74-75
76 EAST RIB
TD O Briigger and H
Winterberger with H Kohler,
55 A
shorter and much safer route than the NE rib, having excellent rock on
all the steep sections, the lower and very
unstable part being avoided
altogether by starting at the Obers
Studerfoch. The rib falls from the
summit and bifurcates at about 4000 m. The
route takes the R-hand rib to
this point. Pitches of lT fairly serious.
From the Oberaarjoch hut climb the Studer glacier to the foot of the
rib at a deep couloir which originates at a
saddle to the L of the first
gendarme on the rib. 2hr
Climb the couloir but leave it as soon as
possible on the R
(better
rock but more difficult) or on the L (loose but easy) and
reach the saddle (stone fall danger to here).
Climb the rib over a
series of gendarmes, all taken direct, to an
unclimbable one (shiny
gneiss). Avoid it on the L by a diedre/crack.
Above, the rib peters
out at a level section into the face above.
Climb for one more pitch
and then reach another rib on the L, at a gap
R of a pointed
gendarme, by making a rising traverse on
mixed ground to below
the gap. Climb direct to the gap via rock,
snow and an icy scoop.
From the gap climb another series of
gendarmes, which can be
avoided on the L when too difficult to climb
direct, to a few meters
from the summit. 8-9hr, 10-11hr from the hut
D Meyer's party in 1812 but
probably to a fore-summit. First to the
summit: H Cordier's party with J Anderegg,
1876. Integral:
H Pfindler, F Suter and G Bohren,
The ridge is 27/2km long, starting at the
Gemschlicke, but can be joined
at various points along its length from the W
or E sides. Undoubtedly one
of the finest ridge climbs in the Oberland if
not in the whole of the
The difficulties, where they occur, are on
rock which is interspersed with
sections of snow. The main problem with the
climb is its length, in case
of a change in the weather. However, just as
it can be joined at various
points, so it can be abandoned.
It can be divided into three distinct
sections: the first is from the
Gemschlicke to a snow col NE of Pt 3604m
which is at the top of a
hanging glacier on the E side; the next has 3
evenly separated towers and
ends on snow N of the last tower above
another hanging glacier on the E
side; the last climbs steeply to the
fore-summit and is then almost
horizontal, but jagged, before a last short
step to the summit. See also
From the Gemschlicke reach the foot of a 40m
high wall by scree
slopes on the L or snow slopes on the R. The
wall is split from top to
bottom by a crack. Start 6m L of this at a
parallel but shorter crack
which is climbed for 10m before a narrow
sloping line L allows the
L edge of the wall to be gained. Follow the
edge R wards to a small
stony shoulder (mainly II-III). Easier
climbing on the ridge with a
few, more difficult, gendarmes leads to Pt 3604
m. 2.5 hr
Descend to the snow col beyond. The first
tower follows and
is climbed on the crest (III, exposed). Make
a short descent before
traversing a smaller gendarme and reaching
the foot of the second
tower. Climb this on the R keeping close to
the crest (II). 1 .5 hr
Continue along a fine snow crest, with a few
rocks protruding,
to the top of the third tower. More snow and
rocks follow to a
distinct steepening from where good rock
leads to the f ore-summit
(4167m). 1.5 hr
Keep on the crest now (exposed but almost
horizontal) over a
number of small gendarmes to a snowy gap
before the final step.
Traverse L onto the W flank and cross a 5m
slab on poor holds (III)
to reach a steep chimney. Climb this for 12m
(III) before moving L
onto a snow and rock crest and the summit.
2hr, about 8hr for the
ridge.
Alternative approaches to the ridge on the E
side are:
1 By the hanging
glacier to the col N of Pt 3604m. AD, 2hr
2 By the rib
leading to the summit of the second tower. AD,
3.5 -4.5 hr
3 By
the NE snow slopes of the second tower. AD, 4-4.5 hr
4 By
the rib S of the upper hanging glacier. AD, 4-4.5 hr
All times are from the Oberaarjoch hut to the
ridge
Alternative approaches to the ridge on the W side are:
1 To the col N of Pt 3604 m. AD
2 To
the gap between the second and third towers. AD
3 The
'Siidroute' which joins the ridge between the third tower
and the fore-summit:
From the
then climb NE up the glacier to the foot of
the SW ridge of the fore-
summit. Descending from the SE ridge in the
bay on the R of this
ridge, are two snow couloirs. Climb the rib
between the couloirs to
the ridge N of the third tower. AD, 5hr
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