Success climbing the Monte Rosa yesterday! It was fifth time lucky for me after 4 previous attempts were frustrated by weather or illness or snow...but well worth waiting for, with guides and clients equally excited to reach the top.
.jpg "Monte Rosa from the approach to the Monte Rosa hut.")
It's a long way to climb from the Monte Rosa hut, and as the guardian insisted on a 2am breakfast the early hours of the morning are spent in a confusing jumble of rocks behind the hut. Soon, the glacier provides more excitement as you navigate a complex field of crevasses on the lower glacier, all still in the dark.
.jpg "Dawn light on the Matterhorn")
Sunrise brought some spectacular views, but not much relief from the biting cold - a rare thing this summer!
.jpg "Starting the summit ridge on Monte Rosa. Lyskamm in the background")
The summit ridge starts with an airy snow ridge, followed by exciting rocky climbing in spectacular positions. This is the highest rock in Switzerland!
.jpg "Near the top of the west ridge of Monte Rosa")
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As everything else starts to look small, the summit arrives - a fine perch and at last some shelter from the cold on a sunny ledge in Italy!
.jpg "Summit of the Monte Rosa!")
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