OTHER Trip Report 09/06/2020

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Eiger (13,020')
Date Posted	09/06/2020
Date Climbed	08/25/2020
Author	Fr3ako

Eiger - Mittellegi Ridge (Switzerland)
Eiger - Mittellegi Ridge, Italy (13,020') August 24-25 2020 General weather: Pleasantly warm with slight breeze to warm Route: Day 1 - Grindelwald to Mittellegi Hut - 2h00min Day 2 - Mittellegi Hut up to Eiger summit and down to Jungfraujoch - 7h15min Stats: ~2 km up to refuge + 7.32 km to summit and Jungfraujoch Highest point: 13,020' In mountaineering, the six great north faces of the Alps (also called the six 'classic north faces') are known for their difficulty and great height. Three of these north faces—the Eiger, the Matterhorn and the Grandes Jorasses—are considerably harder to climb than the others. I thought I would give a go at these 3 mountains...not through their famous north face because I do not have the capabilities to do so but through a different route, much less technical but still quite challenging. This year was the Eiger year and my journey would bring me to Grindelwald, Switzerland. Overview of the valley. Starting point Grindelwald terminal to Eismeer. The Jungfrau Railway runs 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from Kleine Scheidegg to the highest railway station in Europe at Jungfraujoch (3,454 m (11,332 ft)), between the Bernese Highlands and the Valais in Switzerland. The railway runs almost entirely within the Jungfrau Tunnel, built into the Eiger and Mönch mountains and containing two stations in the middle of the tunnel, where passengers can disembark to observe the neighbouring mountains through windows built into the mountainside. To find the exit at Eismeer station might be the most difficult part of the 1st day. Windows at Eismeer station viewed from outside. Once you manage to get your way through the dark tunnel, you're immediately in the heart of the glacier. We can see a team of 2 people in front of us Warming up wearing my old crampons again The first day consists of a simple 2 hours walk to the Mittellegi Hut, nothing technical apart from few fixed ropes. Swiss guides left the fixed rope quite high so that not everybody could reach the hut. If it was too easy they wouldn't have any clients anymore they say... A look down the glacier A look back at our starting point. You could hear loud noise of seracs moving, quite scary. First view of the hut Mittellegi Hut. We slept in the small barrel as we brought our food and gas with us. I was freezing but thanks to the Covid, we got the entire space for ourselves First sight of the ridge leading to the summit This 1st day was quite foggy at the hut so we could barely have an understanding of the difficulties ahead of us. View of the Monch (13,474 ft) with its flat top Looking back early morning. We left at 5am this morning to get in front of the other teams. The fog disappeared overnight and temperatures were much warmer than the night before If you don't like fixed ropes, don't come to Eiger When you realize it's gonna be a long day... And when you managed to pass one, there is always a second one hidden behind. It is so steep that you can't have an overview of the summit or the difficulties ahead. Yes, there is a bit of exposure and you need to be very stable on your legs even if you are roped. Ridge leading to the top Improvising a quick dance at the summit! We reached the summit at 7.40am. I was told the descent was long and difficult, the summit being only 30% of the entire day. View from the top looking SW. You can have a glimpse of the ridge we have to follow down and then up again towards the base of Monch Overview of part of the Bernese Alps Impressive glacier with lots of crevasses Posing in front of Monch Looking NE Starting our descent towards Jungfraujoch. A succession of small peaks can be seen on the way up after the saddle. Going up again just after the saddle. South face of Eiger in the background Icy sections were short but quite challenging, need to work more on that aspect. Follow the ridge...technical difficulties are almost past us Looking south Here we are at the base of Monch, just a pleasure to walk on a snowy terrain without watching your footsteps, relaxing! Is that Antartica? Going towards Monch hut and Jungfraujoch Back to civilization at Jungfraujoch. The train will take us back down to Grindelwald Back at the famous Hotel Bellevue in Kleine Scheidegg for a well deserved beer. For info, in the summer of 1974, Clint Eastwood and his cast and crew stayed at the Hotel while filming The Eiger Sanction (1975). Several scenes were filmed in and around the hotel.^[12] The 2008 film North Face, about Toni Kurz and Andreas Hinterstoisser's 1936 attempt to climb the Eiger north face, was shot to a great extent at the Hotel Bellevue des Alpes. Footage of the mountain's profile was also shot from Kleine Scheidegg's vantage point All in all, fantastic experience up in the mountain. It took us a bit more than 7 hours that day. My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload): Login required to view this map... Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Eiger - Mittellegi Ridge (Switzerland)

Eiger - Mittellegi Ridge, Italy (13,020')

August 24-25 2020
General weather: Pleasantly warm with slight breeze to warm

Route: Day 1 - Grindelwald to Mittellegi Hut - 2h00min
Day 2 - Mittellegi Hut up to Eiger summit and down to Jungfraujoch - 7h15min

Stats: ~2 km up to refuge + 7.32 km to summit and Jungfraujoch
Highest point: 13,020'

In mountaineering, the six great north faces of the Alps (also called the six 'classic north faces') are known for their difficulty and great height. Three of these north faces—the Eiger, the Matterhorn and the Grandes Jorasses—are considerably harder to climb than the others. I thought I would give a go at these 3 mountains...not through their famous north face because I do not have the capabilities to do so but through a different route, much less technical but still quite challenging.

This year was the Eiger year and my journey would bring me to Grindelwald, Switzerland.

20665_01 — Overview of the valley. Starting point Grindelwald terminal to Eismeer.

The Jungfrau Railway runs 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from Kleine Scheidegg to the highest railway station in Europe at Jungfraujoch (3,454 m (11,332 ft)), between the Bernese Highlands and the Valais in Switzerland. The railway runs almost entirely within the Jungfrau Tunnel, built into the Eiger and Mönch mountains and containing two stations in the middle of the tunnel, where passengers can disembark to observe the neighbouring mountains through windows built into the mountainside.

20665_02 — To find the exit at Eismeer station might be the most difficult part of the 1st day.

20665_06 — Windows at Eismeer station viewed from outside.

20665_34 — Once you manage to get your way through the dark tunnel, you're immediately in the heart of the glacier.

20665_04 — We can see a team of 2 people in front of us

20665_35 — Warming up wearing my old crampons again

The first day consists of a simple 2 hours walk to the Mittellegi Hut, nothing technical apart from few fixed ropes.

20665_07 — Swiss guides left the fixed rope quite high so that not everybody could reach the hut. If it was too easy they wouldn't have any clients anymore they say...

20665_09 — A look back at our starting point. You could hear loud noise of seracs moving, quite scary.

20665_14 — Mittellegi Hut. We slept in the small barrel as we brought our food and gas with us. I was freezing but thanks to the Covid, we got the entire space for ourselves

20665_12 — First sight of the ridge leading to the summit

20665_13 — This 1st day was quite foggy at the hut so we could barely have an understanding of the difficulties ahead of us.

20665_15 — View of the Monch (13,474 ft) with its flat top

20665_18 — Looking back early morning. We left at 5am this morning to get in front of the other teams. The fog disappeared overnight and temperatures were much warmer than the night before

20665_17 — If you don't like fixed ropes, don't come to Eiger

20665_37 — When you realize it's gonna be a long day...

20665_38 — And when you managed to pass one, there is always a second one hidden behind. It is so steep that you can't have an overview of the summit or the difficulties ahead.

20665_40 — Yes, there is a bit of exposure and you need to be very stable on your legs even if you are roped.

20665_44 — Improvising a quick dance at the summit! We reached the summit at 7.40am. I was told the descent was long and difficult, the summit being only 30% of the entire day.

20665_21 — View from the top looking SW. You can have a glimpse of the ridge we have to follow down and then up again towards the base of Monch

20665_22 — Overview of part of the Bernese Alps

20665_24 — Impressive glacier with lots of crevasses

20665_41 — Starting our descent towards Jungfraujoch. A succession of small peaks can be seen on the way up after the saddle.

20665_42 — Going up again just after the saddle. South face of Eiger in the background

20665_43 — Icy sections were short but quite challenging, need to work more on that aspect.

20665_28 — Follow the ridge...technical difficulties are almost past us

20665_31 — Here we are at the base of Monch, just a pleasure to walk on a snowy terrain without watching your footsteps, relaxing!

20665_32 — Is that Antartica? Going towards Monch hut and Jungfraujoch

20665_45 — Back to civilization at Jungfraujoch. The train will take us back down to Grindelwald

20665_46 — Back at the famous Hotel Bellevue in Kleine Scheidegg for a well deserved beer. For info, in the summer of 1974, Clint Eastwood and his cast and crew stayed at the *Hotel* while filming *The Eiger Sanction* (1975). Several scenes were filmed in and around the hotel.^[12]
The 2008 film *North Face*, about Toni Kurz and Andreas Hinterstoisser's 1936 attempt to climb the Eiger north face, was shot to a great extent at the *Hotel Bellevue des Alpes*. Footage of the mountain's profile was also shot from Kleine Scheidegg's vantage point

All in all, fantastic experience up in the mountain. It took us a bit more than 7 hours that day.

My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

hogantheepic	I've been there! 9/7/2020 12:22am In about 2010 my family took a trip there and we went up to jungfraujoch. We got to see the glacier and the extremeness of the alps and it is still something that is inspiring me to pursue harder and harder mountaineering. This is an awesome trip! Nice job!
ctlee	Congratulations! 9/7/2020 6:52pm Great pictures! I just watched the movie "Beckoning Silence" two nights ago (Joe Simpson retelling the story of the failed 1936 attempt on the North face). This looks much more enjoyable :) Great to see some different views of the mountain. Gorgeous!
JtheChemE	Approach To Hut 9/8/2020 7:34am When I climbed the Eiger back in 2018, there wasn't a fixed rope in that section. It was partially iced, so it was a bit delicate, and probably the most difficult climbing of the route. Congratulations on your summit!
Marcos	This route is on my bucket list 9/8/2020 10:53am I wouldn't have expected all of the fixed ropes. I guess the route has really become popular. I hope to get back over there some day.

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