Switzerland 2025

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Saturday August 2, 2025
Saas Fee

Sunday August 3, 2025
Allalinhorn

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Monday August 4, 2025
Hohsaas

Saas Fee will sell you an Allalinhorn package online "My First 4000 Metre Peak", they just provide a simple checklist to make sure you are up to it :)

Are you ready for the Allalinhorn?
✔️ Are you 16 or older?
✔️ Are you sure-footed?
✔️ 4 hours of high alpine hiking don't bother you?
✔️ Do you respect the mountain?
If you can answer 'yes' to all of these questions, then nothing is stopping you from setting off on your adventure!

I was increasingly stressed out Saturday night and Sunday morning.
I was really nervous about leading Ray up to Allalinhorn.
I figured if anything happened to him I'd never forgive myself.
As we started walking toward the lifts, I finally told myself that he's an adult making his own decisions, I'm not his parent or gaurdian, and I was able to let go of my stress, mostly.

08:25 Switzerland time 00:25 California time

Metro Alpin, the highest underground railway in the world.

08:46 Switzerland time 00:46 California time

Ray, putting on crampons : "this requires alot of flexibility"
moi: "good thing climbing doesn't"

08:55 Switzerland time 00:55 California time

me:
Ideal conditions, not quite alpine start, 851am and dozens of people visible in front of Ray on Allalinhorn normal route F+
I can't tell exactly what's going on at the crevasse crossing half way up.

i did not bring crampons up today, i am not leaving the building.

i lied, i walked out on the snow to the edge behind the cats to take panos.

i believe i could see Ray until he was out of sight approaching Feejoch, not sure of course.... i was pretty sure i could see him until he left the ski area then ran into a crowd waiting to start up.

I spent the morning taking pictures of the mountains and the climbers.
I avoided texting since I didn't want to distract Ray.

A few other folks sat outside for a little while, but I was the only person who sat outside all morning.
I grabbed my ski pants at the last minute this morning, they were key to keeping me warm enough to stay outside.

09:03 Switzerland time 01:03 California time

09:09 Switzerland time 01:09 California time

The Bernese alps generally disappeared after this as the clouds rose..

09:18 Switzerland time 01:18 California time

09:34 Switzerland time 01:34 California time

09:55 Switzerland time 01:55 California time

You can see three climbers starting the Northeast Ridge AD+, above the smaller rock band in the middle of the picture.
I didn't notice them in real time until they were much higher.

10:15 Switzerland time 02:15 California time

10:18 Switzerland time 02:18 California time

PANO, scroll right
Over a dozen climbers on the Hohlaubgrat East Ridge / PD (ridge on left side of Allalinhorn, you can see the track coming up from below)
The three climbers on the Northeast Ridge are about 2/3 of the way up, below the snow ridge.
This is when I first noticed climbers on the Northeast Ridge in real time.
I watched climbers on a total of five routes this morning, first time I've seen anyone climb anything other than Breithorn and Allalinhorn normal routes

10:54 Switzerland time 02:54 California time

10:54 Switzerland time 02:54 California time

The three climbers on the Northeast Ridge are starting their final summit push, just above the cliffs

10:55 Switzerland time 02:55 California time
Ray's pic

Ray texted a pic of him sitting on the summit of Allalinhorn!

me: Attaboy!

Ray summitted!
This was the first text from Ray since he left.
I still didn't want to send more texts to distract him, so I started a text with more details that I'd send after he was back.

me (sent later):
by 1130am ski runs are nearly empty after a few 100 skiers earlier.
sign said last ski patrol is noon.
must be quite melty slushy by now, it is our front here...

Ten climbers in four groups on the Alphubel East Flank Normal Route from Längflue F+
Three climbers on the Alphubel SE-ridge from the Alphubeljoch PD

I don't see the line below the lowest climber, but it continues to Längfluh

The trio on the Northeast Ridge finished a while ago, only 2-3 groups left on East Ridge.

cloud level came up to mitel allen 3500m but then retreated when breeze shifted slightly

1145am
"only" 25 -35 climbers visible on normal route now, peak was probably 2x

noon
I see a solo skier coming down the east ridge, they are moving too fast to be a climber.
They disappeared over the other side of the ridge, I assume headed to Britanniahütte

1207pm
3 cats head out to fix the snow...

12:24 Switzerland time 04:24 California time
Ray's back!

Ray:
Fun climb/hike!
Almost 3.5 hours up and down.
A few very interesting spots.
The last 100 feet seemed like the sketchiest to me because it involved climbing and mixed rock and snow and got slippery.
No other solo climbers.
Couple people asked me about it.

Ray's pictures, in order that he took them: