The Eiger Mordwand

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Mick K

climber

Northern Sierra

Jul 22, 2011 - 04:30pm PT

I am going to the Eiger next month but can't get a topo for the Mitigelli Ridge because the one I ordered from Chessler is stucvk in customs.

Anyone willing to scan a copy of the guide for the Mitigelli Ridge route.

squishy

Mountain climber

sacramento

Jul 22, 2011 - 04:37pm PT

Good route choice, I will be heading up the South Ridge myself...

ms55401

Trad climber

minneapolis, mn

Jul 22, 2011 - 05:48pm PT

the recent film mentioned above is pretty decent
I believe there's a black-and-white (of course) photo of Kurz hanging just out of reach of his would-be rescuers. File under: Situations That Would Really Suck To Be In.

choss aficionado edit: the eiger is choss -- UberChoss.

squishy

Mountain climber

sacramento

Jul 22, 2011 - 05:55pm PT

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 22, 2011 - 07:56pm PT

cintune, want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?

Sheesh!
(Kurz died how many decades before gym noobs?)

guido

Trad climber

Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific

Jul 22, 2011 - 08:35pm PT

Infamous quote we always used while pulling a pendulum line: "Don't worry Hinterstoisser, we can get back."

cintune

climber

Midvale School for the Gifted

Jul 22, 2011 - 08:42pm PT

Heh, yeah, I know, but I was momentarily outraged, outraged I tell ya.

He obviously shouldn't have gotten off the pink route.

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 22, 2011 - 10:04pm PT

Didn't Patey put the myth of the irreversible traverse to bed in A Short Walk With Whillans?

steve shea

climber

Jul 23, 2011 - 09:05am PT

The 38' route on the north face is one of the most satisfying climbs I've done. It was a formative route for me long before I ever climbed it, I had to go there. The history, the stories of the epics, the size, it's location in the Bernese Oberland, the foehn... I'm so into alpine history the first thing I did on my first trip to Chamonix and to Courmayeur was to visit the cemeteries. The Eiger NF took three attempts. The first ended in a storm at the wet cave, went with Tobin in Aug 77' and witnessed the foehn. It was incredible, think chinook winds on the east slope of the rockies only on steroids! We're talking wind. Finally had success in fall 79' with Larry Bruce. It was classic! We even visited the von Allmens (SP) and arranged for a weather update by flashing light from our bivy at the Swallows nest. We got to race a storm to the summit, found a body on the Ramp Icefield, between the Icebulge on the top of the ramp and Brittle Ledge, had an epic descent in the full fury of the storm. Got to bivy on the Traverse of the Gods. The Gods traverse had sh#t for pro and although easy, it was enough to make you soil your britches. What a way to start your day. It worked better than coffee. I found several pockets perfect for the Friends I got from Jardine. I always carried a couple of friends on alpine routes just in case. We had perfect conditions, cold and calm with about a two day window according to the meteo at Geneva Airport. We knew we were racing a storm but went for it anyway. We were extremely fit and had climbed a lot together from Yosemite to the Canadian Rockies to Eldo. We started at noon day 1 and finished at noon day 3 just as the storm broke. We packed heavy, not light and fast. It was just right. we knew we had plenty of food and fuel so we could relax and enjoy the climb and take in the history. I stole an old pin from our belay at the Death Bivousc. I could not believe I was sitting at the Death Bivouac. It had been a normal year for precip and all the famous ice passages were there and in great shape except the ice hose. Larry had that lead and did some 5.10 on the wall to the left with a pack and crampons to get us to the second icefield. The only other question that provided some anxiety was the condition of the Icebulge at the top of the Ramp. It was fat and strenuous and a big bulge but not that hard or run out. Once again though as many times before on the route I thought of the those guys in the 30's. And would just pause to reflect. I remember that feeling on the Nose thinking of Batso on the last pitch bolting through the night. I wanted to be up but I did not want to lose this connection to the pioneers. Ron thanks for posting the reminder. Good memories for me. Maybe I'll dig out my old slides and do a TR. Climbing is the best sport in the world!

JohnnyG

climber

Jul 23, 2011 - 12:03pm PT

yeah steve- we want to see those pics and read the whole account

johnboy

Trad climber

Can't get here from there

Jul 25, 2011 - 01:37am PT

Very good account of the whole ordeal here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmjJBu0xiwc

squishy

Mountain climber

sacramento

Aug 16, 2011 - 01:08pm PT

wow, way to show your knowledge of the route there chef, you're always so quick to jump on my ass that your reading comprehension completely fails you. I bet my mere presents makes you blood boil enough to shake you from any holds...how are you not dead yet with such a temperament? I believe heinrich harrer describes your very personality when he recommends who should not be climbing the Eiger, thank you for the fine example to point out to others...

reddirt

climber

PNW

Aug 16, 2011 - 01:49pm PT

ignore the Chief & post some pics!

Patrick Oliver

Boulder climber

Fruita, Colorado

Aug 16, 2011 - 02:16pm PT

Reilly, yes it was Patey who was with Whillans
(Tom Patey, wonderful Scot climber/writer/humorist).

The classic line by Whillans, yes, but so funny are
those first words of Whillans, "You Japs?" Patey adds, "The
question seemed an unnecessary one." (I'm quoting from memory,
so it might be a tiny bit different...). That is one of
the finest pieces of climbing writing on the planet.

Michael Lecky

Mountain climber

Harvard, MA

Aug 16, 2011 - 02:27pm PT

In 1975, I spent a night high up across the valley from the Mordwand, swaddled in my Chouinard cag and matching pied d' elephant. I stared and stared. I'd ascended trifles such as V Notch and Mendel Colouir and Whitney east buttress and "Revelation" on Suicide, and fancied myself a climber. All I felt that night was insurmountable fear. That was the end of the romance. Yeah, I climbed, but I'm not a climber. Either you are, or you aren't. That night, I knew I wasn't. I stupidly trundled on for another five years, till nearly losing my life coming down from an ice route on Mt. Washington, in a total bungle.

Read "The White Spider" and "Straight Up," kids. Great books on the Eigerwand.

squishy

Mountain climber

sacramento

Aug 16, 2011 - 02:29pm PT

we were unable to summit anything, we gave the Monch a try from the hut in a small weather window but were shut down on everything else. Our attempt on the Wetterhorn ended in being very very wet while running down and dodging rock bombs. That place makes the Serra look safe as hell...thunderstorms, falling rock, waterfalls, avalanches...just picture all of that occurring at the same time, you do a lot of retreating out there. We had to help some tourons down and assisted them in the streams that became rivers in minutes. I hear you guys had some similar weather on the east side.

We then headed to the south of France for some wine to relax, the swiss are swindlers, I paid 24 bucks for a liter of water at a hut...

Patrick Oliver

Boulder climber

Fruita, Colorado

Aug 16, 2011 - 02:35pm PT

Ron,
Your question about the Hinterstoisser Traverse... There were two
ropes running across it, and most people simply walked across,
as Patey says, "in three minutes." The rappel lines, though, that
they took on the descent bypassed the traverse. They rappelled
down along the line leading to the Swallow's Nest, reaching at last
the start of the Hinterstoisser Traverse. In the past it was the
habit to leave (abandon) a rope on the traverse, to ensure a
retreat, and eliminate the "traverse of no return." But finally
that rappel line was found, and apparently not much to it.