Technical Ascents - Southern Oberland

2008 DATES Click Dates To Book.... Week 29: 12 Jul - 19 Jul Week 32: 2 Aug - 9 Aug Week 35: 23 Aug - 30 Aug Full Summer Programme Click Here COURSE DURATION 6 days, 7 nights ALL INCLUSIVE PRICE £1355 Your course price covers: • Guiding + guides expenses • Full board + accommodation • All picnic lunches/snack food • All course transportation • All mechanical uplift • Loan of technical equipment Click here for Full Details RATIO 2:1 COURSE GRADE Difficulty: 5 Fitness: 5 Click Here for Grading Details

The Baltschiedertal is perhaps the most wild and remote valley in the southern Bernese Oberland. The absence of any road or mechanical lift into the valley, and the long (but beautiful) walk-in to the hut ensure that it remains for adventurous and determined alpinists only. Once there, the rewards are a pleasant and friendly hut surrounded by an array of magnificent peaks and climbs, mostly on excellent granite. The setting is truly awe inspiring, with the formidable bulk of the Bietschhorn (3934m) dominating the whole area.

The Bietschhorn is a real connoisseurs peak - one of the most challenging and sought-after of all the alpine sub-4000m summits. While a major objective of the course is an ascent of the Bietschhorn, the number of technical, first class routes around Baltshieder makes this an ideal base for a fantastic week's climbing. We also have the option of traversing to the Stockhorn bivouac or down to the Wiwanni hut for a change of scene.

Suitable experience for this course

Previous alpine climbing experience is necessary (to the level of our Technical Alpinism course or equivalent). This course will particularly suit climbers with a reasonable degree of rock climbing experience. Participants should be climbing to grade IV+/V (British Hard Severe, American 5.6) and have experience climbing with boots and rucksack (although we do carry rock boots for some climbs). Experience climbing with two ice tools on moderate routes (Scottish grade II and III) is also necessary. Good fitness and stamina is essential.

Peaks that can be climbed on this course

• Bietschhorn (3934m), North Ridge (AD). A long mixed route up this formidable and remote peak.
• Lötschental Breithorn (3785m), arête Blanchet (D) or SW ridge (PD+). A classic arête with pitches of IV, with an easier, but still long, option.
• South Jägihorn (3406m), SE ridge (D-). A superb long rock route with pitches of IV+.
• North Jägihorn (3509m), N ridge (AD+). A short rock route which may be combined with the Breitlauihorn.
• Baltshiederhorn (AD+) A long and technical rock ridge, traversing knife-edge arêtes and climbing over impressive gendarmes, amid amazing rock scenery.
• Breitlauihorn (3655m). S ridge (AD-). A short but high quality rock climb.
• North Baltschiederhorn (3504m) and Gredetschhorli (3646m). A traverse of these peaks offers some excellent and more moderate climbing (PD+).
• Stockhorn (3211m), East Ridge (AD-). Superb granite peak done from the Stockhorn bivouac.
• Wiwannihorn (3001m), A choice of rock routes in a fantastic setting, accessed from the Wiwanni hut.

Typical course programme

This is very much a sample programme as we will plan our climbs to take advantage of the best weather and conditions for our ascent of the Bietschhorn. One possible program could be:

Saturday evening.

The course starts with participants and guides meeting at 7.00pm at Le Grand Chalet hotel in Leysin. This is the chance for the guides to give a thorough briefing and discuss the detailed plan for the week with you.

Sunday.

In the morning, we check gear and then travel up the Rhône valley to Ausserberg. The walk in to Baltschiederklause takes 5 to 6 hours and starts through a long tunnel through the hillside, following a water flume, into the Baltschiedertal. We then follow this wild and beautiful valley up all the way to the hut at 2783m.

Monday.

A traverse of the Breitlauihorn (AD-) is an ideal first objective, giving us good acclimatisation and superb views of the other routes and peaks in the area. A glacier approach and the range of alpine ropework involved in the climb also makes it a great trip for refreshing all of our alpine skills.

Tuesday.

An early start for our ascent of the Bietschhorn, a very big day. We ascend the Baltschieder glacier to reach the Baltschiederjoch, from which the ridge begins as a moderate snow slope then steepens to a narrow rock and snow crest, over Pt 3706m then with several gendarmes to traverse before reaching the main summit. The descent is by the same route and cannot be rushed, giving around 12 hours of climbing in all.

Wednesday.

Another major objective is the Lötschental Breithorn – perhaps by it’s easier SW ridge (although the arête Blanchet is very appealing!). Climbing this by either route is another big day with an early start, so perhaps some of the shorter alternatives (eg the Jagihorn, which starts just behind the hut) will be more appealing to tired climbers!

Thursday.

We could stay up at Baltschiederklause and climb another of the peaks (perhaps choosing to do the Lötschental Breithorn today after a shorter climb on Wednesday). If we prefer a change of scene, one option is to walk part way back down the Baltschiedertal and then follow the 1000m via ferata up the side of the valley to the beautifully situated Wiwanni hut.

Friday.

There are many possibilities for rock routes from the Wiwanni hut, the most obvious is to climb the Wiwannihorn, directly behind the hut. This is a 10 pitch route with climbing up to grade V. We can make the much shorter walk out from here in the afternoon, returning to Leysin for dinner at the Grand Chalet and a beer or two at the Yeti bar.

Saturday morning.

Breakfast at the hotel is included before departure.

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