July 2023. I'm about toclimb the Weissmies. The mountain is beautiful, but nothing really connects us. And I had no immediate plans to join him at summit. Our meeting was the result of chance, a will of nature. Because today, the conditions are just right for climbing it. Culminating at an altitude of 4017 metres above Saas-Grund, the mountain is one of the giants of the Alps at over 4000 metres. And I've taken up the challenge of exploring them all. So it was time to head off with my guide, Johann Filliez, to the Saas Fee valley, in the heart of the Valais Alps. Our objective: to cross the Weissmies via its northern ridge, said to be the most beautiful way to reach its summit. Climbers usually opt for the normal route, but I find it dangerous. We'll take it on the way down to avoid any unnecessary risks.
Weissmies ascent | Saas-Grund to Lagginjoch
We arrive in Saas-Grund in the afternoon and take the lifts up to the Hohsaas mountain hut at 3100 m altitude. From up there, we discover the Weissmies normal route. Inhospitable and perilous, I can see its pitfalls. Its rock mixed with grey slush, its seracs ready to break loose and its fearsome crevasses. To climb it seems impossible. I'm filled with doubts when Johann reminds me that mountains are lived in the present. And that thinking about the descent before even starting the ascent is pointless. Better to concentrate on the stage ahead.
Confident again, I suddenly catch sight of the exceptional panorama before us. From the heights of the Hohsaas hut, there's a magnificent view of the Mischabels massif, and I'm delighted to seeAllalinhorn and the Rimpfischhorn again. The mountains I climbed just a few weeks ago now seem to be greeting me. In the distance, I can even make out the Monte Rosa massif and its famous Dufourspitze. The immensity of the Alps flashes before my eyes. Amazed and impatient, I head back to the refuge to make the most of the few hours of sleep the mountain has given me.
3 h 40. I can hardly open my eyes, but I have to. I get ready quickly and join Johann at 4 a.m. for breakfast. At 4:30 we set off. It's still dark as we climb the moraine towards the Lagginjoch, 3498 meters above sea level. It's barely dawn when we cross the Hohlaubgletscher. Along its glacier, the mountain gently welcomes us. Carried by a pastel dawn, the bleached rock is reborn, sublime and luminous. By the time we reach the Lagginjoch, the first colors have taken hold of the azure. On the horizon, the earth's shadow still merges with the sky. It's an enchanting sight, the secret of nature.
Crossing the Weissmies via its northern ridge | Over 4000 m above sea level
Exhorted by so much splendor to climb the mountain, we rope up and set off with determination on our ascent of the Weissmies via its northern ridge. Under a resplendent sky, the magnificent ridge unfolds before our eyes. Shaped by flamboyant rock whose silvery sheen is enhanced by the sun. Slab after slab, steep and sharp. Requiring a few climbing steps and a bit of technique. From the very first minutes, the mountain tests and challenges us. I ask myself: do our first difficulties set the tone for the race, or will the traverse get easier afterwards? The Weissmies is one of the most popular summits peaks in the Alps, but it's still a tough climb. Its alpine rating is AD +, which is a notch more complex than the traverses I usually do. But if you want to progress, you have to face up to new challenges. With each traverse, I surpass myself so that one day I'll be able to realize all my climbing dreams, even the most incredible.
By climbing the summits alps at altitudes of over 4000 metres, Johann and I are getting to know each other very well. The further I go, the more confident I become, knowing what I'm capable of and what my limits are. So, despite the questions, I'm feeling pretty serene. Perhaps it's also because the Weissmies isn't one of the mythical mountains that make my heart beat faster. Climbing it is not the ultimate adventure I've been dreaming of for years. I climb without pressure. And maybe, in the end, we enjoy the present more this way. Free of our fantasies and our own brakes. Without the vital stakes, without the ferocious fear of missing out on an essential encounter. Of unintentionally flaying the most beautiful moment of our existence. Today, the high mountains offer me a new lesson in life. Letting go to better receive, to feel even more intensely the beauty of the precious, fleeting moment.
Then I become aware of my steps. The contact of my hands and feet with the mountain. I stay focused because a moment's inattention could be fatal. That's why I love being up there. To feel that powerful connection to myself and the world that is so difficult to experience in our everyday lives. Lost in the crowd and caught up in trivia, where else can we recharge our batteries like this? On the open seas or in the heart of the forests, crossing arid dunes or climbing the highest peaks summits.
Weissmies North Ridge | Jewel of the Swiss Alps
While the heatwave invades the valleys, the temperature is mild in the high mountains. A sea of clouds stretches out at our feet. The further we advance along the Weissmies north ridge, the warmer the rock becomes. My soul is conquered by this magnificent rock. With its sharp leaves pointing skywards, it seems to be telling me its age-old story. Confrontation of tectonic plates, mineral metamorphosis. Like a desire of the deep earth to rise to the gates of heaven. Like nature's struggle to give life to the Alps, grandiose and unchanging. The momentum of its lines translates all its rage and the force deployed to extract itself at all costs from the bowels of the Earth. Graphic and wild, her sculptural splendor touches my heart.
And what can we say about the changing colors of this chameleon-like rock, revealing new details at every turn. A masterpiece of nature, the Weissmies reveals its evanescent features in the light. I capture this fleeting truth with my eyes, just as I photograph it, and it inexorably overwhelms me. As if plunged into the heart of my work, I now rediscover what drives my art. These morning lights, so comforting and conducive to travel. A fascinating spectacle that only Johann and I can witness. A celestial epic and a divine privilege.
Weissmies crossing | An unforgettable experience
Have I underestimated the greatness of the Weissmies? The further I go, the more I realize just how big it is. We cross gigantic slabs that are followed by simple paths. How can you imagine discovering such a diversity of relief at summit on a mountain that you'd think was monolithic from a distance? Even the giants of the Alps have their weak points. It's up to us to exploit their weaknesses to reach their summit. We are slowed down by several gendarmes that we climb one after the other. When I come into contact with them, I feel like I'm at the prow of a rock ship sailing on the cottony waves of the mist. For the clouds are gradually engulfing the surrounding summits . Even Piz Bernina, which rises to an altitude of over 4,000 metres, has suddenly disappeared.
We continue tirelessly on our way when, all of a sudden, from a gendarme's summit , we catch a glimpse in the distance of the last whitened meters of the ridge leading to the summit of Weissmies. Our Grail on the horizon. Because once we're on the snow, we'll be able to move faster and our goal will be just a few dozen minutes away. Relieved, I turn around, realizing just how far we've come since the pass. Beyond the Lagginjoch, I admire the presence of the Lagginhorn, with a sudden desire to climb it too. Perched in the void, I feel more alive than ever. In communion with the mountain, I walk a tightrope between the celestial realm and the verdant plains. And in the in-between, I gaze happily at the Valais Alps and their illustrious mountains. For a brief moment, I can even make out the Matterhorn, quickly masked by the wall of the Mischabels.
The closer summit gets, the more I look forward to reaching it. I'm happy to face such a beautiful mountain, yet impatient to reach my goal. Why this sudden eagerness? Probably because, although I'm gaining confidence, climbing a rocky ridge thousands of metres above sea level doesn't come naturally. Besides, I'm carried away by the pace we have to keep up. We can't drag our feet because we have to get back down before the snow softens too much. We can't risk sinking onto an already threatening normal route. With my heart caught between two feelings, I keep going. Wishing in turn to enjoy the moment and get it over with as quickly as possible. As usual, the mountain brings me face to face with myself. I climb its rocks as I build my life. I, who every day seeks to savor the moment but always looks further ahead. Me, who wants everything to progress quickly and yet is always on the lookout for the magic of the present.
At summit on the Weissmies | Giant of the Valais Alps
After hours of effort, we finally reach the summit of the Weissmies. The coveted snow dome. Opposite us, numerous roped parties reach summit via the normal route. Courageous climbers who have braved crevasses and seracs. Putting my feet up on the snow, I turn around to admire the visible border between the Valais Alps and bernese alps. Scanning the horizon, I can't help noticing how little snow there is at the start of summer. Just imagine what the Alps will be like in August! The tops of summits will be made of living ice. This will undoubtedly be one of my last snow runs of the year.
Putting on our crampons, we climb up to summit du Weissmies as if on the back of an ancestral creature. With the difficulties behind us, our pace quickens. Happy to have reached summit, we only stay there a few seconds. A horde of climbers has invaded the area. We take a few photographs as a souvenir of our ascent. Lost in the whiteness of the landscape, against the intense blue of the sky, we are transported to the heart of a masterpiece. From the bubbling clouds to the voluptuous snow, nature is a virtuoso artist. Through uniform tones and blended textures, life is imbued with serenity.
Ascent of Weissmies | Descent via the normal route
After this short break, we head back down the mountain on the normal route. As ice appears in some places, we have to be careful with every step we take, advancing cautiously to avoid slipping. Fortunately, I can count on Johann for reassurance. In the distance, I watch anxiously as several roped parties of inexperienced climbers stop on a snow bridge as a crevasse appears beneath their feet. They have no idea of the danger they're in. Knowing the mountain is essential for traversing it, and unconsciousness can quickly lead to the worst.
The further down the Weissmies normal route we go, the more crowded it becomes. But we're still happy to be descending in the snow like this. In just 1 h 30, we cover the ridge. I love these climbs, where the ascent is hard and the descent easy. I approach mountains as I approach life, and my climbs retrace my life's path. No doubt that's why I enjoy the mountains so much. My character lends itself to its demands, and my wildest dreams to its unparalleled grandeur.
At the bottom of the ridge, we reach the Hohsaas hut. Over a drink, we take a breather before taking the cabin back down to Saas-Grund. Suffocating in the heat of the valley, we're eager to be reunited with our families. But I'll soon be back in the valley Saas Fee. On Johann's advice, I've decided to head up the Lagginhorn, which is more accessible than the Weissmies. I wanted to show its beauty to one of my friends. My adventures in the Alps are far from over!
