Trip Report
Salbitschijen - A Climbers Paradise!

by Bald Eagle
Wednesday November 30, 2016 2:01am
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The Gipfelnadel - The 16th and final pitch on the superlative Salbitsc...
The Gipfelnadel - The 16th and final pitch on the superlative Salbitschijen!
Credit: Bald Eagle
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Warm greetings SuperTopists from an "Ice Station Zebra" cold Bristol in the UK!

If you are looking for a rock climbers paradise in the Swiss Alps then here is a short video from a trip to the premier alpine rock destination of the Salbitschijen, near Göschenen in Central Switzerland.

The Salbitschijen is renowned for it's immaculate granite and 3 looooong classic ridges, namely the Ostgrat, Sudgrat + Westgrat and my buddies and I were lucky enough to climb the super-classic 16 pitch 550M South Ridge on a great day of weather. The Sudgrat is graded around UK HVS or about 5.9 in US dollers and is often described as one of the best and most beautiful climbs of its type + grade in the whole of the Alps, a description I now totally agree with. As a comparison it is similar but a bit harder and more sustained than the beautiful North Ridge on the Piz Badile!

Anyway the entertainment was filmed so for anyone interested in viewing a short HD video featuring the flora + fauna around the Salbithütte, time lapses, views to the outrageous Westgrat, big towers, super-exposed ridges + giddyfying drops, culminating in the photogenic Gipfelnadel summit pinnacle then have a cheeky peek at the embedded vid. For some strange reason it does not seem to be allowing full screen mode but just click on the "Watch on You Tube" icon and you can easily view full screen there...

[Click to View YouTube Video]

All constructive feedback welcome, please feel free to share and hopefully it will warm the cockles of a heart or 2, plus inspire a few folks to visit this amazing region in Switzerland and climb one of those classic ridges!

Cheers and happy Wednesday :-)

Dave


  Trip Report Views: 4,180
Bald Eagle 		About the Author
Bald Eagle is a trad climber from the UK who likes to boldly go where quite a few people have been before... :-)

Comments
thebravecowboy

climber
The Good Places
  Nov 30, 2016 - 08:16am PT
awesome arete!

but despite my decades, english idioms sometimes confuse me. cockles?
thanks for warming 'em, whatever they is. ;-)
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Nov 30, 2016 - 03:42am PT
1st it is up
then. .. . It was Gone.
?

Before I can finish my post at 4:30 am
You took it back down?

I Take number 1 to the school bus . . .
it's back
my original response was short ~ all about the stiff upper lip and Cheery -O

Now thisReply will surfice to show my approval ,
I moved the picture and video to the Flames
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Nov 30, 2016 - 05:50am PT
awesome arete!

but despite my decades, english idioms sometimes confuse me. cockles?
thanks for warming 'em, whatever they is.

Thanks a bunch brave cowboy, muchly appreciated and indeed an amazing ridge! See below for an explanation... ;-)

Verb[edit]
to warm the cockles of someone's heart

(idiomatic) To provide happiness, to bring a deeply-felt contentment
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Nov 30, 2016 - 05:54am PT
1st it is up
then. .. . It was Gone.
?

Before I can finish my post at 4:30 am
You took it back down?

I Take number 1 to the school bus . . .
it's back
my original response was short ~ all about the stiff upper lip and Cheery -O

Now thisReply will surfice to show my approval ,
I moved the picture and video to the Flames

Ha ha Gnome and thanks a million for your kind words as ever! Yep I deleted the original post by mistake, instead of editing, because for some strange reason the full screen option was/is not available on the vid and I was trying to work out why. However for anyone who wants to watch on Full Screen you can just click on the "Watch on You Tube" icon. Happy Wednesday! :-)
Cheers
Dave
Alan Rubin

climber
Amherst,MA.
  Nov 30, 2016 - 08:26am PT
Excellent video and climb. We were there 30 years ago but unfortunately didn't have the weather you enjoyed during our brief window of opportunity. We made it to the base but the low clouds, cold, and wind made us opt for the less committing 'delights' of the Klettergarten Salbit until it did indeed begin to rain. The area is a beautiful one and the climbing on the ridge looks appropriately stellar. Is the entire climb now bolted? The entire Furka, Grimsel, Susten Passes area is a true climbers paradise not as well known over here as it should be. Thanks for spreading the word--or, rather, the video!!!
Alpinist63

Mountain climber
  Nov 30, 2016 - 06:34am PT
good post! salbit is definitively one of the places to visit if you're looking for good granite in the alps. The south ridge is great, and the west ridge is imo one of the top rock climbs in the alps, long, sustained, excellent rock,very good climbing and beautiful setting. close by you can find the Graue Wand on the Furka Pass which also has some excellent classics like Conquest, Eisbrecher, Niedermann and a couple more. Gandschijen in the Goeschenen valley has excelllent 200 m climbs in the 5.9 ( Gatsch route) to 5.12 range. Eldorado Dome with the mega-classics Motorhead and Septumania is about an hour's drive away.
All of these climbs can be done from the car (very convenient compared to the crowded teleferiques...). For the salbit west ridge, there s a bivy hut about 2 min from the start of the route, which is useful as the route is long.
the Salbit/Furka area is less serious than the big rock climbs around Chamonix or in the Ecrins, but about the same as the climbs in the Aiguilles de Chamonix ( Plan de l'Aiguille/ Envers area)
one negativ point though: the area gets a lot of bad weather... but then, Ticino is not far away ( about 1 hour to lago maggiore)
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
  Nov 30, 2016 - 07:17am PT
BraveCowboy, you can substitute periwinkles for cockles if they're in good nick.

BaldEagle, as nice as the Salbitschijen appears it looks to be about 2/3 the size of the Badile, but I have been justly accused before for declaring something a fair toddle. ;-)

And one of life's great experiences is to be caught high on the Badile when a major storm comes calling from Italy. But I digress. :-)

Strong work on your part, as usual. Perhaps you should parse these out less prolifically - I fear the day your well runs dry!
Nick Danger

Ice climber
Arvada, CO
  Nov 30, 2016 - 08:54am PT
Mr Eagle,
A most wonderful post and fabulous video. I am becoming a real fan of your work. Perhaps it will inspire me to retire from the race of the rats and go film-making instead. Is certainly fun to think about. Truly, I really like your work.
cheers
Impaler

Social climber
San Francisco
  Nov 30, 2016 - 09:23am PT
This place looks Sal-bitchen! Thanks for posting!
FRUMY

Trad climber
Bishop,CA
  Nov 30, 2016 - 09:29am PT
TFPU
i-b-goB

Big Wall climber
Nutty
  Nov 30, 2016 - 10:36am PT
Spectacular, and looks like just a set of draws needed!
Gagner

climber
Boulder
  Nov 30, 2016 - 11:18am PT
I climbed that route a few years back, and it was definitely bitchin'. My buddy lives in Andermat so he let me lead the whole thing. Really, all you need are draws if you are comfortable on some 5.9/easy 5.10 runouts. We had trekking poles and approach shoes for the descent down the snow couloir which made it pretty exciting. Some guys we passed had carried up mountain boots and axes, but we were too lazy... Awesome route and area!!
jaaan

Trad climber
Chamonix, France
  Nov 30, 2016 - 12:05pm PT
I've been up to the Salbithütte many times over the years and each time I've stopped at the chalet that features in your opening shot. It's a sort of buvette that sells drinks and is run by an old lady and her husband and their son. On one occasion three of us walked in and the lady took our order of three ciders. The lady then relayed our order to her husband, who suffered from Parkinsons. He then disappeared off to the cellar... and came back shaking violently with the exertion... with three bottles of apple juice. It was obvious to anyone that the old guy was exhausted and so we said that apple juice would be just fine, but the woman was having none of it and sent him back downstaires for three bottles of cider. Eventually the poor old chap returned clutching three bottles and shaking even more violently than before. She grabbed the bottles and opened the first one - which exploded all over her. Unable to contain ourselves - despite the obvious tragedy of the spectacle that had so predictably unfolded before our eyes - we dived out through the doors and resumed our walk to the hut, tears streaming down our faces...
yanqui

climber
Balcarce, Argentina
  Nov 30, 2016 - 05:54pm PT
Another fun looking climb. My hip surgeon was from Belgium and his name was Koen as well!
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Dec 1, 2016 - 01:56am PT
Excellent video and climb. We were there 30 years ago but unfortunately didn't have the weather you enjoyed during our brief window of opportunity. We made it to the base but the low clouds, cold, and wind made us opt for the less committing 'delights' of the Klettergarten Salbit until it did indeed begin to rain. The area is a beautiful one and the climbing on the ridge looks appropriately stellar. Is the entire climb now bolted? The entire Furka, Grimsel, Susten Passes area is a true climbers paradise not as well known over here as it should be. Thanks for spreading the word--or, rather, the video!!!

Hey Alan, Alpinist63, T Hocking, Impaler, FRUMY, i-d-goB, Gagner and Yanqui and muchos gracias for the kind words + taking the time to post!
The Sudgrat is partially bolted and the belays are equipped though most parties take some slings, nuts and friends to supplement the bolts. The rationale is explained in the front of the Salbit guidebook but to the best of my memory, the Salbit was in danger of becoming out of favour compared to some more accessible areas, so after a lot of consultation with locals the decision was made to retro-bolt the route. The route really is amazing and the fixed gear did not spoil our enjoyment of a great climb and day! :-)
Cheers
Dave
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Dec 1, 2016 - 02:07am PT
BaldEagle, as nice as the Salbitschijen appears it looks to be about 2/3 the size of the Badile, but I have been justly accused before for declaring something a fair toddle. ;-)

And one of life's great experiences is to be caught high on the Badile when a major storm comes calling from Italy. But I digress. :-)

Hey Reilly happy Thursday! The mighty Badile is about 300m higher than the Salbit and being a climber of very modest abilities I have only done the North Ridge which was about 1000m long I think. So yeah I guess the routes on the Salbit are around 2/3rds the length so just a fair toddle as you say... ;-)
I'm guessing you have done the Cassin Route and you obviously have a tale to tell being caught in a storm high up, so did you make the summit bivvy hut? My buddy and I were blessed with a perfect day of weather and dropped down to the hut in Italy where a buddy was waiting to drive us back! :-)
Cheers
Dave
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Dec 1, 2016 - 02:11am PT
Mr Eagle,
A most wonderful post and fabulous video. I am becoming a real fan of your work. Perhaps it will inspire me to retire from the race of the rats and go film-making instead. Is certainly fun to think about. Truly, I really like your work.
cheers

Hey Nick thanks a million for the kind words and making these wee videos is a lot of fun and keeps me out of mischief! Never has it been easier or cheaper to buy a good HD camcorder + tripod, editing software + drone et al. I even have a long suffering missus who I bribe with chocolate + Cava to sit on a blanket in the sun with a good book and film the long shots but alas she is not for sale... ;-)
Cheers
Dave
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Dec 1, 2016 - 02:45am PT
Your cinematography is amazing, looks like a truly stellar climb!
Thank you!
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Dec 1, 2016 - 11:58pm PT
I've been up to the Salbithütte many times over the years and each time I've stopped at the chalet that features in your opening shot. It's a sort of buvette that sells drinks and is run by an old lady and her husband and their son. On one occasion three of us walked in and the lady took our order of three ciders. The lady then relayed our order to her husband, who suffered from Parkinsons. He then disappeared off to the cellar... and came back shaking violently with the exertion... with three bottles of apple juice. It was obvious to anyone that the old guy was exhausted and so we said that apple juice would be just fine, but the woman was having none of it and sent him back downstaires for three bottles of cider. Eventually the poor old chap returned clutching three bottles and shaking even more violently than before. She grabbed the bottles and opened the first one - which exploded all over her. Unable to contain ourselves - despite the obvious tragedy of the spectacle that had so predictably unfolded before our eyes - we dived out through the doors and resumed our walk to the hut, tears streaming down our faces...

O jaaan as much as I hate myself for laughing that is a really very, very funny story mate... ;-)
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Dec 1, 2016 - 11:58pm PT
Your cinematography is amazing, looks like a truly stellar climb!

Hey Ezra thanks a million for your kind post and glad you enjoyed the wee video! :-)
Cheers
Dave
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