I currently live in the Netherlands, which is a lovely country, but there is one problem: it's flat as fuck.

Going to the mountains is at least a 9-hour drive, meaning it's basically a holiday, so I cannot even consider myself a weekend warrior.

I currently work in Engineering and have a bachelor's in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, but since graduation I have been mainly working as an Automation Engineer in the Offshore and Maritime sector (great industry to come from if you want to find a job close to the mountains 🙄).

I have been looking at jobs in Valais, Switzerland, for the last year but I have yet to find a job that fits my profile. Most companies want to have someone with a little bit more work experience in a more related industry (for example the pharmaceutical industry).

I'd say my English is quite good, but my German, Italian and French is dogshit to say the least. I have been looking at Innsbruck now, since it is quite international, but apart from that I don't know what would be a good option for both living and climbing.

I post a pic here of the rack I’ve taken with me for a solo trip to the alps where I solo climbed a bunch of cool 3500s and bolted two new routes on the Cimon della Pala (aka the Matterhorn of the Dolomites) Feel free to ask any questions about my setups for LRS or any bolting advice

(Swipe for some of the trip photos)

Anyone here who has completed the High Alpine online course offered free by Orthovox?

What difference does the contents have from the offline course? (Apart from the crevasse rescue and actual demonstrations)

Asking this in case I can do this free course at least to begin my High Alpine journey - with reasonable training as opposed to just winging it.

Hi, im about to buy my first crampons. What you thinks about these one? Look kinda old and rusty but someone want 60€ for these, is it worthy?

Hi, another topic :)

New ice axe incomming. Thinking about these two, price about 45€, any differenence? Petzl has lunge in set.

Hello, I want to buy my first mountaineering backpack to do alpine routes of between 2-4 days in the Picos de Europa, Pyrenees, Sierra de Gredos…. In winter, spring and autumn, I had thought about a trango TRX2 60 PRO DR but there are hardly any reviews or opinions on the internet so I don't know if it really suits me, what do you say?

Previous Summit (Cayesh and Torre Egger) and New Summit (Verto SA and FA) models.

Model lineup from left to right on photo Cayesh -> Verto SA -> Torre Egger -> Verto FA

The Verto SA is the upgrade to the Cayesh. The FA is to the Torre.

I bought the old models a couple months ago, and then the new models came out.

Sizing: Took some trial and error on the old models with the fit. Basically the TNF run smaller compared to other shoe sizing. I generally wear a 10.5/11US for a street shoe. I first bought the old model on size 11 and they were too small and narrow. I don’t have narrow feet, but slightly on the wider side with normal archs. I’ve never had to buy wide shoes though or aftermarket insoles. I ended up getting size 12US in the old models and did the same with the new models. The older ones are narrower with a tighter toe box, which I had to play around with using different socks and insoles.

When I got the new models, the toe box was much bigger and more comfortable. Heel lock down was much better on the new ones. Materials were good and better. The inner boot liners on the new models are much nicer quality. It was nice having the BOA on the outside too and there was more ankle support. All but the Torres were pretty easy to put on and off. The Torres required some technique with the inner boot and Velcro strap.

SA models had a removable black foam footbed, the FA did not, but it had a red wool warm footbed “built in”. The Torres came with two footbeds, a thin black wool and a red warmer one. The Cayesh had a removable warmer red footbed similar to the Torres.

The new boots are slightly taller than the older ones and came up about 1/4” short of my crew socks. There is a velcro strap at the top on the new ones, that will scratch your skin if your socks don’t go all the way up or you don’t have some thermal liners tucked into in. You could probably use some leukotape. The bottom of my Gamma pants were able to fit over all the models.

I included some insole comparisons for a visual size reference. The Arcs are size 11, the Boost are 10, the ACG are 10.5

The stock soles on all the models are very thin and flat without any profile. I am currently testing the Cayesh and the Verto SA with insoles from superfeet winter thin and the Sole cork thin performance. I feel both have provided a nice improvement over stock footbeds. I also tested mixed all different types of smart wool socks, from zero cushion all the way up to maximum cushion and even used sock liners. I did fitments in the morning and later in the day after walking around. This helped me get a sense of any hotspots or issues.

Was looking for a nice synthetic jacket and liked how the mammut looked, but can't find it in stock anywhere. Does anyone know if it's been discontinued?

Prelude [05/07/2025]

Driving from Geneva to Chamonix Aiguille du Bionassay appears tall on the side of Mont Blanc, almost lost on the giants shoulder yet undeniably distinct none-the-less. Despite its prominent location it is invisible from Chamonix and hard to access, requiring a very long day and hard effort to even get near. 

The prelude to my solo of the Aiguille de Bionnassay was an exercise in active rest. It began after summiting Mont Blanc via the Trois Monts. As my partner, Ben,  began the colossal 3,500-metre descent back to the valley floor, I made a different calculation. Knowing the Bionnassay was next on my list for the ‘Climb Against Time’ challenge, my quest to summit forty-one of the Alps’ 4,000-metre peaks this season for a future free from dialysis (we want to build an artificial kidney), I opted to stay at the Goûter hut. The energy saved would be a critical investment.

The following morning, after an easy two-hour descent, I arrived in Chamonix and had a relaxed day with Ben. The first order of business the following day was a logistical headache, retrieving my bivvy gear and surplus rock gear I had stashed at the Refuge des Cosmiques. That meant buying a lift ticket for the Aiguille du Midi, ascending, descending the arête to the hut, grabbing my gear, and reversing the whole process. The day after a major climb, my body protested this frustrating, energy-sapping affair.

By 1 pm, with my pack now laden with gear, the real approach began. I had called the Plan Glacier refuge repeatedly, but with no answer I was heading in blind, so I packed my bivvy gear as a contingency. A solo attempt means carrying the full weight of safety yourself: a 50-metre rope for the abseils, a light rack of cams and wires, and a snow picket for suspect bridges. The load is heavier,  but life, simpler. With no partner call answered, I would be alone. It was a welcome change. Success or failure would be contingent on me, and me alone.

Plan Glacier Refuge 

The hike to the Plan Glacier refuge was idyllic. After leaving the car, I took the lift to Bellevue and began the walk, crossing paths with hikers on the Tour du Mont Blanc. A pang of nostalgia, the simplicity of their journey, a hard day’s walk followed by a warm meal and sleep in a tent or a hut, free from the sharp-edged stress of the high mountains. For me, my mountain, the Aiguille de Bionnassay, loomed ahead, towering, its 4,052-metre summit looking down from behind glaciated curtains. It felt as massive and remote as anything in the Mont Blanc massif.

After four hours, as dusk settled around 9 pm, I finally saw it: the Plan Glacier refuge. Perched on the mountainside, the fourteen-bed timber outpost felt like a Himalayan teahouse plucked from my imagination. To my relief, the hut keeper confirmed he had a bed. So soon, I boiled water for a dehydrated meal and sat outside, gazing at the panorama. The sun had set, casting a deep blue hue over the landscape. The Domes de Miages sat as giants to my side as the moon rose above them. I felt tired but not broken; there was no “pop,” each step deliberate, but I was here, here in this almost sacred side of the Massif, that was scared by no lifts nor pistes. 

My primary concern was not the technical rock climbing, French 4, well within my abilities, but the solo glacier crossing. To cross a crevassed glacier alone is to court oblivion. A fall is final. You simply disappear into the ice, a self-burial with no ceremony. I asked the hut keeper about conditions.

“There is a path, but it is alpine, you know?” he said, gauging whether I was capable or reckless. I told him I was equipped and had been in the valley for weeks, which seemed to satisfy him. The glacier, he explained, was west-facing and held in shadow until late morning, so an extremely early start was unnecessary to avoid soft snow. “But be careful of rockfall if you cross too late,” he warned. I then crawled into my bunk, sleeping a solid eight solid hours.

The next morning, after a meagre but welcome breakfast, I stowed my bivvy gear and made my way to the glacier. A small jump got me over the bergschrund and onto the ice. I moved fast, probing with my axe, senses on high alert, trusting a mix of experience and hope that nothing would break beneath me. The final section, steepening towards the opposing rock wall, was more heavily crevassed, but the snow bridges felt solid. Another jump, and I was across. My heart was racing. This was the psychological crux.

Durier 

From there, it was a 500-metre vertical slog up a rib of loose, unpleasant rock to the Refuge Durier. I moved slowly and steadily, conserving energy, arriving after two and a half hours as the first climber of the day. “Just you?” asked Marion, the hut keeper, appearing at the door with a bowl of dough in her hands. “Yes.” “Your plan?” she asked, kneading rhythmically. “The Bionnassay tomorrow.” “Okay. House rules: crampons outside. Do not shit or piss on the snow, I melt it for water. Use the toilet.” Firm, but fair.

Soon the small fourteen-bed hut filled with other climbers, most planning the full Royal Traverse. A family caught my eye, mother, father, and their teenage son, also heading for Mont Blanc. The boy was fascinated by crystals, and I could not blame him. Marion’s partner, a crystal hunter, brought out his collection. Though I could not communicate in French, we shared a mutual appreciation as the boy gazed at the quartz glittering in the afternoon sun.

Dinner was a delight as Marion served soup with her homemade bread, one of the best I have tasted, salty, dense, and perfect for replenishing the day’s exertion. Sausages and lentils followed, an unexpected luxury at 3,350 metres. Mindful of the others, I ate my fill and crawled into my bunk. As the sun went down, I watched from the window. If the Durier is famous for anything, it should be for its sunsets, a phenomenal dance of colours, the fiery sun bleeding into the blue blanket of cloud below, framed by the stark white of the mountains. A perfect descent into the oblivion of night.

The Climb

I woke at 2 am, ate more of that magnificent bread, and departed at 3 am into the cold darkness. I walked slowly, finding rhythm. Around 5 am, as I neared the start of the technical climbing, I saw it. About fifty kilometres away over Italy a storm cell was raging, a silent, violent tempest contained in a celestial jar. Bolt after bolt of lightning illuminated the clouds from within. The horizon was otherwise clear. It set a dramatic, almost sacred ambience for the crux ahead.

The first move off the snow onto the rock was the hardest at grade IV. A fall here would be unforgiving. I climbed slowly and deliberately thereafter mostly at grade III, crampons scraping granite, feeling for every hold. A French climber ahead of me called out now and then, “Are you okay?” I certainly was, but I appreciated the gesture. At the top of the rock band, I bypassed a small overhang with a short traverse and a scramble, there was however a much easier option just a bit below which I noted for the descent. 

From there, a final snow arête led to the summit. One of the most stunning summits of my life. The knife-edge ridge stretched ahead, plunging towards the Col de Bionnassay. Peering over the edge, I could see through the clouds to the valley and the very hiking trails I had walked two days before. I teared up at this summit. It had taken me considerable effort to get here, another peak was down, the beautiful peak of Bionassay.

But the celebration was premature. The summit is only halfway. I descended quickly, making three abseils down the rock section. On the rocky bastion of the Bionassay I found an alpine cleft with large quartz crystals which I pocketed, then regrettably, left at the Durier. Making my way down the rock rib I again had the glacier crossing, I heard rocks already tumbling on the glacier. I crossed fast and after collecting my bivvy gear and refuelling with a Coke and some energy bars at Plan Glacier Refuge, I started the final leg. At the Col de Tricot, hikers told me the last Bellevue lift down was at 5:30 pm. I looked at my watch and it was 3 pm.

I started sprinting downhill. By 4:30 pm I was at the lift station, exhausted but relieved. A successful tour on a magnificent mountain. Everything had come together.

4 down, 37 to go

Before climbing Mont Blanc, my two friends and I summited Bishorn. Some mountaineering accounts even stole our videos from social media and reposted them on their own pages because the footage turned out so well.

Been sport climbing for a while and recently got into alpinism. I’m trying to build up skills beyond rock climbing like glacier travel, ice climbing, and navigation. Looking for a structured roadmap:

• Where did others begin?
• Recommended progression of skills (e.g., courses, mentors, books, guides)?
• Books, training plans, or clubs worth joining?

Would love to hear your starting points and any personal experiences!

Hello, I’ve got question about climbing MB via Italian Route during mid September. How does conditions looks like in this period? And also what are your sleeping options. I’ve reached Gonella Hut but in response I‘ve got info that they are closed from 1 August :(( Are there any place on the route consider appropriate for pitching tent. Thanks for help 😁

I have some experience in climbing my highest mountain was the lÄmpersberg which one should i climb next year?

Been trying to find a good pair of softshell pants for skiing and climbing, and was wondering if anyone had recommendations for pants or could give good advice on the Terravias, mostly just how weather resistant they are, and if they fit well over ski boots. Thanks for any help!

Hi all!

I'm interested in scrambling the Matterhorn next summer July/August. I've done a lot of rock climbing and 5 4000ers (most of them solo..).

So here's my questions: 1. Those who have done the Hörnligrat as well as other routes, which route did you find most enjoyable/safe? Besides Hörnli I'm looking at Liongrat and Zmutt mostly. 2. Has anyone here done it in one push from Zermatt? How did it go and how long did it take you? 3. Maybe a silly question: what shoes did you wear? I usually prefer to scramble in light trail running shoes if there's not much snow because it's much faster than chunky mountaineering boots. I see most people use B2/B3 boots on this mountain. Wondering if it's suitable to do in trail runners?

I was initially thinking of doing it solo, and it's still not out of cards, but of course it would be safer to do it together. So if anyone is interested in sharing a rope on Matterhorn (and perhaps other routes, like Eiger Westflank or Lagginhorn South) send me a dm!

I'm traveling in south america in the fall/winter, I'll be in Patagonia around november/december. I'm considering dropping by El Chalten for a couple of weeks for mountaineering but I'm not sure if it's worth it for me.

I'm comfortable leading 6a trad (~Chamonix grades -- are Chalten grades comparable?), I've got some experience having climbed about 35 routes in the alps in the last 3 years, difficulties ranging from F to TD+, mostly unguided. I can bring gear but would rather take as little as possible since it has to come all the way from Europe...

I would be by myself so I would have to find a partner there, which I don't really like (I've done it before, it's hit or miss -- you don't know if you'll get along, you don't know how safety-minded people are, communication issues, lots of people believe and claim they can climb 2 grades harder than they do...). It also seems to me that most routes are quite difficult, and differ from what I'm used to in the alps (long routes with less stable weather, routes not equipped at all - not even the belays or rappels -, little to no rescue possibilities).

There are still a lot of routes I want to do in the alps. So it's not like I'm desperate for a mountain to climb, and there are lots of things to see in south america... I also have other adventurous things to do on location. On the other hand it seems a pity to be in that area, and not try my luck in an area known worldwide for the quality of its climbing.

What do you think? I don't want to take a guide (expensive + don't like the dynamic of being a guided tourist), and I'd like to do one of the nicer "agujas" (not worth it to do the detour for mojon rojo although it could be a practice/get-to-know-your-partner climb). Looking for advice from people who actually have climbed in El Chalten: how difficult is it to find a partner, how likely am I to manage to climb anything, logistics of bringing gear (sending it separately by mail so I don't have to lug 15kgs of metal and rope around latam?), online forums for finding partners (facebook groups I guess?), etc.

I‘ve planned to climb the Breithorn with my friend this weekend but sadly he injured himself. I still want to do the climb so maybe someone who has basic mountaineering skills and is in near Zermatt wants to join me? I‘ve done other peaks including another 4000m already. Would be happy if someone has Interest.

any suggestion please? should i go for the v-link or other brand?

Visited Zermatt solo earlier this year. I didn't climb Matterhorn, but ascended a fair share of +-4k-ers around the area, plus some hikes through their allegedly famous routes (Glacier Paradise, etc.). I guess I was wrong to expect authenticity or "virgin" nature around such a tourist-heavy area, but for such a glorified region it sure was a let down. A lot of building waste even at high altitudes, no matter where one is, it's easy to spot some sort of excavations or construction works -- definitely not a rewarding view after hours of heavy climbs. The views are nice when looking away from the city, but the thought of such a beautiful place being so ravaged just seemed to weight heavy on my shoulders the whole time.

So my question is, are there any similar, less overpriced and more authentic (preferably without many lifts) places / regions in Switzerland? I really liked the extensive mountain range, the glaciers and valleys.

I currently study at a gymnasium in Switzerland. This year I have to beginn my Maturawork (project I have to do to be able to finish school). My first Ide was this: Planning and documentation of the preparation and ascent of Mont Blanc. My school said I couldnt do that because it is not „scientifical“ enough. I could also create something like a documentation of the mountain itself but I am not totally convinced. Does anyone have a better Idea so I can do my work in this range?