Alps: Matterhorn & Monte Rosa, July/Aug 07

Posted by wjb on Mar 17, 2007
Page Views: 403

Dates: Jul 1, 2007 through Aug 31, 2007
City or Place: Zermatt, Switzerland
Skill Level: Advanced
Categories: Mountaineering
Partner Status: Want Partners

Looking for partners for a climbing trip to
Matterhorn and Monte Rosa, Zermatt, Switzerland.
Available for a 2-3 week trip, anytime in July or Aug 07.

Background:
Both are 4000 M peaks and are right outside of Zermatt, Switzerland,
My 1st priority would be to do the Matterhorn.
So I'd want to do that 1st and
take as much time as necessary to get it and
spend the rest of the time on Rosa.

Matterhorn is mostly a rock climb, mostly 4th and low 5th class.
Maybe a few 5.6 moves.
There are fixed ropes on the steepest sections.
However crampons are generally needed on the upper ~500 feet
where the route traverses to the north face.
The greatest dangers come on the decent when downclimbing!
It is usually a 2 day climb from Zermatt, weather permitting.

Rosa is a huge massiff with multiple challenging glaciated peaks,
so its primarily a snow and glacier climb.
Its highest 2 peaks are the 2nd and 3rd highest in the Alps,
just below Mt. Blanc.
So we can spend multiple days on Rosa if we have the time.
Doing the high point alone is also a 2 day climb from Zermatt
but there are mulitple summits over 4000M and
3-5 day traverses are really spectacular too.

I'm open to either using a guide or not using one.
For Matterhorn I would be fine without a guide but
doing a 3-5 day traverse on Rosa I think I would prefer a guide
due to the complexity of the route, weather, snow conditions, etc.
Of course a guide would make it much more expensive.
But they also would make it a whole lot easier for
organizing logistics as they would be able to handle most of it.
I would be comfortable doing a 2 day trip to Rosa doing just
the main highpoint without a guide.

Would prefer someone from Colorado to meet and train with.
I have extensive recreational mountaineering experience on
rock, glaciers and high apine peaks including
Denali, Rainer, Grand Teton, Mt. Blanc.

Send contact info and background via email and will send more info.