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Fingertips and Pedals - Bike and Hike in Switzerland

Fingertips and Pedals - Bike and Hike in Switzerland

600 kilometres, 18,000 metres in altitude, 6 walls and one month's time

Fingertips & Pedals

"In April 2020, the planned Alaska expedition with my husband Luka LindiÄŤ was cancelled. All appointments and lectures have been cancelled or postponed indefinitely. Suddenly there's nothing but time." - Ines Papert | LOWA PRO Team

Switzerland - the two alpinists Caro North and Ines Papert travelled by mountain bike from the east to the west of Switzerland in summer 2020 to climb some of the country's big walls on routes that were new to both of them .Their ethical approach is clear: they want to master the journey using only the strength of their legs and the necessary sensitivity. LOWA PRO team athlete Ines Papert reports on her journey ..

As professional climbers, we are always on the lookout for great adventures in the most remote regions of this planet. Antarctica, the Himalayas, Baffin Island, Patagonia, to name but a few. But we also have a great responsibility to protect our habitat, the mountains and nature, and it is our job to get this message out to the outside world.

But how does nature conservation fit in with the constant air travel that takes us around the globe? Absolutely not.

The travel restrictions in 2020 suddenly gave us plenty of time to reflect and adapt our lifestyles to the current situation. Climate change must be stopped and it's finally time to set an example as an ambassador and top athlete.

I'm sitting on my sunny terrace in Berchtesgaden after a bike tour in the local mountains and suddenly have the desire to go travelling on my mountain bike. But who could I get excited about this idea? The name Caro North immediately comes to mind. She is a likeable, young and extremely ambitious alpinist who I had the pleasure of meeting in Patagonia. Caro and I would like to tow our equipment in a trailer and feed ourselves with local produce. Without the support of a support vehicle, of course.

EXPEDITION SWITZERLAND

After a few phone calls, our destination is finalised: Caro's home country, Switzerland, with its numerous legendary rock faces. In August 2020, I get off the train in Feldkirch (Austria) and arrive at the railway station in Sargans just before the thunderstorm to wait for Caro.

I can see her from afar thanks to her dreadlocks. We fall into each other's arms and I quickly realise how enthusiastic Caro is. Our first climbing destination is the Rätikon. An arduous and steep approach, curve after curve winding up the mountain road. The rhythm of the pedalling is slow but steady. The heat is really getting to us. We have to remind each other to ride slowly so that we have enough energy left for climbing later. Our bike trailer weighs around 35-40kg with all our equipment, which is a significant additional load.

RĂ„TIKON/INTIFADA 7A+

Our first climbing tour starts in the morning. We enter the Intifada at the Schweizereck, which has actually remained dry. A unique length of slab right at the start demands everything from us. It is difficult to stand precisely on our feet after the exertion on the bike. We fight our way up pitch by pitch. We still lack the speedy rhythm of a well-practised team. The sun comes into the wall and the last lengths become a battle against the heat. In the evening we have a barbecue with friends and celebrate our first route through a big wall on this 'expedition'.

The journey continues after a long descent via Chur to Disentis, mostly on the Rhine cycle path towards the source of the river at the Oberalp Pass. We have covered quite a few metres in altitude and distance when we start our next climbing route on the Teufelstalwand above Andermatt.

TEUFELSTALSCHLUCHT/PERUVIAN DUST 7A+

Here we have to belay ourselves in the granite. Caro is in her element and proves her crack climbing skills. On our onward journey we have a mishap, our gas for the cooker runs out. At first, every attempt to find an open shop on a long weekend fails. We use Facebook to find a climber who helps us out and leaves us two cartridges on the way over the Susten Pass. The climbing community is just great, helpful and supportive wherever possible.

That's good, because we soon realise that we need three times the amount of food than in normal climbing. Our fuel is food and that means always remembering where the nearest shop is along the way. Efficiency is becoming more and more important. We don't want to take any unnecessary routes, soon limit ourselves to the bare essentials in our packs and realise that lightness also means speed, similar to alpine style climbing.

The ascent to the Susten Pass is a tough one, it's raining and we pedal reverently higher. Once we reach the pass (2224 metres), we quickly change our wet and sweaty jerseys for a proper jacket. The descent is fun until it starts to rain again and my rear brake no longer works. A slight panic sets in. I have to get it fixed at the next opportunity.

At the campsite in Gaumen, we take our first break after 10 days. We want to rest up and climb the Wendenstöcken, which still need to dry out.

A final ascent takes us up the Wendenalp by bike, then we finally continue on foot. It's a hot summer's day and the walls are exposed to the south. There is no wind and our ambitious plans are already diminished by the heat on the ascent.

WENDENSTĂ–CKE/EXCALIBUR 6B

The Excalibur pillar towers imposingly in front of us. But during a traverse to the start, the joy quickly turns into total shock. We hit a massive rockfall that suddenly seems to fall from the sky. Stones and whole boulders hit us and we can do nothing but try to find shelter under our rucksacks. We are left with a strong smell of sulphur and weak knees. We're lucky, but we don't get back to our usual enthusiasm that quickly.

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"The Excalibur route offers the perfect level of difficulty for both of us after these moments of fear, and yet it's not easy for us. Demanding protection and always unsafe friction steps." -Ines Papert| LOWA PRO Team

In Innertkirchen, we finally have the brakes repaired and take on another 500 metres in altitude to avoid having to stay on the busy road. Our next destination is the Geneva Pillar on the legendary north face of the Eiger.

EIGER NORTH FACE/DEEP BLUE SEA 7B+

We find a spot with a view for our small tent on the Eiger. I'm looking forward to the day ahead. But the wind picks up and the temperatures drop through the night. We therefore decide in favour of a late start. At the start, we first have to warm up our toes, then Caro starts up the first pitch. With no feeling in her fingers and toes, we make slow progress. And suddenly the moment when her head has other plans than her body. She tries again and again to climb from the last bolt to the belay.

But even my fingers have gone numb from the cold. I have to fight hard for the first few lengths. In the middle of the wall, we look at the clock and realise that we don't have enough time to make it to the top. Fortunately, there is an emergency exit to the right. We leave our equipment behind to continue the ascent the next day, which we manage to do.

SOUTH FACE WITHOUT A GUEST

It's still a few days on the bikes before we arrive at our next stop. On the way, we take another route on the south face of the Gastlosen. Ever since we left Interlaken, we have been riding into the night hours. The advantage is that there is less traffic on the roads. Our schedule has also been a little behind schedule since the forced break. The weather plays a major role in all our ascents, while it is possible to be on the bike in bad weather.

In the Rhone valley, the wind pushes us towards Martigny before we climb steeply up the pass road to the Great St Bernard. Stopping off with friends, from whom we borrow all the equipment we need for an alpine route in wintry conditions, we continue the next day by bike and later on foot to the "Cabane du Trient", a hut at over 3000 metres on the Swiss side of the Mt Blanc region. The golden granite peaks of the Aiguilles Dorées high above the Val Ferret greet us in the evening light. The fresh snow has hopefully turned into usable treading snow by now.

AIG. DORÉES TRAVERSE EAST-WEST

Our last climbing day fulfils more than dreams. The light, the distant views, the climbing, the conditions... everything is perfect, albeit demanding for our tired legs, because the entire traverse from east to west is long, but always has a good climbing section in store. We climb over the ridge to our last summit, the Aig. de la Varappe 3513m. Caro and I hug each other tightly and every little disagreement is already forgotten.

"I couldn't have imagined a better end to our route through Switzerland."- Ines Papert | LOWA PRO Team

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