Hello, can someone, especially if you have climbed both, tell me how the normal route(s) here compare to the normal routes on the Grand Teton (ex. Upper Exum, Owen Spalding) in the US? ...and also maybe a comparison as well to the normal or easiest routes up the Drus near Chamonix? All I can find is AD, AD-, and D but I have no idea how that would compare to YDS. I've looked at several comparison charts, but I need a good take from someone who knows.
I've done both the OS on the Grand and the Matterhorn (liongrat-Hornli traverse) this year. I remember having the same questions! I would say the level of actual rock climbing was about the same on the both, but the Matterhorn just having more of it. I did the Grand in June and the Matterhorn in August. I was in better shape by August and had done a much better job acclimating (climbed blanc the week before the Matterhorn). With the grand I didn't acclimate other than arriving to the area the evening before we started up towards our stay at the lower saddle. I felt like up-chucking when I woke up but felt much better once I started getting the o2 moving through the system on our way up the grand. Then physically felt great at the summit of the Grand. The Matterhorn had multiple fixed "gym" ropes that we had to ascend. I remember feeling winded after several of those near the shoulder of the Matterhorn on the Italian side. Then heading down the Hornli I was fatigued a bit more versus the Tetons. Other than occasionally feeling winded, the Matterhorn climb allowed for lots of resting from the anerobic work on the ropes while we scrambled from pitch to pitch. I heard people say a few times in their trip reports that climbing the Matterhorn was the toughest thing they had done, but for me, I couldn't say that. My background is no prior mountaineering experience prior to this year. Never ran more than 8 miles in my life, hiked a bunch and could only do a around a 5-10a in the Rick climbing gym- so nothing special. I will say the exposed ridge on the summit of the Matterhorn was like nothing I had ever experienced. That was crazy! Awesome! My video for the climb on YouTube is here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OY1NPe2LDRA send me a message of you have any more questions.
Mauntainfreak - Jan 7, 2016 4:15 pm - Hasn't voted
Photo from PeakThis photo of the peak of Matterhorn was taken from a plane (click it to enlarge):
chrisjarvis - Nov 9, 2016 1:24 pm - Hasn't voted
Route DifficultyHello, can someone, especially if you have climbed both, tell me how the normal route(s) here compare to the normal routes on the Grand Teton (ex. Upper Exum, Owen Spalding) in the US? ...and also maybe a comparison as well to the normal or easiest routes up the Drus near Chamonix? All I can find is AD, AD-, and D but I have no idea how that would compare to YDS. I've looked at several comparison charts, but I need a good take from someone who knows.
Cougarblue - Dec 8, 2016 12:47 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Route DifficultyI've done both the OS on the Grand and the Matterhorn (liongrat-Hornli traverse) this year. I remember having the same questions! I would say the level of actual rock climbing was about the same on the both, but the Matterhorn just having more of it. I did the Grand in June and the Matterhorn in August. I was in better shape by August and had done a much better job acclimating (climbed blanc the week before the Matterhorn). With the grand I didn't acclimate other than arriving to the area the evening before we started up towards our stay at the lower saddle. I felt like up-chucking when I woke up but felt much better once I started getting the o2 moving through the system on our way up the grand. Then physically felt great at the summit of the Grand. The Matterhorn had multiple fixed "gym" ropes that we had to ascend. I remember feeling winded after several of those near the shoulder of the Matterhorn on the Italian side. Then heading down the Hornli I was fatigued a bit more versus the Tetons. Other than occasionally feeling winded, the Matterhorn climb allowed for lots of resting from the anerobic work on the ropes while we scrambled from pitch to pitch. I heard people say a few times in their trip reports that climbing the Matterhorn was the toughest thing they had done, but for me, I couldn't say that. My background is no prior mountaineering experience prior to this year. Never ran more than 8 miles in my life, hiked a bunch and could only do a around a 5-10a in the Rick climbing gym- so nothing special. I will say the exposed ridge on the summit of the Matterhorn was like nothing I had ever experienced. That was crazy! Awesome! My video for the climb on YouTube is here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OY1NPe2LDRA send me a message of you have any more questions.