General editor and author's preface
This is the fourth in the new series of guide books to the
major
Alpine regions being prepared for the Alpine Club and it
replaces
the previous two volume edition, Bernese Alps East and West,
published in 1979. It extends the area covered in the 1979
volumes
and in addition it features the description of an
appreciable number
of rock climbs. The layout of the book follows the pattern
established in the Ecrins Massif , Dolomites and Mont Blanc
Massif
volumes published in the last five years.
The Bernese Oberland has plenty to offer
every alpinist from
the novice to the most experienced, and the selection of
climbs
included should offer something challenging for the whole
spectrum
of abilities. Naturally all the big mountains are included,
but there
are also descriptions of routes on far less well known peaks
that are
sadly neglected, by British alpinists at least. Some
descriptions are
quite detailed, especially where route finding is not
reasonably
obvious, whilst others are quite brief and intended for the
experienced climbers who are prepared to make their own
decisions
as to the ideal line.
For those with an adventurous spirit,
there are in the
Oberland some fine long ridges to be traversed in what could
be
multi-day outings. Some of these are hinted at in the text
but it is
left to the reader to piece together the various sections
and to make
up their own itineraries.
There is no doubt that the Oberland will
never attract the
numbers of'climbers and tourists who visit the Mont Blane
Massif
or the Valais mountains south of the
geography of the region, only the determined person will
reach its
heart. There are plenty of peaks that have easy access but there
are
many, and some quite major, peaks which don't. Therein lies
some
of the attraction of climbing in these parts; remote high
mountains,
few other people, spectacular scenery and an area steeped in
the
history of mountaineering. One only has to look at the first
ascent
details to appreciate that you are following in the
footsteps of some
of the great names of the past and also the present.
The development of modern routes in the
high mountains has
been much less than in the
developments there have been have taken place on the cliffs
on the
fringes of the region. These developments are taken into
account in
the relevant section of the book.
The north Faces of the Oberland are renowned, and
descriptions of routes on many of them have been includecl.
The
climber should however be conscious
of the fact that these
descriptions assume what might be called normal snow and ice
cover. This is something that has been greatly lacking in
recent
years, and whilst this trend has not stopped a regular
stream of
climbers ascending the Eigerwand, some of the other faces
are
seeing very few, if any, ascents, at least in summer at the
present
time.
The change in name fiom
edition to Bernese Oberland is not for any esoteric reason,
it is
simply that I have always known the region by this name and
prefer
it so. Readers will realise that the name is not entirely
suitable since
quite a lot of what is described does not actually lie
within the
geographical area of this name, which in itself is almost a
misnomer
since a large part of the massif is situated in the Canton
of Valais
(Wallis).
The Alpine Club welcomes any helpful
comments about the
route descriptions used, and details of any worthwhile ones
that
have been omitted which might be worth including in future
editions. We also welcome offers of good quality photographs
that
might be used in the preparation of photo-diagrams. Ali the
comments and offers should be addressed to the general
editor at
the Alpine Club.
I would like to thank everyone who has
helped me in the
preparation ofthis guide book especially Andy Reid, Lindsay
Powis, Rick Graham, Stephen Venables, Dave Mc Keown and
members of the Swiss Alpine Club. A special word of thanks
also to
my wife, Barbara, for the understanding way that she has put
up
with me disappearing into my office for hours on end, month
after
month, and also for accompanying me on the many outings we
have
made in this wonderful mountain range.
Les Swindin,
10-11