Summit Season underway

Summer is well underway here in the Bernese Oberland of the Swiss Alps. We have had great weather to start the alpine climbing season with the driest June in over a hundred years. July has had great climbing conditions and I have been able to guide ascents on the classic three summits of Mönch, Jungfrau and the Eiger. This is unusually early for the Eiger to be in condition, but the high temperatures have melted the snow back on rocky routes. Most are now in great condition including the famous Matterhorn.

One of the guests I was lucky enough to guide was a 74-year-old, we climbed the Mönch and Jungfrau.

He had summited the Mönch 54 years earlier and is still going strong. Very humbling to met such a experienced climber and great to do a couple of summits with him.

My guest for the Eiger was here to run the Eiger Ultratrail, a 101-kilometer running race with over 6000m of vertical. He was, as you would imagine, very fit and we made good time on the Metteleggi ridge. This route is a little unusual as the descent down along and up the south ridge takes more time then the ascent.

This next shot has taken as we were heading home on the South ridge of the Eiger with the Metteleggi ridge and hut on the right hand skyline.