Over The Strahlegg Pass By The Rocks

By F. Botterill.

On Wednesday, 11th July, 1906, Messrs. R. Dienst, A. Botterill, F. Toothill and myself, without guides, quitted the Pavillon Dollfus on the Lauteraar Glacier with the intention of crossing the Strahlegg Pass to the Schwartzegg Hut.

We started late, the day was hot, and we did not reach the bergschrund at the foot of the Strahlegg wall until two o’clock in the afternoon. Two days previously there had been much new snow and now avalanches were falling on every side. The Strahlegg as seen from the Grirnsel side is, in summer, a huge rock-wall, higher on the right side than on the left. It has two large snow couloirs, one near the Strahlegghorn, and the other near the Gross Lauteraarhorn. The left-hand couloir is perhaps 800 feet in height and is the route usually followed. The right-hand couloir and the rocks near it are well over 1000 feet high. Both the couloirs were dangerous as avalanches were falling down them every few moments. It was therefore a question of either turning back or attempting a probably difficult climb over unknown rocks.

While we were considering the situation a small avalanche passed over us and we at once decided to take to the rocks. We did so at a point half-way between the Gross Lauteraarhorn and the Strahlegghorn, and after four hours’ difficult climbing arrived at the top of the pass.

The climb is scarcely to be recommended, but should anyone arrive at the Strahlegg, as we did, very late in the afternoon and when the snow is fairly new, it would be the safest route.

Arrived at the top we were enveloped in a dense mist with snow, thunder and lightning, but by careful use of the map and compass we reached the Schwartzegg Hut at 9 p.m.