The Eiger

[MilanBohac]

Wow, that is quite an adventure! Great story and wonderful pictures, thanks for sharing!

[Mal Grey]

Fantastic adventure, and a gripping tale. I was getting vertigo sat at my computer, just thinking about those yawning, blank voids all around on the descent.

[Sunset tripper]

Well done great report, great pictures and great achievement

[Nigels3011]

Great photos. I've done the Monch and the Jungfrau but we were concentrating on the 4000ers so have never attempted the Eiger.

[past my sell by date]

Pretty exciting stuff. I avoided the Mittellegi because there were supposed to be 200m of fixed ropes . I loathe fixed ropes - I can climb those in a gym. I went up and down from the Monchjoch hut, over the two Eigerjochs and the South ridge - your descent route - but in perfect weather . There was no one else on the way up and it was a nice climb, but all the people doing your route descended with us, and someone knocked a stone down that whacked me on the back of the hand - a minor inconvenience by your standards

[mgmt!]

Pretty exciting stuff. I avoided the Mittellegi because there were supposed to be 200m of fixed ropes . I loathe fixed ropes - I can climb those in a gym. I went up and down from the Monchjoch hut, over the two Eigerjochs and the South ridge - your descent route - but in perfect weather . There was no one else on the way up and it was a nice climb, but all the people doing your route descended with us, and someone knocked a stone down that whacked me on the back of the hand - a minor inconvenience by your standards

My friend in the Lomond club soloed your route a few years ago. You don't need to use the fixed ropes if you don't want to, but isn't having a guide like being attached to a permenent fixed rope ??

[past my sell by date]

mgmt wrote "My friend in the Lomond club soloed your route a few years ago. You don't need to use the fixed ropes if you don't want to, but isn't having a guide like being attached to a permenent fixed rope ??"

No - it's like being permanently belayed - you still have to do the climb. If you have to be pulled up everything it's far too slow and therefore dangerous - and also pointless. Starting in the Alps after I retired at the age of 58 I felt it would be sensible to use a guide - as anyway I had very few friends of my age with similar ambitions and free time
The only places I've had fixed ropes - Matterhorn and Dent du Geant - it's been quite difficult to avoid them

[mgmt!]

mgmt wrote "My friend in the Lomond club soloed your route a few years ago. You don't need to use the fixed ropes if you don't want to, but isn't having a guide like being attached to a permenent fixed rope ??"

No - it's like being permanently belayed - you still have to do the climb. If you have to be pulled up everything it's far too slow and therefore dangerous - and also pointless. Starting in the Alps after I retired at the age of 58 I felt it would be sensible to use a guide - as anyway I had very few friends of my age with similar ambitions and free time
The only places I've had fixed ropes - Matterhorn and Dent du Geant - it's been quite difficult to avoid them

Your not being belayed, I've never seen a guided person lead a pitch . Your being led up a mountain attached to a rope for your safety. Take a look at the Austrian Alpine Club, thousands of members , I'm sure you would find lots of like minded people to climb with , save you a few bob too.

[past my sell by date]

mgmt wrote "My friend in the Lomond club soloed your route a few years ago. You don't need to use the fixed ropes if you don't want to, but isn't having a guide like being attached to a permenent fixed rope ??"

No - it's like being permanently belayed - you still have to do the climb. If you have to be pulled up everything it's far too slow and therefore dangerous - and also pointless. Starting in the Alps after I retired at the age of 58 I felt it would be sensible to use a guide - as anyway I had very few friends of my age with similar ambitions and free time
The only places I've had fixed ropes - Matterhorn and Dent du Geant - it's been quite difficult to avoid them

Your not being belayed, I've never seen a guided person lead a pitch . Your being led up a mountain attached to a rope for your safety. Take a look at the Austrian Alpine Club, thousands of members , I'm sure you would find lots of like minded people to climb with , save you a few bob too.

Not so
When we climbed on equipped rock (up to F6a)- we normally led through. what I would add is that if you want your guide to treat you as a "fellow mountaineer" rather than a "sack of coal" - you behave like one. In ten years I never fell off - well certainly not without warning. My position maybe unusual : I have no dependent relatives and am likely to run out of time before I run out of money. I still spend the entire season in Switzerland (though I don't climb the big peaks now ) and we only climbed in good weather. It's all horses for courses
Incidentally have you done the traverse of La Meije? I can thoroughly recommend it and I would have thought it would be up your street.

[mgmt!]

.[/quote]
Not so
When we climbed on equipped rock (up to F6a)- we normally led through. what I would add is that if you want your guide to treat you as a "fellow mountaineer" rather than a "sack of coal" - you behave like one. In ten years I never fell off - well certainly not without warning. My position maybe unusual : I have no dependent relatives and am likely to run out of time before I run out of money. I still spend the entire season in Switzerland (though I don't climb the big peaks now ) and we only climbed in good weather. It's all horses for courses
Incidentally have you done the traverse of La Meije? I can thoroughly recommend it and I would have thought it would be up your street.[/quote]

fair play to you, definitely an exception to the rule. La Meije, is on the list , couple of guys in my club did it this year and raved about it,

[Derek Thomas]

Exciting dangerous adventurous stuff & much more for good measure! - I found myself hanging on very tight!
Yes, and I am envious but unsure if I'd have the bottle. Might also be a good few years too late!!
Hearty congratulations to all three of you for an awesome achievement and a dream made to come true

[Ibex]

Absolutely awesome!
I'm currently reading 'The White Spider' so am a little enthralled with the Eiger at the moment.

Congratulations on summiting the beast.

[Tinley]

Tremendous report!!!

I've booked flights for next August to do this exact route

What maps did you use? Osteggo is an honesty system eh?

[past my sell by date]

Tremendous report!!!

I've booked flights for next August to do this exact route

What maps did you use? Osteggo is an honesty system eh?

Information on Swiss Alpine Club huts is available at http://www.sac-cas.ch/en.html. To save buying too many maps, after selecting the hut (near the Eiger), click on "online map and literature and then on XL topo to bring up a map of the area . You can move around it using arrows, and also by scrolling transfer from the 1:50,000 to the more detailed 1:25000. You can't print directly but I use "printscreen"and then Photoshop. Be aware though that the lines are Ski routes not Walking ones! Also a lot of the glaciers shown are now sadly gone

[mgmt!]

Tremendous report!!!

I've booked flights for next August to do this exact route

What maps did you use? Osteggo is an honesty system eh?

Thanks Tinley, yes its an honesty system, and has great facilities, you get the code for the hut from the sports shop in Grindlewald, i got the map in the store too, Jungfrau Region 2520, 1:25,000, cost 25chf, enjoy it , its a fantastic way to do this wonderful mountain.