Climbing the snowy face of a colossal mountain. Braving verticality, high altitude and unpredictability. Overcoming my fears and incessant doubts to finally reach summit in the Alps. I'd been dreaming of such an adventure for so many years! Today, I'm about to climb the north face of the Lenzspitze. I'm taking up the challenge with my heart pounding, at an altitude of over 4000 m in the Swiss Valais.
Crossing from the Lenzspitze to the Nadelhorn: Departure from Mischabelhütte
At the start of summer 2024, fine weather is scarce in the high mountains. Yet it's the weather that guides our steps across the Alps. So, when I learn that the Valais winds are giving way to sunshine, I consider crossing the Lenzspitze to summit on the Nadelhorn. I have two options: climb the Lenzspitze via its ridge or tackle its north face. It's a vertiginous wall, 500 m high, with a slope 50° above the Saas-Fee valley. This sheer drop rises up from the Mischabel massif like a flaming, invincible curtain of ice. Will I really be able to climb all the way up there?
To give myself the best possible chance, I decide to go to the Mischabelhütte a day before my guide, Johann Filliez. At 3336 m, I give my body time to acclimatize to the high altitude. I contemplate, meditate and take time to breathe. I enjoy the generous hospitality of Maria, the hut's janitor, who next year will hand over the keys to the hut to others after 14 years of running it. Maria gives me the warmest of welcomes, and her cooking is exceptional. A real treat! Despite the altitude, I feel good and confident. In the evening, I fall asleep with a full stomach and a light mind.
As dawn breaks, I catch a glimpse of the immaculate north face of the Lenzspitze. It's so magnificent and gigantic. It's hard to believe that the next day I, a small mountaineer, will dare to take it on. That evening, Johann, back from an expedition to summit de l'Aiguille de Bionnassay, joins me at the refuge. We go to bed at 8pm, but I can't sleep a wink. I turn the next day's climb over and over in my head. The north face is too ambitious, the ridges too snowy. Can it really be done?
Climbing the Lenzspitze: Crossing the Hohbalmgletscher
I'm still deep in thought when the alarm goes off at 2:28 am. I get up and, strangely enough, when I meet Johann for breakfast at 2.30 a.m., I feel great. This sleepless night has left me with neither dark circles nor signs of fatigue. I confess I can't believe it, but I seize my chance and, at 3.15 a.m., we leave the Mischabel hut more determined than ever. The weather forecast calls for sunny weather, with no wind or clouds. Ideal weather for venturing into the high mountains. So we disregard the light wind blowing around the hut and set off for the Lenzspitze.
But as soon as we set foot on the Hohbalmgletscher, the sky disappeared. Clouds roll in, snow flurries. Suddenly, we're caught in a storm out of nowhere. What should we do? Make headway through the icy mist, whatever the cost, or leave the mountain to its own devices? We choose to continue our expedition. Ahead of me, Johann leads the way and we make our way through the deep snow covering the glacier. When the cold becomes too intense, and the ice becomes rough, we don our crampons. We have to reach the rimaye at all costs. With each step, I resist the furious gusts of wind. With each step, doubt assails me a little more. At 5.30 am, we finally reach the rimaye that separates the mountain from its glacier.
Then dawn gives way to day and the winds die down. The last snowflakes settle on the ice. Nature catches its breath. All around us, summits are lost in the mist. Does this moment of respite herald the return of fine weather? None of us can say. At the foot of the Lenzspitze, we meet up with steep skier Jérôme Henchoz and his comrades, who have overtaken us along the glacier. With their skis on, they glide over the snow as we sink deeper and deeper. With their skis on their backs, they are the first to tackle the north face of the Lenzspitze, and we follow in their footsteps.
North face ascent of the Lenzspitze: Over 4000 m in the Swiss Alps
Hand-to-hand with the mountain, I cling to this huge wall and, one step at a time, ascend. Half an hour later, we're already high up when the sun finally peeks through the mist. Will the weather at summit be kind? No matter, I make the most of this precious moment. Thanks to the ice axes I'd bought the day before, I feel at ease. I love the feeling I get from this climb. What a joy to be able to climb this incredible face at a steady pace! I'm so happy to be soaring on this fabulous snow! I never imagined I'd enjoy climbing such an impressive face so much. Of course, when I catch my breath and realize the immensity of the place, I suddenly feel dizzy. But as soon as I'm back in the thick of things, I become one with the Lenzspitze and forget everything else.
At 8 a.m., we begin the final stage of our ascent. Beneath a thin layer of snow, sharp ice makes its appearance. The race changes completely. It becomes perilous, confusing. Danger hovers over my every move. My crampons slip on the smooth wall, my muscles tense and I feel fear invade me. So I concentrate, mustering what courage I have left not to give in to the high mountain. I tap my ice axes hard to anchor them in the ice as deeply as possible.
At an altitude of 4200 m, I can feel my strength draining away. I'm exhausted and can hardly breathe. Johann, ahead of me, manages to secure me by fixing pins in the ice. But the fatigue is too great, the anxiety too pronounced, and I slip and slide. My crampons rip on the face and I feel myself falling. Fortunately, the ice screws are self-locking. The pin that secures me stops me from falling, neutralizes the danger and prevents tragedy. Without it, would I have made it down the north face of the Lenzspitze? No one can say, but I thank the heavens that I practice mountaineering at a time when technology is meeting the challenges of the high mountains. And, of course, I'm grateful to Johann's professionalism, without whom I wouldn't be able to achieve such feats.
At summit on the Lenzspitze: In the Mischabel massif
We finally cross the last few metres separating us from summit de la Lenzspitze. Up there, the fog combines with the strong winds to envelop us in icy air. We stand there, frozen in the heart of a new world whose contours and beauty we can't make out. When, with an imperceptible breath, the Alps reveal themselves, from the Dom des Mischabel to Lyskamm. The ephemeral wonder of the Valais Alps evaporates in an instant, swallowed up again by a flood of clouds. Clearly, on this day, the mountain wants to remain wild. It's time for us to leave its summit. But where to continue our expedition? The traverse from the Lenzspitze to the Nadelhorn looks compromised. On the ridge, the snow is abundant and far too unstable. And the wind is watching for the slightest misstep. We have no choice but to descend the north face of the Lenzspitze.
Descent of the north face of the Lenzspitze: Testing the Valais Alps
Steep-slope skiers would dream of tackling such a monumental wall. But I'm too inexperienced to ski down it. So Johann and I are forced to tackle the sharp ice at the top once again. I launch myself backwards, terrified. Johann assures me by rappelling on ice pins. And I'd like to thank Jérôme Henchoz, who, after making the trail on the way up, lends us his rope on the way down. Thanks to him, we can make longer abseils and progress more efficiently.
When the sharp ice finally gives way to snow, I can breathe again. My fears dissipate and I savor the pleasure of this epic journey alongside Johann. After that, everything is pure bliss. Our movements follow one another with agility. From one ice screw to the next, we descend backwards along the north face of the Lenzspitze. It was an unforgettable experience. The closer we get to the foot of the mountain, the greater the risk of avalanche. We crossed the rimaye sliding on the snow. We know the challenge is over. We're safe and sound, richer for an extraordinary journey to one of the most beautiful north faces in the Alps.
At 11:30 we leave the Lenzspitze and cross the Hohbalmgletscher. Through deep snow, we finally reach the Mischabelhütte. Maria is waiting for us with a delicious rösti. This, too, is one of the pleasures of the high mountains. The conviviality pays homage to the efforts we've made. The pleasure of simple things honors the splendor of a wild nature. So let's look forward to a moment of relaxation and enjoy this gourmet dish together.
When my eyes meet the Lenzspitze for the last time, I tell myself that climbing its north face will be my reference point from now on. I know now that I can climb and descend steep, snow-covered slopes. I also know that I can go even further. Today I climbed my 52nd summit over 4000 m in the Alps. And I can feel many more high-mountain epics in the making.
