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- Aug 02, 2018
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Eiger ascent by Mountain Madness guide Alan Rousseau
John and I spent a week climbing in the alps last year and climbed Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn together. This year he came back with a plan for us to do a “warm-up” route with his son, and then head to Grindelwald to try the Eiger.
Few mountains have as storied a history as the eiger. Hearing the peaks name immediately conjurs images of the first ascensionists on the north face in 1938. Looking up at the peaks here it’s hard to believe how far people were pushing the limits of alpinism in Europe from the mid 1800 – 1900’s. From the train tunnel blasted into the Eiger to the massive faces and ridges of the peak, its hard to find something that’s not just plain cool about the place!
John’s son Eric and I met a day early to do some crampon and rock climbing work to get him up to speed before the three of us began climbing together.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-2-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=934757ca18253c69957e297711ea5f56 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-2-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=d1f2d394adf6ef31efefd3c997c672ac 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-2-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=9626d9e14a6b84c02123e9fb1e58543a 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-2-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=69d2184edcc7dde674518465ba8298c9 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-2-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=c2023c92161a4d6da9ac40fa33e7ca20 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-2-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=e468261c7bc2908113fff1a57ff8b568 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-2-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=1372900d650d06239330b04c4ca4bddc 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-2-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=b2f3cca3dac716582f34a93666ed65ef 375w)
The next day we all headed up the midi and spent the morning walking across the vallée blanche to the Torino hut.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-3-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=5f02d74b8da0436c0c02e7a86377f289 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-3-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=2ba02467ce6f20646910099c14687dd6 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-3-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=f02936a341b752e582fb93e3053dd54d 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-3-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=901d64d5a8ff6cc35eac32e9e748a096 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-3-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=9fcbe931bd4e11ad35fde61d2b237829 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-3-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=879088bbc0f543b7984be625cf3bced2 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-3-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=8e83c4a85edb072e6d8c19fa7e98be5b 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-3-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=83f663074e807b4cafdc1c8f4d5106e6 375w)
After getting settled into the hut we climbed the aiguille marbrées traverse (3540m). It’s a nice rock traverse that takes about three hours hut to hut.
The following day we headed to the Aiguille de Rochefort (4001 m). This peak has no shortage of classic alpine terrain. From rock climbing to a long knife edge snow ridge there is rarely a dull moment.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-5-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=9d82f7c24e81ffcc73aa73838cf9e0c8 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-5-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=26cf5f0185ca7fb9559c842d0200c599 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-5-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=f567355db384eaf7d807d9d5bdcded98 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-5-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=a488046dc50f33680434ad5a20dde48c 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-5-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=4892357e525bae3770e7dd4f48ccc22d 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-5-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=90541f7e222ab484f5669f2655ab6d4e 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-5-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=88d25abeb39eeb2ec558f495453fd4ea 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-5-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=8a7de13b2abab332a9a4f04f3edd85d2 375w)
After the climb we headed down the tram into Italy and bussed back thru the Mont Blanc tunnel to Chamonix. Making for about 9.5 hours of moving thru the mountains.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-6-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=a81c93132618eb7d6c6147bafcbeff0e 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-6-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=9629e75efa85c3751eda51a2e2b36c3e 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-6-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=d118b9574971cbb0622c8a7042703b56 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-6-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=fe4c002e24270004afed091affca3547 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-6-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=2238e45b85fc15c693cfc47e8fb363c9 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-6-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=a1d4086c8d27a435b2a6f8448100e689 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-6-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=c7bd5343329d46c05894cac5f23e0b3a 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-6-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=4095d3e9b64e1ed7720870b67c4cd78d 375w)
John and I said goodbye to Eric the next morning and utilized a needed rest day on the trains to Grindelwald. We arrived in the afternoon And were greeted by the imposing north face of the Eiger, which looms almost 10,000’ above town.
The Mittellegi ridge has one of the more unique approaches. One takes a cog railway from town to a little over 10,000’. From here you walk thru another tunnel to a small wooden door.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-9-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=5c0accca18fd09720ca46e55715c912b 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-9-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=1a7064ede01a6e2eec0dc16f07b99610 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-9-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=750f3e9ccb088ca027eecef753b11944 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-9-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=fa4a5be0cd7c449cf3aa2bf6e37d6b07 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-9-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=5d287bd02e3d9678496c61a2e1f07de4 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-9-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=ae64e3c3eade805da471be4df09bd68a 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-9-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=745d2e629fdb6740fb5af6a0fc0cd38f 375w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FEigier_-9-_resized.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=87cba6716be34707ce19d2ad04231cf1 375w)
After opening the door you have some down climbing to a rappel onto the glacier.
A short contour of the glacier gets you to two pitches of 5.7−5.8 rock climbing which is where the hardest individual moves of rock climbing fall on the route. After the pitches climbing about an hour of traversing ledge systems gets you to the Mittellegi hut. The ridge is so narrow here that the hut overhangs on both sides!
With a good weather forecast we opted for the later breakfast (4:40), this had us climbing at first light. The Mittellegi is a stunning line as it stays on the ridge crest for the majority of the route.
The route will have some steep climbing followed by wild, lower angle sort of sidewalks in the sky.
The weather has been so warm and dry lately that we reached the summit without putting crampons on.
As with most sharp mountains the work is far from over when you reach the top. This is especially true on the eiger as the normal descent is the south ridge. This feature is longer than the Mittellegi, but more straightforward to descent. After dropping down to 3600 meters you need to climb back up to 3770 meters, where the ridge joins in with the glacier below the Monch. It’s a sting in the tail exit but at least it’s good rock and fun terrain.
John climbed the route fast enough we caught one of the last trains down from the Jungfraujoch station and we made back in grindelwald that evening. Always crazy to go from a rugged high summit to a civilized dinner in town in the same day.
- by Alan Rousseau