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Eiger conditions

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Is there anybody who has jumped the Eiger recently and can tell me something about the current conditions up there?

cheers,

J.

www.vandrunen.ch

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I am ofcourse referring my question to those who hiked up there and not those who had a chopper ride...

www.vandrunen.ch

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If you send me a PM with your email, I can forward you an email I got from a friend who jumped it in the last 3 days.
-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,1815733,00.html

Vast chunk of rock threatens to fall from Eiger as global warming opens up crack

John Hooper
Saturday July 8, 2006
The Guardian


The north face of the Eiger. Photograph: Robert Boesch/AP

A vast chunk of Europe's most ill-famed mountain threatens to break loose and crash down in the next few days, a geologist monitoring the situation told the Guardian yesterday.
Hans-Rudolf Keusen said 2m cubic metres of the Eiger in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland - twice the volume of the Empire State Building - was rapidly working its way loose.

He said the mountain appeared to have cracked open as an indirect result of global warming.


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There was no danger to people in the area. "There aren't any houses underneath, so no one is going to end up getting a rock on the head," Mr Keusen said. But he added that the debris could settle on glaciers, blocking the outflow and affecting water supplies to neighbouring towns.
It was not yet clear whether the part of the mountain at risk would fall all at once or by stages.

Mr Keusen began monitoring the mountain, which has claimed the lives of many climbers, at the end of last month after spotting a long crack on the east face. Measurements taken by instruments located on Bäregg, on the other side of a valley from the Eiger, initially showed the fissure was opening up at a rate of 5cm (about 2in) a day.

But yesterday he said: "The crack is now widening at 75cm a day. That is very fast compared with fissures we have seen developing on other mountains. I think it is possible the rockfall could take place in the next few days."

It is natural for the Alps to erode. But evidence has grown in recent years that they are crumbling at a faster rate than normal. In 2004 three lumps of the Dolomites in northern Italy came loose.

The biggest chunk - 75 metres high - fell more than a quarter of mile to block a hikers' trail.

Since the alarm was sounded for the Eiger tourists have been gathering around the town of Grindelwald in the hope of seeing what promises to be the biggest rockfall in living memory.
Life is ez
On the dz
Every jumper's dream
3 rigs and an airstream

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Doesn't apply.
(Not directly anyway)

The proposed rockfall is above the lower grindlewald glacier, on the east face, facing the Schrechhorn.

You would be going up the W face, and hucking your meat near the M in Eismeer:

http://www.alpineskimaps.com/swit/jungfrau/mapwin.htm

Course, it would be shitty to be on that mushroom, when the slab let loose...

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This isn’t directly related but the comments on global warming made me wonder. As it happens there was a huge rock fall earlier up on Baffin this year. The pillar on Scott Wall that was the route climbed by Jason and Jason from Vancouver fell down. I’d say the peace was about 800 ft tall. Exploded on the lower slope, smashed through the sea ice, and it looks like the wave broke the ice for a good distance around. More of it came down while I was there. I was bummed. I’d hoped to get a jump off it. Fortunately the old exit point was still there and nicer then ever. It was also a very wet warm year. Pag also had a warm year and a short ice season. One night in April it even rained. Makes me wonder if there is an increase in temp variation causing more freeze thaw cycle. I guess the lesson is that these objects are not eternal and you should go jump the over hangs while they are still there.

Lee
Lee
[email protected]
www.velocitysportswear.com

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We also experienced a massive amount of rockfall in Sam Ford this year.

It's actually quite nice when you're safely camped on the ice well out of danger.

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Heard about the rockfall problem. It's been reported on the radio and in newspapers a in the last few days.

However, as AirCanada says it won't affect the jump (hopefully...) cause it's on the other side.

I'm actually interested in how much ice on the rocks we can expect this time on the hike up.

Don't know wether to say fortunately or unfortunately, but global warming seems to help us when it comes to melting of the ice, which would make the hike a lot easier and less tricky...

J.

www.vandrunen.ch

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Mmm, mountains are mountains. They can be easily accessible and very difficult the next day.

We (5 people) hiked up and jumped the mushroom august 2004, but we all agreed halfway up it was:
1) the most difficult hike/climb we had ever done.
2) we would NOT descend.
2 nights before it had rained in the valley and the upper Eiger slopes were covered with 2 mm of ice. Very slippery. Actually, we were glad to jump, that was the safest (for us, that is).

In short, look at internet weather, just go there, and take your change. You just might need time, as well.

About global warming: with all those new cracks, rockfalls, etc. We lose some exit points, we get some exit points. No need to rush :P

Ronald Overdijk

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Safely camped on the ice...LMFAO...glad you all made it back ok.
http://www.extreme-on-demand.com

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totally agree with ronald,
remembering our first hike in same conditions with ice and snow..for sure the most dangerous hike i ever done.
make sure that the conditions will be good for minimum half day.the eiger is known for fast changing weather, the main reason for the huge number of lost climbers in that wall.
we had clouds from one minute to another coming from nowhere and they can stay.alpinists expect more rock fall on the classic jumpers route because of the warm weather period.
i would recommend a guide to find the way.
in dry and nice conditions beautiful jump!!
take care and good luck
hannes

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Hey Ronald,

I remember Mike telling about that particular hike and I've seen some pictures as well. Glad you guys made it back ok....

When we went up (July 05) the conditions were much better. Some icey patches, but that was it. You could basically walk around them.
According to Mike, who was there as well that time, the hike we had was half as long, but I don't think he remembered the exact route you guys took so it might well have been the better conditions.

Either way, gnarly hike, but absolutely beautiful.

Will you come over and do it sometime this year?

Joris.

www.vandrunen.ch

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Perhaps slightly off topic, but I just came across these amazing pictures, that made my jaw drop...

http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/erde/0,1518,426293,00.html

It's an article from a German new site about the current 'rock fall' situation on the Eiger East flank. Text is in German, but simply click on the pictures in the middle and you'll get to see 9 shots of the section that has come off and a few pics of smaller rock falls that happened so far... :o

For sure this will make the surrounding earth shake like hell, so let's all hope that the M. doesn't fall off once the lot goes...;)

J.

www.vandrunen.ch

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For sure this will make the surrounding earth shake like hell, so let's all hope that the M. doesn't fall off once the lot goes...;)

J.


Who knows, maybe nature helps us and turns the Eiger northwall into a giagantic BASE Jump that let Kjerag apear like some slider down jumps...:)
Michi (#1068)
hsbc/gba/sba
www.swissbaseassociation.ch
www.michibase.ch

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Who knows, maybe nature helps us and turns the Eiger northwall into a giagantic BASE Jump that let Kjerag apear like some slider down jumps...:)



Hey Michi, have you been drinking? :P

I hope it will though...

J.

www.vandrunen.ch

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In the swiss news right now:
A big part of the nose of the eiger (about 1/3 of 2'000'000m3) just came down...
This weights around 500'000 to 700'000 tons of kilograms...

And they expect the rest of the 2'000'000m3 to come down soon...
Michi (#1068)
hsbc/gba/sba
www.swissbaseassociation.ch
www.michibase.ch

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I just came back from the valley. I didn't have time to jump the Eiger :( (was too busy with the Outdoor Games) but lots of people did jump it. They all said there's no snow on the way up! B|
Just check the weather on the internet and when you're there ask Air Glaciers for the current conditions.
It's a fu**** hard hike but I can tell you it's worth it!!!
Cya
Jojo

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hike to Eiger is not hard when there is no snow. It is about 2.5 hours hike average, but can be done much faster...

Guide is mandatory if you have no clue about how to get there..
Robert Pecnik
[email protected]
www.phoenix-fly.com

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Just curious, but what is the distance and vertical gain of that hike ?

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Just curious, but what is the distance and vertical gain of that hike ?



You gain roughly 1000m (2300 to 3300) at 45 degree angle :)
bsbd!

Yuri.

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Please, don't ask Air Glacier for any BASE relevat infos (conditions for eiger included), it's not their job.... They have already enough work to.

For conditions, ask people who where there or who lives there. Check weather web sites, etc....

The best thing is: go have a look by yourself...

all the best
/t.

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how about the current conditions at the eiger?! since there´s heavy snowfall up from around 1600m, the hike should be almost impossible for the upcoming weekend?!

anybody more info?!

thx!

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Yup, spoke to my g.f. in the valley today. There is snow lying on the top of Mannlichen 2230m (the peak behind Wengen). The Eigergletscher station, where you start walking, is 2320m so probably far too much snow on the walk.

The next bit I post because I'd rather have given out good information instead of reading about a fatality because of poor or no info. Forewarned is forearmed.

The photo shows the different routes (that I know about):

(Please, people who are familiar with the route double check my drawing, I'm no artist ;-)

Red: the usual 'easy' walking/scrambling route. No climbing involved.
Yellow: the climbing sections with dodgy fixed ropes, cuts some time of the approach but only if you are a confident climber. Please don't trust your weight to the ropes unless it's your last resort i.e. actually falling off!
Blue: snow route, kicking steps. I've not done this one but I'm told it's pretty quick. However, winter climbing /mountaineering experience would be a pre-requisite, not really for the climb but if you slip and start sliding then you need to have some idea of how it stop yourself.

It's a fantastic jump BUT the approach is not for the faint hearted or unfit. Mountain experience is essential, if you don't have any go with someone who does. The Horner Pub in Lauterbrunnen is the place to find these people.

Mike.

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Hello,

currently there is a lot of snow to go to the mushroom. Walking without crampons is impossible and I would not recommend to go without a confirmed moutain guide.

We were there on Friday and the hike was long due to the snow. It may melt if the weather get better but at certain moment we had more than 70cm of snow. Do not forget that the hike end at 3100 meters.

Take care,

Franz
#1141

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