Weissmies (16.07.2019)


Start point Almagellar hut (2,894m)
Characteristic Alpine climbing
Duration 6h 00min
Map
Ascents Weissmies (4,017m) 16.07.2019

Back in the Alps again for my 10th summer visit, and like the previous 3 years with a base again in Evolene. I felt semi-acclimatised after having spent a few days hiking up to 3200m in the Saas valley the week before and since I’d arranged to have 1:1 guiding this year I was keen to tick off a few more of the 4000m peaks. For the first trip I was climbing with guide Graham Frost who I’d done the Dent Blanche with back in 2016 and initially I’d suggested heading over to the Torino hut to start with the Rochefort Arete since both the Aiguille de Rochefort and Dome de Rochefort were relatively low 4000ers and easy to access. However, since the Torino hut was fully booked and it had dumped it down with new snow on the first night we ended up joining guides Tim and Jon who were working for Graham, plus their 2 guys (coincidentally both called Andrew) who had to drop their Eiger plans due to the snow and were instead going to do the southeast ridge of the Weissmies. I’d already climbed the Weissmies once 10 years ago, but never from the south side, so even though it wasn’t a new summit it would at least be a different and probably more aesthetic route. Fortunately the Almagellar hut had spare beds so we booked 2 places there and drove over to Saas Almagell during late morning. It was still a bit damp outside and a cool 7 degrees despite it being around midday when we parked up, so there was no risk of overheating on the 1200m walk up to the Almagellar hut!

It was an easy and pleasant walk up to the hut which we took something like 3 hours to do, so it was talking pace and despite having to carry up heavy rucksacks we all felt like we could have gone on for several hours more after arriving at the hut mid-afternoon. We hit the snowline at about 2600-2700m, about ½ hour from the hut – it was all quite wintery on the ground, but still mild enough for wearing shorts. The sun came out shortly after we arrived so it was nice to spend some time outside the hut in the afternoon and admire the views across the west side of the Saas valley. Possibly the only major disappointment I got after arriving at the hut was that we got a bed in a dormitory on the top floor which could sleep at least 20 people. It was full that night too…..We ate dinner around 6.30pm and set alarm clocks for a 4am breakfast the following morning.

Hut approach
Hut approach
At the Almagellar hut
At the Almagellar hut
At the Almagellar hut #2
At the Almagellar hut #2

I didn’t sleep much due to at least 3 different snorers that were driving me to the brink of despair during the night, so getting up seemed like a relief to get out of the dormitory and away from the snoring. Breakfast didn’t appeal too much though, so after some effort to eat a slice or two of semi-stale bread it was time to pack up the rucksack, put on boots and start the walk in toward the col where the ridge began. Both Andrews and the guides were all much better acclimatized than me having already been up a handful of 4000m peaks in the weeks before, so I expected to be super slow in comparison. I was not wrong!! But at the same time I wasn’t prepared to even try and keep up and end up breathing too hard so I just went in my own pace and caught up with Graham at the col while Tim, Jon and the 2 Andrews were a bit further ahead. By the time we’d reached the col dawn was breaking and the sky had turned a rather deep shade of blue. From there we descended into the southeast side and walked up the well trodden trail in the snow for a while before putting on harnesses and crampons a bit further up. Not sure at what height we joined the ridge, but there was plenty of it before we reached the summit. Maybe something like 3400m? There was actually a lot of climbers who’d left the hut before us, so even though there was 10-20cm new snow on the ridge, the snow had been well compacted by dozens of feet and crampons before we got there, so it was good conditions for scrambling in crampons. About halfway up there were a few slightly more awkward moves (probably grade 2-3 scrambling?) but otherwise easy scrambling all the way. I decided I’d be willing to try and solo this route as an acclimatization peak next time I come back – but only if the ridge was free of snow :) Despite the gorgeous sunrise and wonderful wintery views I found the altitude hard work. The legs were feeling heavy and I felt like I was breathing harder than I wanted to, always feeling a bit concerned that I’d run out of steam before the summit if my lungs kept working that hard all the way……Anyway, I fully expected a bit of suffering with the first 4000er of the trip so it was a matter of getting on with it and knowing that the next 4000er would feel easier.

Dawn at the start of the ridge
Dawn at the start of the ridge
Graham looking up the ridge
Graham looking up the ridge
Sunrise on the east side
Sunrise on the east side
Trudging up in new snow
Trudging up in new snow
Amazing sunrise colours on the Pizzo d'Andolla (highest point on the Portjengrat)
Amazing sunrise colours on the Pizzo d'Andolla (highest point on the Portjengrat)
Still walking in snow on the way up to the ridge
Still walking in snow on the way up to the ridge
Finally on firmer ground
Finally on firmer ground

After passing several other groups along the way Graham and I reached the top about 10 minutes after Tim, Jon and the Andrews so I guess it wasn’t too bad time. No one else had summited from the other side of the mountain before them, which was not surprising given how much new snow had fallen. There was however a bit of a mean wind on the summit and after spending several hours with out boots immersed in snow, several of us had chilly feet. I didn’t though since I was wearing my heated socks and had turned the temperature up earlier which made me feel rather smug ;) After a short stop at the top we started the descent, back down the ridge the same way we’d come. Around halfway down we cut across into the steep snow slopes which were rather loaded with new snow. By now the sun had started to transform the new snow into a heavy mush which made the rest of the descent to the col rather tiring work. It was a relief to drop down onto the west side of the ridge again and walk on the firm trail in the snow back down to the hut, which we arrived at, at only 10.30am. We definitely weren’t the first pair of climbers to leave the hut that morning, but surprisingly we were the first ones back! Tim, Jon and the two Andrews had taken a break shortly before reaching the col though we didn’t really need to stop so we’d carried on straight down. Suddenly I didn’t feel so slow after all :)

High up on the southeast ridge
High up on the southeast ridge
Good mixed conditions
Good mixed conditions

We spent about 45 minutes outside the hut in the sunshine, eating and drinking, changing and repacking rucksacks before making the descent back down to Saas Almagell. It was a warm and seemingly endless walk, though we were back by about 1.30pm so it can’t have been that long. I was glad I’d carried my alpine boots up and had a pair of trail shoes to walk up to the hut and back in – must have been a few sore feet for the others by the time we got down! Even though it was a slightly less exciting plan than the Rochefort traverse, I still felt like it had been a great start with an easy route for acclimatization which would hopefully make the rest of the holiday seem less strenuous in comparison :)

On the summit ridge, looking southwards
On the summit ridge, looking southwards
On the summit
On the summit
Some other happy climbers
Some other happy climbers
View towards the Lagginhorn
View towards the Lagginhorn
Going back across the snowy part of the ridge
Going back across the snowy part of the ridge
Descent
Descent
Somehwere on the walk down from the Almargellar hut
Somehwere on the walk down from the Almargellar hut

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