The Galenstock
We found few descriptions of the route online or in guidebooks: so I have written one at the bottom of this page!
Yesterday saw one of the longer days on the mountain that Clare and I have done. We had chosen to do the Galenstock via the SE Spur (AD, III/IV). We set off from the carpark at the head of the Furka Pass and trotted down to the barracks before heading up easy paths towards the Sidelenhütte. Shortly before the hut we cut northwards onto the glacier (unnamed on the map, coming up towards the Sidelenhorn) and used it to approach the route.
We climbed the ridge with a mix of moving together and pitching the more serious spots, although I'm sure many would be less conservative. There is a lovely mix of rock and moves. It turned out to be a pleasant ascent! The final stroke up to the summit is a world away from the rocky spur and more of a steep sided snow arête with a very good going cornice that leads to the picturesque summit.
Unlike the AD routes of chamonix the one word of warning would be: a long walk in means a long walk out! On reading everything we could find, the main suggestion for descent way the Normal Route to the Rhone Glacier rather than an abseil back to the glacier we started up. Having done this and the subsequently 12-13hour day I'm not so sure. The majority of the traffic doing the spur does the abseil. If I were to repeat it I would too.
Our descent took us down ground reminiscent of the descent from Gillian on Skye with small glaciers and snowy patches. The grade is likely PD. Once down at the Rhone glacier we found it far easier to get the rope and spikes back out. The glacier is easily enough navigated and has some spectacular crevasses. An easy walk out from there to the hotel completed our huge day.
...but it was fun.
Guidebooks etc... The Summit Post site was rather helpful. UKC might have put us off with the typical 'Brit Abroad' description of it being rubbish (I always take these with a pinch of salt - conditions on routes in the Alps change a lot and Brits in Europe always seem to have a rose tinted view of Lakeland climbing they'd rather be doing). We did get a little info from the Plasir book too (topo not great at all!!!). Thankfully Clare and I decided it looked a good idea to have a go!
The Route:
Once gaining the ridge from the glacier the route starts in a large snow filled gulley just around to the right. There were easy to navigate bergshrunds here. At this point you can see down to the Sidelengletscher on the right of the ridge - another approach but more hazardous)
This gulley rapidly narrows to a chimney and a move left after only a few meters takes you to the crest of a small ridge with the spur up to the right.
The ground ahead will be climbed solo by many. We had chosen to move together as it makes pitching that little quicker for us and added safety on the sometimes loose ground.
Stick left until reaching the top of this area. Taking a line up the middle here looked far more loose (and 'chossy' as described on UKC). Once near the top move righrwards to find an open couloir up to the crest of the spur (just to the left of this is a tasty looking chimney).
Still moving together the first steps along the spur are simple and easily protected. After a short time a rock wall is met. A pleasant line is protected by bolts and a peg at the left side of this wall with an airy feel above the line you took to this point (25m, III/IV).
Once past this first hurdle moving together becomes possible again along some pleasant ground and is once again easily protected.
A second pitch is quickly reached following a noticeable narrowing of the spur. Ahead of you is a steep buttress with an obvious fault climbing leftward. A sling belay from a perch 1 or 2m up serves well. The pitch is again bolted and protected with a couple of pegs. The belay is found around the corner after dropping down a meter of an exposed flake (15m, III).
From here it is possible to pitch or move together with care (on more more technical ground than before). A V-shaped chimney leads upwards from the belay towards the crest. At the top of this an awkward move takes you to your left with a good sling belay just off the crest (25m, II/III).
From here gaining the crest is easy, followed by a simple chimney (5m) with one awkward move leading to a sling belay on the crest (30m, II/III).
The line of the next pitches are easily seen thanks to good bolt protection. Traverse to the arête and climb a flake to the first belay on a small ledge above a large flake (20m, III). From here an airy move on the slab at the belay continues up the arête (15m, III). Next continue the arête to a triangular slab with a bolt above. From the left side two delicate footholds allow a climb up to the right and then above to the next anchor (20m, III). Lastly a simple, airy pitch on the arête climbs to just below the top of the route (III/III 20-25m).