After having spent MANY hours enjoying trip reports it's about time for me to post one, so here is my very first TR, hope you enjoy it. It’s from Switzerland, that's where I live and climb.
After some snow in October and an unusually dry and warm November, conditions at higher altitude were great. So off we go with my friend Stephan to climb Bietschhorn, not quite 4000m high, and one of the most beautiful peaks of the Swiss Alps. If it did reach the “magic” height of 4000m it would probably be crowded. Luckily those 50m or so are missing…

Bietschhorn from the North in winter:


In November we’re certain to have the mountain to ourselves, due to the short days we’re not quite as certain to make the summit.
The first river crossing is adventurous because we’re too lazy to take out our crampons.


When we reach the cabin we’re actually not alone!!! A day tripper is up there to do as we do: enjoy the beautiful day and scenery, but he descends in the evening.


We decide to make track on the first part of the climb before it gets dark.
Our track goes up to the left of the center following the s-shaped gully at mid-height, then traverses left to reach the top just to the right of the highest point.





Then comes dinner time.


We’re off next morning at four. Having the track already made is great. Still, reaching the first summit is already tiring, and we’re not even on our mountain yet, this was just the approach, the REAL climb is still to begin.

Sunrise was one of the better ones I’ve ever seen. Views are stunning.







Conditions on the ridge are good, the otherwise chossy terrain is frozen solid, hardly any rocks move. The snow is compact and climbing with crampons goes just fine. We make progress, always keeping 5 – 10m of rope between us we move together up the ridge. Try not to wander off into the flanks of the ridge following all those tempting ledges, because they inevitably lead into rock and choss chaos and the way back to the ridge, where the rock is good, would be difficult and dangerous.


At 10, about one-third up the ridge, we decide to call it off, we’re too slow (the truth actually is that I’m just not fit enough for this climb…) and would never make it back down in daylight. Too bad for the summit, but we’ll have other opportunities. The summit still way up there, still a loooooong way to go.



Being up there with a good friend for two days has been great, one of my best outings. Conditions at this time of the year can be great and safe, the weather is stable, the air is crystal clear, the light is much nicer than in summer, but days are short and one needs to be really fit to make it to the summit and back in time. I got the message: train more, try again.