there is the beginning of the glacier. However, finding the way was very easy thanks to great visibility. The glacier was quite dirty but at least there were no dangerous cracks. The traverse over the glacier took only about an hour. Then we only had a short via ferrata in front of us and we soon reached the hut Erzhog Johann Hütte.

*Quickly melting glacier under Grossglockner*

Erzhog Johann Hütte is a very cosy place to stay. We had a great dinner there and even better beer. Unfortunately, we had no view because clouds arrived. Instead of views over the fog, we rather went to bed on time. Next morning we had to wake up early.

Wrong weather forecast sent us into freezing fog

The alarm clock rang at 4 am. Our plan was to catch the sunrise on the top of Austria. We started the climb in the darkness and dense fog. Unfortunately, this was again a time when the forecast was completely wrong. Luckily, we were not the first ones climbing up so we could follow a path in the glacier. It took us about an hour to pass the glacier and then the true climbing began.

Unfortunately, it was still very foggy so the navigation was very difficult. This time there was even no path so it was even more difficult to find the correct way up. We got lost several times which meant an hour delay. Luckily, more and more people were showing up coming from the hut so it was subsequently easier to follow the correct route.

The view opened up only for a very short but beautiful moment on the way to Grossglockner — *The view opened up only for a very short but beautiful moment*

Due to the delay, we lost the opportunity to catch sunrise on the top but it didn’t really matter. The clouds were still occupying Grossglockner. At least, we were back on the correct route so the climb got easier.

Grossglockner needs traffic lights

Suddenly, the visibility improved a bit and we realized we are already on the final ridge. That time, the first climbers started to return from the summit as well. However, that was the beginning of our worst Grossglockner experience.

It was very exposed on the ridge and there were almost no places where you can pass a climber from the opposite direction. The queues started to form and they became very long in a while. Administrators of the Grossglockner route should consider building there traffic lights. There were simply too many people. We had to wait sometimes even twenty minutes at a time. The rocks were covered with frost and the wind was getting stronger with every elevation meter. During such a long waiting time you will get cold. We started to freeze.

*Crazy queue on the way to Grossglockner*

Finally, the first 30 climbers overcame the narrow passage leading from the top and we could finally continue ascending. Our hands were frozen but the climb let us warm up. Luckily, the top was already not far. We soon spotted the cross on the top emerging from the clouds. In the end it took us three and half hours to reach the summit. Unfortunately, it was still cloudy so we had no view.

If you want to climb Grossglockner avoid summer weekends

On the way down, the situation from the way up repeated several times. Queues really ruined the overall experience of our climb. The worst were some irresponsible groups which refused to wait. Instead they were hurrying up and putting others in risky situations. Next time I would never climb Grossglockner during the weekend again.

After descending about 200 meters, finally the weather improved. The clouds disappeared and we finally had a wonderful view over the largest glacier in the eastern Alps – Pasterze. This view was certainly worth the effort.

View over the beautiful glacier Pasterze — *View over the glacier Pasterze*

Descending with recovered weather was much easier. We soon passed the cabin Erzhog Johann Hütte and had a celebration lunch under the glacier on Städlhütte. We made it. One of the toughest climbs managed despite bad weather!

Lastly, I would like to thank a lot my climbing partners Stefan and Martin for the best company and especially their climbing experience. Without you I would never get up to the peak!

View over Grossglockner - northern side — *View over Grossglockner – northern side*

View over Grossglockner - southern side — *View over Grossglockner – southern side*

My tips for the mountain Grossglockner:

Avoid climbing Grossglockner during weekends. The mountain is extremely busy. I suggest climbing it during autumn when the summer tourists disappear as well.
The climb is technically demanding. You need glacier experience as well as climbing experience. If you lack any of these two, don’t even try to climb the mountain on your own. Find an experienced climbing partner or a mountain guide.