Climbing the Mönch: Tim Robertson comments
Price: $5500
Season: Oct – Apr
Technical difficulty: hard
Fitness level: high to very high
Duration: 6 days
Guiding: 1:1
What’s special about climbing the Mönch? Why would anyone want to climb it?
The Mönch has such an incredible drop off the North face. You can climb it in a day from Interlaken, you get up to 4100m and the valley floor is 1000m below you on the northern side. The exposure you get for a very short climb is quite unusual
it can be climbed generally most of the summer, it has been climbed in most conditions
Are there any particular challenges?
It has a steep snow arête for the last 500m of distance and 100m of height gain. The arête is really narrow and exposed, a challenge for people’s composure.
What are the requirements for the clients?
Being focused and composed in exposed locations. The last arête is really exposed, that’s why Mönch is such a classic climb. It helps a lot though if the guiding is 1:1
Anything else?
A Mönch ascent can be combined really well with a two-day trip including the Jungfrau.
if you are not from Europe, it’s very unusual to be able to do a 4000m peak in a day, on a climb that is not simply hiking up snow. It has a good mixture.
Climbers need to be acclimatised or they will feel the altitude.
Other links of interest:
These are the old ones from the NZ site. Delete & add any Swiss ones. A couple which might do?
Peaks of the Bernese Alps
IFMGA – INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF MOUNTAIN GUIDES ASSOCIATIONS
Facts about Aoraki Mount Cook
Weather forecast, Aoraki Mount Cook National Park
Map, Aoraki Mount Cook National Park
Plateau Hut
New Zealand Alpine Club
New Zealand Mountain Guides Association
Other trips to chose from:
Milford mountains
Mitre Peak, Tutoko, Mt Madeline …..
Mount Aspiring
The ‘Matterhorn of the South’
Mount Tasman
A real ‘climber’s mountain
The Remarkables
A great day trip from Queenstown
