We woke up in Martigny, elevation 470m / 1545' , after drinking way too
much last night and falling asleep
way too early, I slept great!
Somehow I got the best sleep I'd had in weeks.
Kent and I both wanted to climb Allalinhorn
4027m / 13,212', which is
probably the
second easiest 4000m peak in the Alps.
However after a failed attempt in a near whiteout and 40kph winds I
still hadn't summitted the Breithorn 4164m
/ 13,661, which is by far the
easiest 4000m peak in the Alps.
I needed to summit the Breithorn a) to prove to myself that I could do
it, and b) to prove to myself that I was ready to attempt the
Allalinhorn.
Problem is Kent had already climbed Breithorn.
I knew he'd go up with me to do it again, but I didn't really want to
spend the day in Zermatt, then to Breithorn tomorrow, then need another
recovery day before attempting Allalinhorn.
Shortly before 6am I figured it out - the weather was great, I felt
great, we'll just head straight up and do the Breithorn today!
Not recommended to get such a late start on a summit day, but this is
'only' the Breithorn.
Around 6am I woke up Kent with the announcement that we're going
to head up the Breithorn today!
He thought I was crazy but he didn't argue...
I figured very best case we'd start climbing around 11:30am...
2017-08-02 07:04
The morning after the amazing fireworks show in Martigny Switzerland
The glacier below the Weisshorn from the train up to Zermatt
Kent solod the Weisshorn last year.
Kent pointing out his climb up the Weisshorn
Breithorn is in the background, the smaller peak on the left is Klein
Matterhorn.
2017-08-02 10:17
Back in Zermatt!
We re-packed in the locker room under the train station and left our
big bags behind
2017-08-02 12:38
Kent's pic
Getting my gaitors on just outside Klein Matterhorn.
This the fourth time I've been up there.
The first time was the day after Kent summited the Matterhorn, Kent and
Micheal were with me.
The second time with in 2014 when I failed to summit and Kent succeeded
(of course)
The third time was in 2015 when I started the Tour de Monte Rosa with
Paul, Jed, and Kent
2017-08-02 12:41
Kent's pic
And we're off!
Just like my last attempt at the Breithorn in 2014, it is very very
windy, a good 30-40+mph
Fortunately this time it is clear and not a near whiteout...
I wanted to make good time cause we were starting quite late.
I did not want to spend the night up here!
I'm the closest person you can see, the little dot on the right.
The Breithorn is nearly 2km long.
The highest summit 4164m is the 'easy' summit on the left.
Other summits on the Breithorn include Breithornzwillinge 4138m,
Gendarm 4106m, and Roccia Nera 4073m
2017-08-02 13:29
Kent's pic
I'm at the righthand bend in the switchback, now the trail goes up
toward the left.
This is about as far as I got last time, I never made the switchback
2017-08-02 13:33
Kent's pic
Me again
Somewhere around here I met a party of 3 coming down.
There was one small crevasse, the crossing looking as safe as any
crevasse crossing is likely to be.
The crack was narrow but you never know what you can't see.
I kept heading up and didn't see another soul.
I made the corner where you follow the ridge up to the summit.
The wind really picked up there.
The ridgeline is fairly broad and feels fairly safe, which is good
cause it felt like a 40kph+ wind could blow my butt off the mountain if
I wasn't careful.
As I was getting closer to the summit I realized that I'd really
screwed up -
There was no way I could get my iPhone out, my phone and my gloves
would all
get blown off the mountain into the abyss.
I could have taken a picture with my real camera, except I didn't have
it out, and there was no way I was going to try to get it out in that
wind - same problem, I'd lose my gloves and who knows what else..
I got to the summit, it was unreal.
The view reminded me so much of Kent's videos, but I was here and I'd
solod the Breithorn!
This climb is normally so crowded I knew it was pretty rare
to solo this climb.
I was on top for maybe two minutes at most.
I didn't know how long Kent was going to be, and I was not going to
wait too long in this windstorm.
It was so windy I don't know how we'd communicate anyway.
After a far too short 90 seconds or so I turned around and went back
down.
I was a long way from my lift at Klein Matterhorn, my ride back to
civilization!
2017-08-02 14:03
Kent's pic of me coming off the summit of Breithorn after soloing it
Kent's video
2017-08-02 14:03
Kent's pic
I met Kent coming down, it was fantastic, I'd summitted and he was
right behind me.
I didn't get any pictures for quite a while, I'm so glad Kent did!
I'm not used to wearing sunglasses but eye protection is mandatory on
the snow.
2017-08-02 14:05
Kent's pic
Looking west or northwest
Me near the bottom of the Breithorn ridgeline with the Matterhorn
(Matterhorn is in
the clouds)
Kent says "It's windy! Dusty just summitted the Breithorn ... solo... solo!"
Kent's video
2017-08-02 14:11
Kent's pic
Looking north
Obelgaberhorn & Wellenkuppe 2013
Zinalrothron 2015
Weisshorn 2016
2017-08-02 14:11
Looking east
Kent's pic of the Breithorn summit and ridgeline looking southeast at
Pollux, Castor, and Lyskamm
This the view that stayed with me, this was unreal...
I was really on a Swiss 4000m peak!
Kent's video
2017-08-02 14:12
Kent's pic
Kent's video
2017-08-02 14:19
Kent's pic of me
Kent caught up to me quickly on the way down
my pic
PANO - scroll right
my pic
the plateau below was perhaps 1 mile x 2 miles, it seems quite large
when you're hiking across it, but it really looks small in this picture.
You can barely see the ski lift towers between Klien Matterhorn and the
Italian border to the south
Klein Matterhorn is a long ways away!
The summit of the Breithorn from the trail below near the crevasse
Dusty's video
Kent's video
2017-08-02 14:22
my pic of Kent catching up to me
2017-08-02 14:27
Kent's pic of me at the crevasse - it is the small hole just to my left
Kent's pic
It's a long hike back!
PANO - scroll right
PANO - scroll right
Kent and I got separated on the way back
I changed inside where we'd changed before.
Kent got on the lift and was halfway to Trockener Steg 2939m / 9,642',
the stop at the bottom of the Klein Matterhorn lift, before we texted
each other.
He waited for me there...
Breithorn from the lift
Kent's pic
He's climbed:
Obergabelhorn and Wellenkuppe in 2013
ZinalRothorn in 2015
Weisshorn in 2016
Kent's pic
from the lower lift
Breithorn is in the center, we were on the snowy cap in the center that
is the closest, Breithorn has center tio
Klein Matterhorn is on the right
Back in Zermatt!
We get the walk of fame!
We summitted!
We earned a beer!
We need a room!
2017-08-02 17:06
Kent's pic
2017-08-02 17:08
Kent's pic
We walked along the river.
Kent found us a room at the Hotel Beau Rivage, right next to the river.
First room literally smelled like crap, shower drain was a very big
problem.
We went back down to the front desk and told the owner that the room
smelled badly.
He apologized and gave us another room that was just as good or better,
and certainly smelled better
At the crowded Co-op!
Our room in Hotel Beau Rivage
2017-08-02 19:23
View from our balcony
Kent's video
The bridge just in front of our hotel has a great view of the
Matterhorn, it is one of the few places in town with a good view of the
Matterhorn so it is often crowded
Matterhorn, Kent, and the Hotel Beau-Rivage
We hit the Brown Cow....
By the time we were ready to eat the wiener guy next to the Coop had
closed, leaving only one relatively affordable dining option -
McDonalds!
Still not cheap, nearly 14 CHF for my big burger meal deal, I was
famished.
Then we hit the Brown Cow again....
Kent's pic
Kent's pic
Meanwhile...
Ray and Paul flew into Rome into record heat throughout Italy.
Ray used cash exchange at the airport in Rome, apparently forgetting
that he'd be returning the the US in 8 days - he 'had some bills to
change. they woun't
take my sacajewea coins though'
I asked him if he has any teletypes to send into work...
Ray's pic of the Pantheon from their room in Rome
Paul and Ray had a 76 euro lunch, which I found comical considering how
much crap Paul gives me over going to McDonalds, which I only do in
Zermatt while in Europe
Paul took nap mid afternoon
Ray left his room key and wallet in the room, so he was stuck outside
and couldn't do anything and didn't want to wake Paul up.
Later that night Paul and Ray went to Trastavere and drank beer on the
steps of a
fountain
Previous
Tuesday August 1, 2017
Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, France to Martigny, Switzerland
