Climbing (and skiing, of course) the Jungfrau and the Monch
Ski Touring Difficult
The Bernese Oberland is simply immense. It is huge. This was my first visit to this ski touring and high mountain Mecca and it truly didn't disappoint.
With 8 4000m peaks in the area I wanted to head over there on skis to start exploring this massive mountains. With the Mönch and the Jungfrau towering over the valley below, they seemed like a good place to start. Add to that the opportunity to spend a few days in the high mountains with Jon Gupta, who could say no?
Taking the (eye-wateringly expensive) Jungfraujoch train up, you are transported from 1000m to 3400m in 40 minutes and step out directly onto a high mountain glacier. Not far from the station, we decided we would start with the Jungfrau.
A short ski descent and before we knew it we were putting our skins back on to start climbing up. The size and scale is really hard to express but take it from me, everything is just bigger there - the mountains, the crevasses, the glaciers, all of it.
Climbing as far as skis would allow, an easy transition to boots and crampons and we started the final climb to the summit. Good snow cover and a solid freeze made for quick progress and it wasn't long before Jon and I made it to 4,1508m and were having a summit hug.
But that was just our first objective! Returning to our skis we enjoyed a few steep turns before we set our eyes on the second target, the Mönch.
Did I tell you it was big up there? Well, it is. and climbing back up the way we came to start climbing the Mönch highlighted out planning error of starting with the Jungfrau..
But, never ones to let a little slog get in the way, we climbed back up and made it to the Mönchsjoch where we transitioned again to crampons to climb to the summit.
The Mönch starts quite chill but finishes with a breathtaking summit ridge. As we edged our way up, you can't help but stop to look around at the stunning world around you.
Then, well, we made it. We reached the summit of the Mönch at 4,110m. With 1800m of climbing in our legs, we were both starting to feel it and looking all the way down the glacier to the Konkordiahutte looked a long long way - it's big up there, don't you know?
Needless to say, once we clipped back into skis and could enjoy the afternoon soft snow, the fatigue quickly vanished.
Dinner hasn't tasted that good in a long time.
Difficult
Serious gradient of 30-38 degrees where a real risk of slipping exists.
In case of a fall, death is highly likely.
In the high mountains or remote conditions, all individuals must be completely autonomous in every situation.
86 m away
Day 1: The amazing Jungfraujoch railway accessing the biggest glaciated area in Europe and our first ski peak on the way to the hut.
Difficult Ski Touring
126 m away
Day 1: A positioning day from the top of the Jungfraujoch train, easily down the glacier then a 500m skin over a pass at 3820m.
Moderate Ski Touring
3.2 km away
One of the most sought after ski lines in the Alps on a truly legendary mountain.
Extreme Ski Touring
7.1 km away
Day 5: Traverse of Kranzberg, 3666m, followed by ascent to the Hollandia Hut, 3235m
Severe Ski Touring
7.1 km away
Day 2: Over a pass, descending the far side before reascent to the Wysnollen, 3590m
Moderate Ski Touring
8.2 km away
Day 6: Ebnefluh, 3962m followed by a 2000m descent down the Loetschental
Difficult Ski Touring
9.5 km away
Day 5: The easiest, though not easy, route to one of the remotest and most coveted 4000m peaks in the Alps. NOTE: THE MITTELALETSCHBIWAK IS NOW A RUIN. It was destroyed by an avalanche in 2019.
Severe Ski Touring
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