Climb Above Abyss
Climbing Dent d'Herens

Climb Above Abyss

Climbing Dent d\'Herens

Ridge climbing is one of the most elegant, logical and interesting ways to summit a mountain. While on the ridge, you enjoy magnificient views to the left and to the right, the rock’s most solid on the ridge, the route is (in some cases) out of question. Of course, ridge climbing means sometimes climbing on the shadow side, the windy side, the rock is crumbly and fragile or simply a mess where you don’t see any logical route to climb.

In this case, shortly after sunrise, we had to evade a sleek rock wall and to enter the shadow side of the ridge, so we got into snowy and icy conditions. With your crampons attached it’s fun. Amazing how different alpinist’s schools and habits appear in different countries. The Swiss alpinists (like us) are used to climb snowy rock with crampons, while the french alpinists aren’t. So Daniel Arndt and me were the only ones with crampons attached. The alpinist depicted here had a very hard time, so we helped with our rope. One of the guys following him slipped, fell some meters and was later rescued by a helicopter. So? Never w/o my crampons!

Hope you like my “sporty” image and thanks for reading!

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This Post Has 67 Comments

  1. Jacob Adamiec

    28 Nov 2012

    Mixed climbing! Nice 🙂 And…. great photo by the way 🙂

  5. Philipp Weimer

    28 Nov 2012

    Quite the dramatic view! And a good story as well. Though I know I don&39;t need crampons, as I will never be in such a situation 🙂

  6. Jerry Johnson

    28 Nov 2012

    Swiss climbing is the way to go Wilfried Haferland! Also, you prove regularly that the Swiss are expert climbers AND expert photographers! This photo is spectacular and I can&39;t wait to show it to the rest of the family. Although, Kari is a bit afraid of heights, so I may have to give her a glass of wine before she pulls this up on the big screen. LoL Well done my friend! It is always a pleasure to go mountain climbing with you from the safety of my office!

  7. Garry Zeweniuk

    28 Nov 2012

    I am glad you can share this with photos!

  9. Alycia Miller

    28 Nov 2012

    I always like your sporty images. great environment, great work, wonderful shot 😉

  12. Deborah Vos

    28 Nov 2012

    I have the feeling that I am repeating my self…. "woooow … Jee…… Something else then going up Breithorn indeed 🙂 "

  14. Daniel Arndt

    29 Nov 2012

    This was a great climb indeed.  At least the ascend.  I remember the descend to be pretty scary.  Do you have pictures of the descend?  No?  Mmh…  I though so… 😉  Great photo!

  15. Sumit Sen

    29 Nov 2012

    Great shot my friend!

  16. Evelin Inauen

    29 Nov 2012

    Wow, ich bin mal sprachlos!! Ein sehr schönes Bild, aber da hocklettern wäre nicht mein Ding ;)) 
    Respekt!!

  19. Wilfried Haferland

    29 Nov 2012

    Jerry Johnson – I really appreciate how careful you are with Kari, I felt already guilty by posting this one 😉 Thanks a lot for your nice words (btw, I use a D800E instead of a Galaxy, but my cam does a pretty good job though ;-))!
    Garry Zeweniuk – I never leave w/o my camera when I do such trips. Thank you!
    Елена Ващукова – Much appreciated, Elena!
    Alycia Miller – Thank you Alycia, so we&39;re both on the sporty side 😉
    Johan Peijnenburg – Thanks a lot my friend! Your opinion means much to me!

  20. Wilfried Haferland

    29 Nov 2012

    Margaret Tompkins – Thank you again for your efforts, much apprecated!
    Deborah Vos – All photography is about repeating. A different angle of view from time to time, that&39;s it. Thank you, Debby!
    Piedmont OuttaBounds – Hey, thank you! You know all this stuff very well, I&39;m sure ;-)!
    Daniel Arndt – There is one of the descent too… But I didn&39;t want to scare too many people off 😉 Btw, our trip was very rewarding in terms of photography, as it turns out. Glad we did it!

  21. Wilfried Haferland

    29 Nov 2012

    Sumit Sen – Thanks a lot my friend! Glad you like it!
    Evelin Inauen – Oh, vielen Dank liebe Evelin! Ich mag diese Perspektive noch recht gern, weil sie dem eigenen Erleben dort oben entspricht. 🙂
    Thomas Schaller – Thank you very much, Thomas!

  28. Jacob Adamiec

    29 Nov 2012

    No, not yet Wilfried Haferland but I want to be now 😉 So it&39;s the one called Tieffmatten (PD/AD-)? Looks very nice, thanks!

  29. Wilfried Haferland

    29 Nov 2012

    Jacob Adamiec – The climb starts @ Tiefmattenjoch, right. Happily we were the first up there, you wouldn&39;t believe how much rock and sand came down the couloir up to Tiefmattenjoch ;-). The route is rather AD / III according to the majority of literature, and in snowy / icy conditions it is definitely (as the helicopter guy has proven). The descend via the SW-flank was less fun due to low snow and many sleek rock. 🙂 Here&39;s another view: https://plus.google.com/108665887827650124203/posts/L6Bij4VvFtU

  30. Jacob Adamiec

    29 Nov 2012

    Thanks, looking great Wilfried Haferland, I put in on my list 😉 It&39;s not bolted at all, is it? Do I just see the old anchor point in the corner of your photo left there?

  32. Deborah Vos

    29 Nov 2012

    I wanna see the picture of the descend please 🙂

  33. Jerry Johnson

    29 Nov 2012

    The D800E is the camera I use in my photography dreams Wilfried Haferland , but then I wake up and see my Galaxy sitting there. 🙂

  34. Doug Hagadorn

    29 Nov 2012

    Wow, I can&39;t imagine doing that. What a thrill that would be. I don&39;t think my heart or nerves could handle that view. Thanks for sharing, it&39;s much easier on my heart! 🙂

  35. Wilfried Haferland

    29 Nov 2012

    Deborah Vos – It&39;s on the list :-), but such images are more on the sporty side than a proof of photographic skills. I want to avoid spoiling my own quality-level 😉

  36. Wilfried Haferland

    29 Nov 2012

    Jerry Johnson – It&39;s a very nice camera – if you know how to handle it. This goes especially for handheld shots on ridge-tops 😉

  40. Deborah Vos

    30 Nov 2012

    Ok I understand, I have an email address Mr. H , and you are more then welcome to sent it there 🙂

  41. Dalibor Pačić

    30 Nov 2012

    Hehe ,forgot to check touch stream Wilfried Haferland
    I could enjoy earlier in this awesome photo 🙂
    Awesome, my friend !
    We were selected again by Jarek, did you saw it?
    Congrats 🙂

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