Two weeks ago I have been to Adelboden in the Bernese Alps. Together with my parents, my brother and my wife I spent a fantastic week with really good family time, some hiking, good food and good weather and autumn sun.
After walking to the Engstligenalp on Monday, we went up by
cable car to have coffee. It was 12.00h when I left the family for a short
hike. I thought of walking to the Ammertenspitz or even to the top of the
Wildstrubel (3243m). But for the latter one I thought I would need more time
and alone on the glacier would be too dangerous.
I had climbed the Wildstrubel in the 90’s as part of the
beginners alpine programme of the mountaineering school Adelboden. Back then I
remember the glacier we had to cross.
But this time somehow I wanted to have at least a closer
look at the glacier. So intuitively I decided to walk up the lower part of the
Wildstrubel. I had light crampons and an aluminium ice axe with me. I quickly
gained altitude. After 800m I crossed a flat glacier plateau without relevant
crevasses. I traversed on easy mixed terrain and gained a ridge with sometime
deep snow. The higher I got the better the conditions got.
After 3 hours I reached the summit around 3200m. Beautiful views
to the south (Matterhorn,….) and the south west (Mont Blanc). After 15 minutes
I started my descent and at 16.30h I was back at the top of the cable car
station. After another hour I was back at our chalet just in time to enjoy
dinner with the family. Great!
looking up...
