We have no choice: we make a ski depot at around 3900 metres and leave most of our luggage there. We continue on crampons. As we started this tour directly from the lowlands and are therefore unacclimatised, the mountain air is really getting to us and the exertions of yesterday are not yet forgotten.
We are also plagued by self-reproach. Nevertheless, we push on, because the pride is too great to turn back.
While my energy-saving mode has switched on again and I'm just walking on in a trance, my thoughts already switched off, suddenly there's no more uphill - we've made it!
The summit rewards us for all our exertions. There are only a handful of mountains higher than the Bishorn in the neighbourhood. It's an exhilarating feeling to stand above it all and yet you feel small and insignificant next to these giants. It's just nice that we're here and haven't found an excuse to turn round.
The descent to the ski depot goes by itself
Of course, the thin air makes itself felt and we need a few breaks to give our muscles time to process the low oxygen content of the altitude.
Now an endlessly long descent awaits us: almost 2500 metres downhill to Zinal. However, once again we were too happy too soon!
At the hut, we pack our equipment that we don't need for the summit climb into our backpacks. Another bar between our teeth and then came the disillusionment. The overweight backpack that we dragged up here yesterday has to be brought back down into the valley.
But with every metre of altitude we descent, new strength is mobilised. And the fun factor, which until now had remained at ZERO, rises surprisingly quickly.
As I'm on telemark skis myself, my upper skis go on strike over the last few metres. Think about it or put on a 15-kilo backpack and do squat after squat with it for two and a half hours, adding the centrifugal forces. Then ask your thighs what they think? I had a correspondingly strange gait for the next few days and a big fight with my quadriceps, which took revenge on me for the torture with severe muscle soreness. But the smile and satisfaction prevailed.
To the website of Baschi Bender
