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On account of google photo problems I have had to separate this two part report from the Lauteraarhorn (17)
The 4078m Schreckhorn (correctly the Gross Schreckhorn) is one of the most impressive of the Swiss 4000nders, but it hides away and is seldom seen to its best. If you drive South down the motorway from Berne to Interlaken on a clear day it appears as a sharp spike at the far L . This aspect from the North is well captured in this winter picture
Schreckhorn from the Northit is also seen - with the Lauteraarhorn to its R - from the Eismeer window on the Jungfraujoch railway - the standard route on this mountain used to climb the obvious snow couloir to the Schrecksattel - and then the ridge above it but modern snow conditions have made this much less popular and the normal way now is to climb the shallow partly snow-filled depression on the L to the "shoulder" - and then finish up slabby rocks from thereIt requires good conditions to climb it, but the corollary of this is that when conditions are good it gets very crowded
The conditions did not occur in 2008, but in early August 2009 things looked good.
It is a very long route from the Schreckhorn hut and Klaus decided that to give us the best chance of success we would camp just below the Strahlegg pass where there is a even platform accessible by helicopter. I was gettng a bit past-my-sell-by-date by now - so who was I to argue
all I had to do was pay for the helicopter - which turned out to be much less than I had feared
Klaus also had a small camera so I'm afraid you'll have to put up with more pictures of me.
Day 1Klaus packed everything into two plastic barrels which we left at the Heliport at Lauterbrunnen before taking the lift from Grindelwald and walking up to the Schreckhorn hut - same POW camp regime as before:(
Getting everything into the barrelsAt the HeliportOn the way up to the hut - looking across to the Ischmeer glacier leading up to the foot of the Fiescherwand - the Eiger is in cloud on the R Grindelwald glacier icefall - the path to the hut keeps on the L all the way. There are wires to help on the rocky sectionsZoomed viewSchreckhorn hutIbex at the hutViews from the hut This path leads out on to the flat glacier which you follow for a bit before heading up scree slopes towards the passUp towards the Ochs (or Kleines Fiescherhorn)Mönch and EigerEiger close up - somewhere up there is the Eismeer window on the railway, but I've never been able to spot it Evening view of the Finsteraarhorn Evening sun on the SchreckhornZoomed viewDay 2 We made a leisurely climb towards the Strahlegg pass and found our barrels in the expected place: Klaus organised the tent and we sat and lazed around in the sunshine - watching the scenery.
Schreckhorn from the way up to the passDetailed map - the camp site is close to Gaagg The campsiteRelaxing at the campThe fridgeA guide's duties include cookingRoute to the SchreckhornLooking down the glacier on the L into the valleyClose-up of the glacierNice to have a down jacket when it's this cold Evening sun on tent and SchreckhornEvening sun again - start of tomorrows route - bottom L - Lauteraarhorn and Strahlegg pass - upper RFinsteraarhorn and Finsteraarjoch againNice warm ski hat - £2.95 in C&A sale - ca. 1980 Last of the sun