Eiger Dreams

On the importance of seeing

Coming down from the Weissmies hut after a week in the Swiss Alps that was my first taste of alpinism

When I read Jon Krakauer's book Eiger Dreams the Eiger itself and particularly its Nordwand seemed so far away.

Despite (or perhaps because of) having started climbing a few months prior and having extensive experience hiking and spending time in the mountains, the idea of getting on the North face of that beast seemed absurd.

If describing an attempt on the route was enough of a draw for Krakauer to name a book after it, it certainly is no place for mortals who aren't on TV or writing books.

But then after quitting my job I went on a an Alps trip that was largely focused on climbing and getting started with alpinism.

There I met people who had climbed the North face of the Eiger, people who aspired to do it, and people who tried and failed. Many of these cooking next to me at the hostel kitchen in Chamonix.

I was frying vegetables and being told about the Hinterstoisser traverse first-hand, rather than reading about it in a book.

And these weren't famous climbers or alpinists. These were in some ways pretty regular people.

Visting Chamonix with only a few months of climbing experience under my belt didn't allow me to do much. I became a regular at Les Gaillands and climbed in the Aiguilles Rouges once with a guy I met on Facebook, but didn't venture out into the South part of the valley.

Had it not snowed I might have followed Dan up the M but that's beyond the point. To most climbers, making it to Chamonix and mostly climbing in Gaillands is a massive waste of time.

But I needed to see. I needed to be there. The world's capital of mountaineering. I needed to look at the skyline, talk to the people, watch others, and see what's possible.

I think we underestimate how important it is to see things. Particularly up close. It's like when people mention the importance of a female prime minister or a black president. It truly is important for kids to see that. To see that someone like them can do those things.

It's much harder to work towards something we can't see.

So that was the point of going to Chamonix for me. Seeing that someone who started climbing at the same age as me can do cool ascents in the South of the valley with a few years of experience. That starting to climb in your mid-twenties doesn't exclude you from Eiger or El Cap aspirations.

That biking from Ushuaia to Cartagena is not reserved for people with a Netflix series, but possible for a random couple like the one that we hitched a ride from on the way to Chamonix.

So as it stands, I wouldn't say I have "Eiger dreams". I don't know if I'll ever stand at its base, look up at the mile-long wall of cold and deadly limestone and touch its holds with intention, hoping to stand atop of it.

But now I at least know it isn't totally out of the question.

And that in itself, is already massive.