Whatta Pains & Woes Brought That Nollen Dose - Mönch Solo Climb
For the title of the article, I dared to use a buzz from the popular fairy tale „Jack, almost the King“, as it perfectly describes my current feelings. And the feelings, which I gradually passed through from the moment I decided for a solo ascent of the wonderful way to Mönch, 4107 meters high mountain in the Bernese Alps, in Switzerland.
The Nollen ridge has become my love at first sight. I mapped the mountain several times, regarding the possible ascent, both from neighboring Eiger and Jungfrau, and I knew that once I'll have to go back. Originally, I had in mind a classic ascent in pair, but over time, due to several important events for me, I finally decided for a free solo climb. Well, decided might be too strong a word, let´s say I just wanted to try it :-)
It all began with a search for information, collecting self-confidence and planning. The first two attempts I had to whistle off because of the weather. But for Wednesday, August 14, the forecasters reported an ideal conditions. I could finally (after midnight) take direction for Grindelwald. At this point, I´m going to skip the description of the arrival and classic ascent routes from the perspective of climbing in pair. I´d better share with you the processes running through my head during my journey to the Nollen´s top. And because there are a lot of things to tell, I take it very quickly and in abbreviations.
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Right at the beginning, I have to note that I´m not Ueli Steck, and I have experienced the solo ice climbing only on a small ice walls close to my hometown. Therefore, someone can come up my feelings as exaggerated and the ascent as a relatively easy. Although I had spent in the mountains rather long time in the past, it was the Nollen ridge that represented a real challenge to me.
All the way to Switzerland, I just enjoyed the mountains, so any negative thoughts went away. In Interlaken, where I´ve been many times before, I saw the Nollen again. I wanted to turn around and go back home. In Grindelwald, the Eiger´s North face, I blew the history of climbing and I started terribly enjoy. But the fear was growing. At Kleine Scheidegg, I decided to banish it by sipping one beer and watching the route with telescope. This way it will not work, no way at all ... here it can possibly go. My head began to explore the idea of an alternative plan :-) A little alcohol but ward off the blues and the decision was clear, at least to go to see the Nollen. I climbed the switchbacks to Guggi hut and after a short dinner and contemplation of the world´s sorrows I fell asleep around seven in the evening. After 10 hours of driving and an afternoon hike, I haven´t even noticed the noise of the quite crowded hut. Alarm clock stricken at 3am.
Getting up early was never my business as it always takes some time to start up my head. It was probably in a right time :-) without undue delay, I got dressed and together with eight other people we stepped into a surprisingly warm night. During the zigzag wanderings screes at the light of headlamps, I was still considering three possible variants of the procedure. Left, right or down. Well, let´s see, depending on how it goes.
Before dawn I reached the entrance to the snow field, which gradually rises and ends by approximately 50 meters of icy hump. From there, it looked quite easily. At worst, I´ll just turn around and go back from here. Fit crampons, drink up almost all the remaining water to lighten most my backpack, and upwards.
The first third of the slope was absolutely amazing. In a hard firn each ax notch was simply perfect and the idea that it follows the same way up made me feel wonderful. When I was about halfway through, I met the first four climbers entering the Nollen ridge. Not so carefully and safe. Pretty large chunks of ice began to fly in the air and fall down on me, which had not much of the positive impact on my mind. Moreover, with exposure slowly growing, any of my error would have meant the aspiration to Simon Ammann´s Olympic jump.
The upper passage, where all others drilled bolts one after another like crazy, is a combination of brittle ice and firn, which is not an ideal terrain if you can´t afford even a single mistake. The ice was chopping and weapons by far did not follow as in parts below.
Above me, I began to feel a growing nervousness of climbers, who gradually entered the upright part of the ascent. Their light ice jamming passed on to its gross industrial production – all ending somewhere close to my helmet and, of course, mostly on it. It was clear this won´t work for long. To speed up my solo climb and overtake others was the only solution. Otherwise they might pelt me to death. I moved a little aside and took off my helmet, which I was getting pretty hot in. Perhaps for 5 seconds, but those were enough to some good-man, who provided me with a nice hit in the head. A little shock, a few drops of blood, but the worst thing was my subsequent look down. I realized I was at the point where you can not descend safely, and that the only "reasonable" path leads upwards.
Without undue stopping, I gradually began to pass the other teams, which left me alone relatively quickly before entering the key location of the ascent. I found my final Nollen way in its leftest side, with a bit milder slope. Even so, the quality of the ice wasn´t honestly much of pleasure. In addition, there you move to about a kilometer long wall, ending with screes at the foot of the mountain. There was no room for fear. I focused only on each other ax move and crampon kick ... With each successful series of steps forward my self-confidence grew, once the weapon sliced aside or the ice brake off , the confidence was screwed. Slowly, the lack of - actually no acclimatization – before the climb started to take its toll.
Driven by other pieces of falling ice, I gradually climbed all belaying duos and finally had not have anyone above me. At the same time I saw the end of my misery, in the form of a more moderate firn slope above Nollen. The worst thing would be hurry here. I dug a stable stairs, firmly stuck two ice axes and finally got some rest. The last few meters were about 100% concentration and until I stand on flat surface, I have not won.
After climbing Nollen a sudden moment of a huge euphoria wave attacked me. Seeing the rest of the way I lost motivation to continue. If there was probably some simple glide path, I'm not sure if I would ever continued the Mönch ascent. I did not want to take any more risk and just enjoyed the feeling of a job well done. So, after a short break I went further the firn slope and ridge to the top of the 4,107 m high "mandatory" destination.
At the top I stayed only about two minutes, because I waited a fairly exposed ridge descent to the Mönch Hütte that I wanted to be as fast as possible and as safely done. Now, I´m not about to spoil my way :-) I have received several congratulations, even from mountain guides, for which I was quite surprised, because they came from the other side of the hill. Last snow slope, past rockeries and latest twists in screes …
My nervousness finally passed while on the ice field under the hut, where I finally admitted that there is nowhere to fall. I was physically, but also mentally pretty tired, so I decided to take advantage of the unique opportunity presented by this part of the Alps, a way to Kleine Scheidegg train, from the renowned head of the Eiger massif. 60 CHF, although not extra cheap, I have already experienced less meaningful spendings in my life :-) In the train I almost fell asleep and woke up back in Scheidegg.
The Mönch ascent means a lot to me. On the way up to it, I could organize chaos in my head, which these hectic times occasionally cause. I put together priorities again, realized again what is important and what is not. I realized how much I love the mountains, able to force humans quickly return both feet back on the ground. How brilliantly well I actually feel thinking I can just go to such a place, and that I have where and to whom to return from here. It probably does not matter how one develops a similar feeling, but everyone should do so. Have a very nice days! David
Adrex.com team member David´s report from the Alps. As the author of the story isn´t native speaker, we decided to leave his text uncorrected. We belive it adds to its authenticity. Thanks to David.
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