Just down from a successful Italian High Level Route via the Gandegg – Ayas – Sella – Gnifetti – Margherita Huts. We were fortunate to make headway in some unsettled and windy weather at times. It was however not bad enough to stop a number of parties. A cold northish wind accompanied us on most days and turned us back from Parrotspitze.

The base of the ascent route on Passo Naso is marked with red. Take the rocky rib above the red dot. In ascent it is certainly different from what I normally take and a helmet would be advised. In descent we took a rocky and loose option marked on the left, away from the normal steep and icy route which was causing folk some problems in descent.

Descending the Grenz Glacier was well trailed on the true right bank. The crevasses are opening and one local guide said …”The glacier is getting hungry”… The new Monte Rosa Hut is very different from the older version lower down. Whether you like it or not, there is no denying it makes the most of energy saving technology and materials and it is a touch higher up the mountain.

The approach from Gornograt is very serious once the dry glacier is gained and crampons are essential in parts. This glacier is suffering from a big retreat in recent years and creating problems in keeping it relatively safe for the large number of day trippers to the Monte Rosa Hut.

Today it has been raining heavily at times in Zermatt and the high rock routes such as the Matterhorn will be out of condition for a while unfortunately. Certainly the Guides bureau were not very optimistic,

Sunset from the Margherita Hut