2025 Summer Vacation Day 5

We get a decent night’s sleep and are barely disturbed by the 3am crowd in the next room (we are in the late breakfast room) getting up to climb the Grand Combin. After an ok breakfast (we are in Romandie), we set off and head back down, down the  mountain. There are plenty of clouds, so only some views, but we do get a good view of the Mont Blanc area for a short while.

After the first bit of descent we turn onto the path towards the Velan hut, cross the stream, and head up the moraine. The hut itself is under construction and the last bit of hiking path to it is closed, blocking direct access to the ridge, so we follow the use trail that is the T5 route to the NE ridge (from the Tourenportal). We eventually lose the track, but keep going in the same direction towards the right access point for the ridge. Eventually we re-encounter the use trail and hit the ridge. Quick food break and then we follow the ridge up, up towards the Petite Vèlan. This is a mix of walking and scrambling on mostly good rock, with a few light climbing bits where we read things wrong. Good fun and steady progress, staying mostly on the ridge (where the rock is best) until we get to the peak.

G checks out the ridge we plan to descend (the NW ridge); it looks quite steep. We take a snack break, but waiting doesn’t make things easier in G’s head, so we keep that short. Setting off again we find a cairn marking a ramp down and start the descent. This ends up being relatively straightforward: plenty of scrambling, tricky in a few spots, but staying on the ridge works almost all the time and the rock is quite good. There are plenty of “hmm, looks like a sheer drop ahead, ah, no, there’s a good way down it” moments. Lots of concentration and focus, but flowy and fun.

After the steep bit is done, we continue along the ridge, past a small colony of ibexes, to a small rise with a big cairn that we had spotted on the approach. Here we do a real food break and enjoy the weather and what views there are (low clouds are still mostly obscuring the high mountains). 

Continue along the ridge to the saddle we had spotted earlier, descend and cross a big grassy meadow, and then descend to the hiking path that takes us down, down, to Bourg St. Pierre. Check into the hotel, have showers, cool beverages, and a rest, and then a good dinner and off to bed.

2025 Summer Vacation Day 4

Travel to Bourg St Pierre, drop bag with mountaineering stuff at the hotel for Thursday night. Nice hike up, up, up through a really pretty valley (though mountains are mainly covered by low clouds) to the Cabane Valsorey. Surpising amount of new snow up above 2900m. This is a small, old-school hut and is awesome. We discuss and refine our plans for the next day with the hut wardens (yay old school huts with knowledgeable wardens!), then hang out for the rest of the afternoon and evening. We only occasionally have partial views, but those are very, very nice.

2025 Summer Vacation Day 3

Hike back down to Saas Almagell and then the long trip home with some exploration of possible next steps. Public transportation madness: soooo many people underway. Good dinner at home, some laundry, replanning finalization

2025 Summer Vacation Day 2

Crap weather when we woke up, not unexpectedly (though the snow was a surprise), lots of people who had cancelled their tours still in the hut.

We decide that the conditions probably don’t allow our planned ridge traverse (too much ice and wind), so it’s on to plan C.

After breakfast a hike through the wind up to the Zwischbergenpass. Easy hike, though a bit icy up top. Enjoy the views briefly, then head back down to get out of the wind.

Back at the hut a bit of resting, then we eat something before heading out on another hike to the Sonnigpass. This is fun blue-white hiking with some talus hopping and snow fields. A bit too much wind and driving sleet. At the pass we briefly enjoy the somewhat-view down towards Italy before heading back to the hut.

The weather hasn’t kept away the hordes, so the hut is madness (it’s full for at least the next 2 nights!). We have a quick rest and play some cards but it’s too loud in the dining room (everyone is inside because ithe weather is no good). 

G checks the Weissmieshütte and discovers that it is also booked out through the end of the week, so we decide to change our plans and head back home tomorrow to figure out a vacation “plan b”

2025 Summer Vacation Day 1

Train, train, bus down to Saas Almagell, chair lift up to Furggstalden. From there the “Erlebnisweg” along for a while, then up, up, up to the hut. The packs are heavy, and the altitude at the end is not nothing, but it goes ok.

Settle in to the hut, then do a bit of climbing at the crag behind the hut. The plan is to do a multipitch, but it’s windy and not warm, so we opt for single pitches instead. Some fun granite climbing (4c with the big boots) and a practice abseil with the new rap line, then back to the hut.

Decent dinner in the almost full (!) hut. Bad forecast for tomorrow, plus there are a lot of people planning to do the Weissmies, so we change our plans and decide to do the Dri Hornli ridge behind the hut. It’s nice to have a good plan B!

Swiss Alps Summer Vacation Overview

 Summer Vacation part 1: Almageller Hut

1. Hike up to the Almageller hut

2. To Zwischbergen- and Sonnigpass

3. Descent and ride home

 Summer Vacation part 2: In the Pays du St.-Bernard

4. Hike up to the Cabane Valsorey
5. Climb the Petit Velan
6. Climb the Grande Chenalette E ridge
7. Hike the Lacs de Fenetre loop
8. Ride home

 Summer Vacation part 3: Around Grimsel Pass

9. Hike up to Gruebenhut

10. Descent, climb at Gerstenegg, hike up to Bächlitalhut

11. Descent, climb at Azalee Beach, stay at Grimsel Hospiz
12. Hike along Nägelisgrätli and ride home

 

Climbing the Lauchernstock

Nice weekend at the Rugghubelhuette

Andrea with MyBergtour: Rostock Via Ferrata and Louwihorn

As greg was travelling for work, Andrea spent the weekend with MyBergtour in the Bernese Alps, climbed the Rotstock via the Via Ferrata, stayed overnight at the Mönchsjoch hut, and glacier-trekked to the Louwihorn.

Climbing the Gletscherhorn E-ridge

Nice weekend at the Martinsmadhuette