Monch - SE Ridge

Well it seems as though the Alps didnt quite get the message that its only the end of July and not November... The past week it has been freezing and snowing down to about 2000m.  I have started getting excited to go skiing already.  Our plan for last week was to first climb the Eiger via the Mittellegi rigde then off to the Matterhorn.  With up to a meter of new snow our best bet at the time was to head up to the Monchsjochutte and climb the SE ride of the Monch.  Not quite as bad ass as the Eiger but in a full on white out and with new snow was a pretty exciting day out!

On the Junghfraujoch train about to head right through the Eiger

A view point along the way to the Junghfraujoch station

The Jungfraujoch (jungfrau col) station.  Hard to believe this train travels through the Eiger and pops out at 3571m in the col between the Jungfrau and the Monch.  Really an amazing work of construction particully since it was built almost 100 years ago in 1912.

Up in the station your not sure if you have just been tele-ported to India as suddenly the population is probably 90% from India.  There even is a "Bollywood" Indian restaurant.   This here is the "ice cave" one of the many authentic points of interest in the station.

Crossing the glacier to the Monchsjochhutte (monch col hut) you would be expecting to encounter such obsticals as crevasses, route finding, ect   But on this trip you mearly follow the cat track around the crevasses but you still do have to look out for small japanese girls wanting to take pictures with you.

Starting the Monch

Snowy climbing low down on the Monch