Travel with Manfred

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Copyright © 2000 by Manfred P.. All rights reserved.

Sep 14 - 15, 2000

Closing the Trilogy

Wildspitze as a Family Trip

by

Manfred P.

Keywords: Austria, Austrian Alps, Wildspitze, tourist, travel trip report, travel log, travelogue.

It has been a while since I have been in Austria. 9 months. It has even been longer that I have been in the Alps. 2 years. The last time we were in the Alps it was to climb Grossglockner, Austria's highest peak. When we returned to my Dad's place after the event, my Dad commented that if he were fitter he would have joined us. Then he added that he regretted not having been with us, maybe not all the way to the top, but at least up to the last mountain cabin Adlersruh at 3,000m (9,000 ft).

These words have been ringing in my ear for 2 years. I thought it was time to turn "if" into reality. It was time to give him an opportunity to walk up into the high Alps. For weeks we planned the new event: climbing Wildspitze, Austria's second highest mountain. It was planned as a family event, getting us sons and my Dad, who is closing his 80th birthday in less than 3 months, together for a challenging outdoor weekend. We had 80% success rate. From us 5, my Dad and us 4 sons, we got 4 joining up.

Getting a weekend scheduled took a lot of preparations. Getting a free slot on our calendars, doing it before the mountain cabin closes for the season, arranging for all the equipment, getting an airline ticket to get there, etc. It was not easy, but after many phone calls it was finally all arranged.

We had a "go". The weather report predicted sunshine, it was the last weekend the cabin was open, and after some last minute nervousness, finally at 9 a.m. on Thursday we left with the car packed to the rim. With some traffic jam we reached the highest village of Austria, Vent. Vent is situated in a side valley to the better known Oetz Valley at 1,890m (ca. 6,000 ft). Vent is in the district of Tyrol and not too far from the Italian border in the south west of Austria. We were glad to get out of the car and to inhale the fresh air after 6 hours driving. The valley floor was green, the river made a lot of noise, and most importantly the sun was shining down on us. At 3:30 p.m. we put the heavy backpacks on our shoulders and started hiking up the mountain in direction of the cabin Breslauerhuette. At the beginning it was quite steep and the trail followed the avalanche prevention constructions. We walked by the ski lifts and passed many sheep out on the pasture. For a brief moment we walked on a soft alpine pasture before we had another steep zigzag through a rocky landscape in front of us.

I heard something whistling and thought it was my brother. Turning around to see what is happening I realized it wasn't my brother, but the whistling stemmed from a groundhog. He had his home just yards from the trail. He looked at us and seconds later disappeared before my brother got the chance to put him on a roll of film. It was the first time I saw on of those in nature. It was close to 20 inches long and clearly enjoyed watching people.

Winding our way up, shortly before sunset at 7 p.m. we reached the cabin. Breslauerhuette is at 2,844m (ca. 9,300 ft). It was getting cool now and it was nice to be indoors. For dinner we stuffed our stomachs with lots of bread, cheese, hard boiled eggs, sausage and a sweet desert. Carbo-loading, so to speak, for the next day. We practiced making knots to warm up our nearly forgotten skills. Early we hit the sack.

Despite getting up at 6 a.m. we were late. We enjoyed hot breakfast tea and a couple of cheese sandwiches. Until we got everything packed into our small day backpacks time passed by. Most the stuff we left in the cabin. In the trouser pocket we put some nutrition bars and the small backpack was primarily for the equipment (ice axe, crampons, chest harness, bottom harness, carabines and rope). At 6:30 a.m. was sunrise. It was not spectacular as there were some small clouds on the horizon. At 7 a.m. everyone was gone and we were the last ones in the cabin.

Leaving the hut there are 3 trails, Urkundkolm, Vernagthuette and Wildspitze. Sure enough we picked the wrong one. It was easy to recognize the mistake quickly. We were climbing up to the small peak of Urkundkolm. We turned around as we saw that we are walking up too steeply and then choose the correct path that is more flat and leads into the valley. From pretty much the beginning you can see the peak of Wildspitze with its cross. The sky was clear and without clouds. It was beautiful weather. We were still in the shade, so it was cool but not cold. We followed the trail through scree and bolders. We were very slowly climbing. The trail started to cross the first snow fields. In one of these snowfields, a Korean whom we met last night had put up his tent. It was next to a small blue, partially frozen lake. The water had a light blue color and looked terribly cold.

The peak was still north of us. Crossing another snow field we eventually lost sight of the peak. Another peak had come between us and the Wilspitze. We had reached 3,100m and the glacier was still some distance away. Our map showed that the glacier starts at 3,000m (9,850 ft). It looks like global warming is leaving its prints behind. The glacier seems to have receded 200m in altitude. All of us kept climbing until we reached 3,200m. Here we separated as my father recognized that the peak was beyond his reach. He wanted to continue at a slower pace and not delay us further. High altitude made it difficult for his heart to deal with the strenuous exercise. While we continued quickly, he followed us at his reduced speed for a while. He achieved a personal best. At the age of nearly 80 years he made it to 3,300m (ca. 10,800 ft). Doing so he reached his highest point on foot in his life. He had been higher before, 5,000m, but that was by bus in Nepal.

We accelerated and soon afterwards we reached the glacier and 100 yards into it we made a rest to put on the equipment. My father watched us from the distance. Secured we proceeded up to the pass called Mitterkarjoch (3,470m). The closer we got to the pass the steeper it got. Without equipment it would be impossible to come up here. With Gerhard as rear-guard, Franz in the middle and me in the lead, step-by-step, with a lot of help from the ice axe we made the last difficult 30 yards to the top of the pass.

Once on top, the scenery changed drastically. Looking back down south, there was an ocean of rocks, in brown colors; looking north we were surrounded by all sides with beautiful virgin-white snow. In front of us there was a flat plateau surrounded by peaks and 3 sides. The plateau was glacier filled and where the rocks started to become steep crevasse had formed. A small trail lead into the center of the plateau. From here again we could see the cross of the peak. Wildspitze has 2 peaks, the South Peak and the North Peak. The South Peak is 4 meters higher (3,768m or 12,360 ft), carries the cross and is a real sharp peak, formed by rocks, ice and snow. The North Peak is rounded and flat and solely snow is visible. It has gentle curves and doesn't look like the traditional peak. From our current spot it all looked easy.

A couple of crevasses crossed our path. Slowly we moved closer to the two main peaks. We were late and a dozen people or so where already coming back. They advised us to do the peaks in a counter-clock-wise fashion. With the South Peak straight to the east, the trail lead south from the center of the glacier to the south ridge. We followed the ridge for 200m and with the cross already very close the trail surprisingly turned west in a steep section. It wasn't quite obvious why the trail didn't continue straight to the peak that lay just 30m ahead of us. Now west of the South Peak the trail crossed a steep wall. Being steep it was free of snow and ice and we had to use our crampons in the rocks. Carefully we pushed on. On a couple of meters the slippery rocky trail narrowed to the width of a single boot.

Reaching a corner we could see ahead again. 15 meters from us and above us lay the ridge connecting the South and North Peak. These 15 meters however had a difficult look to them. Its underground was formed by rocks instead of ice or snow, the rocks were small, smaller than fist size, slipping and falling easily and it was steep. At least we had in our favor that there was a good spot to secure the rope for the first part of the ascent. Gerhard secured at the rear as I moved ahead slowly. The ice axe was more burden then useful here. Finding a good hold with the two front prongs of the crampons of one foot was crucial and the hands were used to distribute the weight to multiple points. Crossing a chute I was on comfortable ice again. Franz followed me. Smaller rocks slid down and fell off the wall. Luckily there is no trail below. We had to unsecure the rope at the end before I could find another spot to secure in the front. Gerhard crossed the chute and for a few moments we were not secured until I could move on again to secure on the top. The two followed up the rocks and at last we were standing on the ridge between South and North Peak. To the west were we came it went down into the chute with rocks with snow to the left and right. To the east it went straight down into a wall of ice. The last 20 meters on the ridge to the South Peak were easy.

Berg Heil. This is what you say in Austria when reaching a peak. 3,768m. 12,360 ft. Second highest peak in Austria. With the highest peak many dozens of miles away everything we could see was below us. Two people were still up here to welcome us to the peak: The Korean who was on the top since 9 a.m. already and whom we had met the evening before and a German. We ate our nutrition bars while enjoying the scenery. The weather could not have been better. The sun was shining and no single cloud was in sight. It was warm and a shirt was enough. The view to the south across the valley of the Vent river was home to 4 glaciers and one interesting looking peak. To the west was the plateau where we came from, in its virgin-white cover. On that plateau were 4 tracks in the snow: One to the South Peak where we ascended. One to the North Peak where we would descend. One down to the small ski resort Soelden, and the forth went westward to a place I don't know. This fourth one looked like it would go on into the white nowhere. The view was impressive. It is rare that you see 5 glaciers all at the same time. It was worth the effort.

We relaxed for a while and took pictures of us and the cross. This way at least we have proof for the third brother of mine who couldn't join us. The North Peak was just 5 minutes from here following the ridge that is partially overhanging. It was easy. After some small talk with the German who had followed us from the South Peak, it was time to walk down. It was late, past 2 p.m. The ascent followed a ridge that had ice and snow to both sides. In little time we had closed the loop and where in the center of the plateau again. We moved on without delay to the pass. The sun had changed the snow and ice. It was now sticky, wet and heavy. Getting down the steep part was easy. In the less steep part we started sliding various times and Franz landed various times with his bum in the snow. We crossed the glacier in a direct line jumping over the tiny crevasse into which, on the way up, I sank in up to my hip with one leg. In the lower portions of the glacier the heat was melting the surface of the glacier. Water was running down all over the glacier, but not in a single channel but in a wide area. A large area of the ice was covered in an inch of water heading down to the gushing stream that was forming. This would have been a good place for down-hill water skiing. 10 minutes later the ice surface changed into snow and reaching the end of the snow we took off our equipment. We followed the river that had formed by the melting surface of the glacier. It was cutting a gorge into the left over portions of the glacier further down.

Once out of the crampons we hurried down without slowing down, nearly flying over the rocks. In 2 hours we made it from the top back to the cabin where we met up with my Dad. Proud Daddy had to take pictures of us in front of the cabin sign. We gulped down half a gallon of orange juice and discussed what to do next. There where three options: Spend another night in the Breslauer cabin and climb Wildes Maennle (3,023m); walk on a more-or-less flat trail to Vernagthuette cabin and spend the night there; or walk down to Vent. My Dad didn't have much desire to pass another night at 3,000m and the weather report was rain showers for the next day. Keeping this in mind we decided to descend directly to Vent where the car was parked. Said, done. At 7:30 p.m. just before sunset we reached Vent again and closed our tour.

The next day we relaxed our muscles with a few slow laps in the public indoor swimming pool while watching - through the huge glass walls - the storm outside whip the trees. The rain was pouring down impressively. Maybe it was a smart decision to leave the mountain early. We had luck. Once again. We picked the right weekend. It was a nice family weekend and closed my trilogy. With Wildspitze I have finished climbing the top 3 mountains of Austria. But there are a lot more out there just waiting for me.