From: billw@ace.mentorg.com (Bill Wright)
Subject: Re: Climbing Matterhorn
Originator: billw@ace
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 18:10:36 GMT
Reply-To: bill_wright@mentorg.com
Organization: Mentor Graphics 
Keywords: 
Followup-To: 


In article <34980@hoptoad.uucp>, rob@cygnus.com (Rob Savoye) writes:
|> "Tourist" route is usually done by taking the cable car up to the
|> restaurant. From there it is an eay walk to the Hut. You can get a
|> bed/food/beer! in the hut. Most of the guided parties start around
|> 2am. Unless you like rockfall, I suggest you start before them. It is
|> possible to wait until dawn and still make the climb, but with
|> everybody above you, it rains rocks. The best routes are from the
|> Italian side, which is impossible (slow) to get to from Zermatt. If
|> you do the "climb" itself of the tourist route it is not very
|> difficult. There are many bolts. At one point there is a 4ft wide
|> aluminum sidewalk bolted to the rock to replace a beautiful 5.8
|> traverse. The steep spots quite often have knotted ropes on them.
This is not accurate and I thought I would clear up things.  I have climbed
this route and it sounds like Rob has not, but I am not sure.  Guides
usually start around 3:30 to 4 a.m. and most people do NOT get in front of
the guides.  For one the route finding is complex and very difficult in the
dark.  It is more efficient to try and follow the guides.  The guides are
extremely fast and it is difficult to keep up with them even when they
are guiding weaker climbers than you.  Rock fall certainly is a danger on
this route.

There is no aluminum sidewalk on this route that I saw or have heard anyone
who has done the route talk about.  There are some fixed ropes on the
steep sections (some vertical.)  From the hut it is 4000 complex feet of
most scrambling, but the top will be mixed rock and snow the anchors are not
very good, the rock is loose, the ridge very exposed, and you must return
the same way you go up.  People who call this route a "walk up" have, 
invariably not been up it.  Under ideal conditions it probably isn't too bad,
but no hiker will make it up this mountain safely without a guide. 

|> Personally, we hiked in the 12km from Zermatt to do the a north face
|> route but cut our climb short after getting involved in a rescue. (he
|> didn't make it, killed by stonefall). The scene at the Matterhorn made
|> me swear off Switzerland forever.It reminded me of DisneyWorld. There
|> are many beautiful mountains in the Alps to climb. For a real
|> experience I would recommend one of them instead. I'll never
|> understand the lull of the Matterhorn.
By hiking instead of taking the cable car you saved yourself at most two
hours of hiking.  The cable car takes you about halfway to the hut.  Most
people attempt the North Face from the Hornli Hut.  If you want to get away
from the crowded scene at the Matterhorn do one of three things:

	1.) Climb in shakey weather (it worked for us).  Only two other
	parties on the route that day.  Guided ones.

	2.) Climb a different route.  Sounds like you attempted this.  Hard
	to believe crowds drove you away from the North Face.

	3.) Climb a different mountain as you suggest.  Yes, there are many
	other great mountains in the Alps, but let me help you to understand
	why people want to climb the Matterhorn:

		a.) It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful mountains
		in the world

		b.) It is easily accessible.

		c.) It has a tremendous mountaineering history.

	At least that was enough for me.  But heck, I will, admittedly, climb
	anything.

-- 
             Bill Wright / bill_wright@mentorg.com

                  "When in doubt, run it out!"
From: byrnes@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (John Byrnes)
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 17:35:49 GMT
Subject: Re: Re: Ah, to climb in CA...Chalking Up (was: grease)
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA