WELTbewegend Improvers Alpine Skills Course

by Agustin Guardiola

On July 17th 2022, six AAC(UK) members arrived in Mandarfen in the Pitztal, met Felix, our guide for the week, and hiked up to the Taschachhaus. Thankfully the chair lift was operational, so we didn’t have to carry our luggage. We were given a bunk room and quickly settled in; over dinner we discussed the plan for the week ahead.

The first day, after a kit discussion by the hut, we set off towards the glacier. As we approached the edge of the glacier Felix reflected on how much the area has changed in the last 5 years. I found this especially sobering only a couple of weeks after the Marmolada tragedy [11 deaths caused by an avalanche following a serac collapse in the Dolomites on 3 July – ed.] and in some ways set the tone of the week for me. It had been a very dry winter followed by an extremely hot summer (e.g. highest recorded temperature on the summit of Mont Blanc) which certainly didn’t help, however this only highlights a much bigger underlying problem. Felix made a joke about needing to find a different career, which stuck with me. As someone at the beginning of their alpine adventures and who is considering pursuing a mountaineering career, I was now wondering how many alpine seasons we had left, and whether this was a realistic career path.

The second day was very hot. During the walk-in I was in the classic alpine state of being too warm but of course as we stepped onto the glacier this quickly changed, the wind picked up cooling the sweat down my back, and I was suddenly too cold. Getting the layering just right in an alpine environment is almost impossible! We walked to a higher part of the glacier, in the search for snow, then put our crampons on and practised the Eckenstein technique, useful for walking on steeper terrain. When we reached the snow we found some features where we could practise crevasse rescue and anchor techniques, including buried axe and T-anchors. We discussed the different methods of crevasse rescue, and the advantages depending on the equipment available and the specific situation. At the end of the day we walked over to a bigger vertical cliff where five of us had to hold the 6th member falling, and then organise a 5:1 rescue. On the way back down, what at the start of the day had been a small stream down the side of the glacier had now become a full-size river that was running down the mountain and creating several impressive waterfalls, thus highlighting the effects of the high temperatures.

On the third day we discussed rock technical knowledge, with a big emphasis on moving quickly and minimising faff. In the Alps speed is of the essence, finishing a route earlier will often make it safer. After reminding ourselves of the different crevasse rescue techniques, we walked back to the hut to have a go on the self-rescue set-up. I’d practised self-rescue before and while it’s definitely a crucial skill to have, I was reminded how much effort it involves.

On the fourth and fifth days we went back to the glacier and practised increasingly vertical movement, progressing from the Eckenstein technique towards ice climbing and down-climbing techniques. Features were some top-rope ice climbing, and focusing on the optimal body position to reduce effort and increase stability. Finally, we found some big crevasses we could jump into and practise rescuing. We split up into groups of three and set up a rescue system. Waiting to be rescued inside the crevasse, I got the opportunity to appreciate the natural beauty of the ice structures. Being surrounded by a blue glow and the sound of the ice moving and the water running down the bottom was incredibly atmospheric. However, it also made me realise how scary crevasses would be under different circumstances.

Throughout the week some physical changes on the glacier had become apparent, and we discussed these during our last walk down to the hut. Where on the first day a strong river was running through an exposed crevasse, now there was just a big empty hole. The frequency of rockfall during the day had also increased. We could hear what resembled cannons firing every 15 minutes followed by clouds of dust, creating a war-like atmosphere. Experiencing these changes over the course of a week served as a stark reminder of the objective glacial dangers and highlighted how one should never get complacent on a glacier. The landscape you see today may be very different to the one you remember from the previous day.

Over dinner we discussed our future alpine aspirations, then packed up and got ready for the journey home. I don’t think any of us got much sleep on the last night as a huge storm broke out with incessant heavy rain and frequent lightning and thunder. Being on the top floor meant it sounded as if the hut roof was going to come down on us. The following day when we walked down to the valley we saw the damage the storm had caused, including a big landslide that blocked the road with rocks, meaning we had to carry our bags for the last hour of the descent. I want to thank WELTbewegend for organising these courses and for the very generous grants offered by AAC(UK) to members. I would encourage everyone eligible to take part in one of these as they are a fantastic opportunity.

Here are some final thoughts I’ve been reflecting on since the course. This has been a really tough summer for alpine mountaineering. Since we did the course several classic alpine routes, including the Goûter route, have been closed. Mountain guides stopped business on Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. The Bivouac de la Fourche tumbled down onto the glacier as it lost its support in a rock landslide. A rocky path has been revealed at Glacier 3000 in Les Diablerets for the first time in over 2000 years. The Alps are being reshaped by climate change and irreversible changes are now happening faster than ever. Without being too dramatic, I fear the melting of glaciers will be permanent, and if we don’t stop global warming these features of the Alps as we know them will disappear within our lifetimes.

Glacier trek – Photos by Agustin Guardiolo

Setting a belay

Into the abyss

Rock fall after the storm

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