Matterhorn
21-22/08/2013
My
usual climbing partners are not much interested in the
Matterhorn, so this is the only time I climbed with a guide.
The
great thing of going with a guide is that he knows every
step of the route, so no time is wasted.
I was originally planning to do this in July, but then the
weather was not good. I waited for several weeks until a
period of very stable weather. I arrived from Trieste in the
evenining of August 20 and slept in Cervinia.
Lower part of the Lion ridge, up to Carrel hut, from Col de
Lion.
Band
separating the gabbros in the base of the mountain from the
gneises forming its bulk. The gneises are part of a geologic
unit that has been shoved over the other for a long distance.
The grinding action gives rise to a rock called mylonite.
One of the aid ropes at the Cheminee, in the lower section of
the ridge. This section used to be a much easier corner until
its left face collapsed in a rockfall in August 2003, leaving
a rather blank face.
Tete de
Lion and Col de Lion
Carrel
hut
On the
same day Killian Jornet established the speed record for the
ascent/descent of the Matterhorn from Cervinia: 2hrs and
52min.
Here are two movies of Killian passing by the Carrel hut on
his way up and then on his way down:
Kilian up
Kilian up
Kilian down
Parts of the movie taken from the helicopter can be found here.
Another movie here,
where I can be seen briefly at 3:52 and 6:01.
Kilian was aided by fixed ropes on the most exposed sections
of the ridge.
These were then removed and there was a lot of traffic at the
hut most of the afternoon.
Here is a helicopter arriving
and then leaving with a dive.
The
great tower above the Carrel hut at sunset
Scala
Giordano
8am. The
Swiss summit
I was in Cervinia at 2pm and back in Trieste at 8pm.
Altogether I spent roughly 6 hours going up and 6 coming down
(compared to Kilian's 2 hours up and one down...)