Two weeks ago I went on a DREAMJOB in Switzerland: To be part of the #PEAKCHALLENGE project where Switzerland want all women team to climb all the 4000 m in Switzerland. The best thing: I was going with my best friend, Matilda Söderlund!
We took the train to Zermatt and the closer we got the more beautiful it was.
When we arrived we took a stroll in the town and got Matilda some gear for the mountains.
The next morning Johanna Stålnacke, one of only four Swedish IFMGA guides joined us!
We went for coffee! Or they did, I don´t drink coffee… Never had.
And then we took the train towards Gronergrat.
How beautiful is the view over the Monte Rosa massif?
Approach to Riffelhorn – our goal for today!
Amazing landscape!
I mean look at this!
We did an easy multipitch route grade 4 in our alpine boots to practice for the mountains.
It was quite easy for a pro like Matilda 🙂
Johanna were always showing us things and we learned a lot.
View from the summit! Then weather came in so it was perfect timing to go back down and eat something.
The next morgning we took the lift up to Klein Matterhorn at 3800 m.
Glacier gear on!
Matildas first time in crampons!
We were climbing the Breithorn Half Traverse so the first part was a walk on the glacier.
A rescue helicopter came and dropped someone off during a rescue. They are so good at rescues here in Switzerland. They have a 15 minutes guarantee… That is fast!
Then we continued. Along the way, just next to us a man fell into a crevasse but our badass guide helped him out.
Then it got steeper as we approached the col. The last part we had to use our ice axes.
And then the traverse begins! I climbed the whole Breithorn traverse last year and it´s a beautiful climb, I can really recommend it. The half traverse is a shorter version of it where you climb up to Breithorn Central.
It was this amazing day in the mountains with good friends and good weather. Dream!
Some parts were kind of slippery and tricky, like this downclimb (there was blank ice under the snow so you had to be super careful – another guy slipped due to the ice in another place and fell 5 meters but luckily was rescued by his partner)
Routefindning is one thing that is really interesting in alpine climbing, almost like it´s own sport.
So beautiful!
And exposed – like here it´s just a long way down and really steep.
More tricky traverse sections!
And knife sharp edges where you have to sit on the top with legs on each side to get over safe.
And after a pretty long climb you get to the summit ridge and follow that to the summit of Central Breithorn!
And if you continue you get to West Breithorn. That is maybe the easiest 4000 m peak to climb if you do it the normal route from the lift.
After the Breithorn half traverse we had a rest day. The plan was to climb Matterhorn but that did not happen so instead we took a rest day and then the last day we went up on the glacier and practiced some alpine climbing skills for future adventures.
Lika walking in sharp ridges.
And downclimbing steep glaciers.
Some steep climbing in boots.
And we took some nice photos.
Last steps to…
FIKA!
Aww thank you Visit Switzerland for inviting us to this, it was a really amazing experience!
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