Say the phrase ‘Hinterstoisser Traverse’
to most people and it’ll mean nothing – it
could be a German action hero or a section
of Belgian motorway. But say it to a few
cognoscenti climbing wonks and they’ll
immediately know it’s a section of the
awesome north face of the Eiger, named
in honour of the first climber to cross it
successfully, in 1936.
Eiger means ‘ogre’ and it’s easy to see
where the name came from. The rock rises
1,800 metres from the valley and is so
high that it creates its own mini-climate,
conjuring storms on even the most placid
days. It’s one of the reasons why it’s such a
brute to climb and why you’re far better off
sitting in a campsite, watching others take
the strain. And this is just the place for it.
Camping Eigernordwand is at the foot of the
Eiger. The site’s run by a charming old gent,
Rudi, who’s been here since canvas bags and
cable-knit woollies were all the climbing
rage. He comes round every evening to say
hello, but finds all chairs turned towards the
Nordwand as campers search out tiny specks
of human dust trying to clamber up the rock.
Of course, there’s more to Grindelwald than
a huge slab of rock and the views from the
site are just as inspiring if you turn your
camp chair around and look down the valley.
It’s just that now everyone’s looking at you.
