High on top of the Swiss Alps

In April 2016, Micha and I started a project: reaching all highest points of the 26 Swiss cantons ("Kantonshöhepunkte"). Because the mountain "Säntis" belongs to two cantons, "Appenzell Innerrhoden" and "Ausserhoden", it's actually only 25 peaks.

This weekend, we heroically conquered the lowest of the highest canton points, the 517 m high boundary stone no. 141 between Switzerland and France belonging to the canton of Geneva, our 17th "Kantonshöhepunkt"; and the highest of the highest canton points, the 4,634 m high "Dufourspitze" belonging to the Monte Rosa-massiv in the canton of Valais, our 16th "Kantonshöhepunkt".

Reaching these mountain peaks was hard work, and required some preparation... .

We started our training with the first mountaineering tour since 2 years – climbing the 15th of our "Kantonshöhepunkte", the 3,210 m high "Les Diablerets" in the canton of Vaud. Rated with the alpinge grade F (Facile = Easy), we made the tour a tiny bit harder by using the rope, crampons, and ice axe even on the skiing slopes, and by approaching the peak from the mountain hut "Des Diablerets", but descending along the "Dames Anglaises" Via ferrata, a very alpine Via ferrata with not much iron...:

Next, we planned to practice alpine climbing with mountain boots and crampons. The "Grosses Furkahorn" seemed like a good choice. Solid granit, a quick approach from "Furkapass", and with 3,169 m we could also get some acclimatization to the altitude.

Unfortunately we underestimated the approach, which took way longer than anticipated due to large remaining snow fields. When we started the climb at 1 p.m., the first teams were already on their way back... . Also, the ridge was not as obvious as we thought and we got lost in some easy terrain along the route. At 4 p.m., after only 4 rope-lengths (about in the middle of the route), we decided to abort the climb and abseiled down. It was nevertheless a beautiful day, good climbing, and a decent training session!

Continuing with easy altitude training and climbing, we chose to exchange the ropes again for some steel cables and do another magnificent Via ferrata up the beautiful "Jägihorn", a 3,203 m peak in the Saas valley. Due to the excellent gneiss and the scenic view, this was perhaps my most beautiful Via ferrata so far in the Swiss Alps.

And last but not least, another mountaneering tour should bring the necessary practice in rope handling and crampon walking, and refresh our knowledge of crevasse rescue. We chose the Allalinhorn, with 4,027 m one of the easiest 4000-meter peaks in the Swiss Alps. The normal route is also rated F (easy), but crosses at least one big crevasse and the last part ascends an exposed 40 degree firn slope.
For many mountaineers this is their first 4000 m peak in the Alps, as it was for me! I was so proud!

As for glacier tours, one has to get up early to avoid the dangers of soft snow and falling seracs in the afternoon. Thus we already arrived back at the hut at noon. After lunch and a quick nap, we decided to do an easy afternoon hike up "Mittagshorn", a 3,144 m peak overlooking "Saas Fee" and the Saas valley.

Feeling pretty confident in our training, mountaineering skills, and altitude acclimatization, we returned to to valley the next day, ready for the "big mountain"!

The "big mountain" should be the highest in the Swiss Alps, the "Dufourspitze" in the Monte Rosa-massiv, but not via the normal route, but via the kings ridge – "Cresta Rey", rated ZS+, III (fairly difficult with climbing in the 3rd grade). We started from the iconic town of Zermatt, famous for the prominent "Matterhorn", which everybody knows at least from the packaging of the Swiss chocolate "Toblerone".
The "Gornergrat" train brought us from Zermatt at 1,616 m up to the station "Rotenboden" at 2,815 m, from where we crossed the Gorner glacier and hiked to the Monte Rosa alpine hut at 2,882 m. For an alpine hut serving as base to approach a 4,634 m mountain, this is actually quite low... . Accordingly, we had to get up super early to conquer the more than 1,700 m to the summit - at 1:50 a.m.!

The first couple of hours, we walked just under the lights of the stars. The night was calm, the sky was clear and there was no sound other than our breathing and the whispering of our crampons slicing through the ice.
Our old friend and professional mountain guide Juho from the mountaineering school "Raus und Rauf" was steadily and securely leading us higher and higher over and around the many crevasses on the "Grenzgletscher". I don't know whether I had fallen asleep in between, but suddenly we could switch off our head lamps and a wonderful red and blue morning light was enchanting the mountains around us.

From now on it was just a last, but very steep turn up to the beginning of the icy ganite blocks of the "Cresta Rey", a southern ridge leading 400 m up directly to the summit of the "Dufourspitze".

The following three pictures were taken by Juho, who climbed relatively unimpressed over the frozen boulders and always found a nice belaying place to secure us during the more tricky sections.

The climbing was never really hard and very enjoyable once the sun came out and warmed up the red stone. But it felt like it took forever to reach the summit... . But then, suddenly we were there. I could hardly believe it. I really made it up to the highest point of Switzerland! Everybody else, and all the mountains around us were below to our feet. What a strange feeling! I was too exhausted to cry, but otherwise, I guess I'd have.

We enjoyed the breathtaking view for a good while before walking along the summit ridge to reach the nothern couloir at which we abseiled to the "Silbersattel", from here we expected "Air Zermatt" to pick us up and fly us directly back down to Zermatt.
Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding, and the helicopter landing site was actually 500 m below on the "Monte Rosa" glacier. Under the gazing midday sun, in unconfortable warm snow and under threatening and dripping seracs we hurried down the glacier to reach the right spot. When the helicopter was finally arriving, it just took a few minutes and a couple of spectacular turns to descend the 2,400 meters to Zermatt. Wow. It was quick, but I really really enjoyed my first helicoper flight!

Arriving later than anticipated in Zermatt and having been on foot for 14 hours, we decided that is was too late to drive the 4 hours back to Basel. Instead, we went to our favorite campsite in "Leukerbad", had a soothing shower, and were firmly asleep at 9 p.m.
After a long breakfast and one round of the obligatory campsite-minigolf the next morning, we felt well recovered and ready for the next mountain. The highest point of the canton of Geneva was still not ticked off our list. Luckily, the canton of Geneva doesn't has any "mountains" and the highest point is a boundary stone at the boarder to France. This is the only "peak" so far, where even our car "Yeti" could join us.