Following on from the success of ALPINE VENTURE 2024 where we got four RAF Mountaineering Association (RAFMA) personnel through their Alpine Mountaineering Foundation (AMF) course, I offered to lead a similar trip in 2025. Those plans changed a bit when the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Mountaineering Club (RN&RMMC) started planning a Tri-Service trip to the Swiss Alps as part of their preparations for an expedition to Rakaposhi in 2028.
It had been 18 years since the three Service mountaineering associations had met to climb together in the Alps and RAFMA and I were very keen to support their initiative. The fact that it would give me less paperwork to do was obviously not a factor! The three Services all agreed that going back to Saas Grund would be ideal for delivering AMF and the lifts were free when staying in the valley.
Expedition Aims: The Alps are a challenging mountaineering environment, requiring good mountaineering skills and provide an ideal training ground to develop physical fitness, resilience, leadership and teamwork – all vital attributes in the military. As well as the benefits to our Services through individual development, we also wanted to operate together in the mountains, deliver AMF and develop our Alpine mountaineering skills further.
My priorities, though, had not changed from last year’s trip:
• Have a safe trip.
• Enjoy ourselves.
• Deliver Alpine Mountaineering Foundation.
MOUNTAINEERING
After a last-minute hiatus that nearly saw the trip cancelled and meant that one of our team was unable to attend, the remaining five of us arrived in the Swiss village of Saas Grund on 29th June 2025, for our ten days of Alpine Mountaineering. Unfortunately, without our Ulysses Trust flag – I had been so focused on managing the last-minute obstacles to our trip that I forgot to pack it.
The sheer volume of snow we encountered in 2024 had presented some significant challenges, but this year was totally different. The mountains were looking very rocky and the extent that the glaciers had shrunk was all too obvious. Taking the cable car to Langflue on our first day to practice glacier skills was quite a shock – I had last seen the glaciers here in 2016 and the change was frightening.
The glacier above the Langflue proved to be a good place to practice our movement on snow and ice and crevasse rescue techniques. It also allowed for discussions on technique between instructors and an opportunity to catch up with people I had worked with before in the Alps, as well as some of my previous students – all of whom had long since surpassed me in their climbing ability.
Wiwanni – 1-2 July 2025: I had been impressed by the Wiwanni Hutte and the Wiwannihorn as a great area for introducing novice Alpinists to rocky Alpine ridges; moreover, it got us away from the busy Saas valley for a couple of days. It is possible to drive up to 1,851m, making the walk-in to the hut a pleasant 90-minute stroll through forests and high Alpine pastures. The hut itself is quite small and traditional with some good areas to practice various skills.
The next day, we climbed the Wiwannihorn via its Southwestern flank and descended its Western ridge. Never overly difficult but continuously challenging on great rock and with a 45m abseil at the end, it proved ideal for the team.
Moiry – 3-4 July 2025: The Cabane de Moiry, just in the French speaking part of the Valais Alps, is another great base for an acclimatisation peak and provides a real contrast between a traditional Alpine hut and one that has been significantly modernised. The next day we left the hut to traverse the Pigne de la Lé, a relatively easy Alpine peak at 3392 metres. Unlike the previous year, we were on rock all the way to the summit and then ‘enjoyed’ a descent on deep soft snow, with one of the team making sure they found every deep hole on the way back to the hut!
The hut provided a chance to have a bite to eat and a drink, before walking back out to where we had parked at the end of the Lac du Moiry. We had picked a good time to go the hut if the huge numbers of people we passed on their way up were anything to go by – Friday night in the hut was going to be mobbed!
Valley – 5 July 2025: Saturday’s weather was looking a bit wet and a day resting in the valley was not unwelcome. It gave the team a chance to wash kit, review what they had learned over the previous week and prepare for the next week.
Saas Fee – 6 July 2025: With busy huts at the weekend and poor weather due on Monday, we decided to head up the Allalinhorn from Saas Fee. This would be the team’s first 4000m peak of the trip and, although a relatively easy peak and shortish climb from the top lift station, the altitude would challenge us all.
The lifts and route were very busy, which was expected, but the weather was great and the views stunning. Most other Alpinists seemed pretty competent, but not all and it was good to see my two students reacting in horror at some of the poor techniques on display. They had learned a lot in a short period of time and were able to see the risks inherent in others’ poor practices.
Valley – 7 July 2025: With poor weather forecast on Monday and Tuesday, we decided to take it easy on the Monday and walk-in to a hut on Tuesday to make the best of the good weather toward the middle of the week. Taking it easy did not mean doing nothing though! A short Klettersteig (a route equipped with metal cables) that started by the road next to a bakery and café was ideal!
Two of the team had to depart early and decided to head up to the Mischabel Hutte instead for an attempt on the Nadelhorn. Unfortunately, the weather on Tuesday was too windy for them to do anything but walk out, sort kit and head home on the Wednesday.
Almagellar – 8-10 July 2025: The walk into the Almagellar Hutte takes 3 to 4 hours through some beautiful Alpine scenery. It is one of the nicest huts in the Swiss Alps and it was no surprise to find instructors and students from the Joint Service Mountain Training Centre there, as well as few well-known British Mountain Guides. It was great to catch up with a few people I had not seen for years!
On Wednesday, we decided to climb a mountain called Mittelruck, which should have taken us about 6 hours. The walk in was quite simple and the ridge, whilst never particularly tricky, also never let up and the route took quite a bit longer than expected. Not helped by the mixed conditions in places after the snowfall of the previous nights. It was a weary team that got back to the hut that afternoon!
Thursday was going to be the team’s ‘big push’, the traverse of the Weissmies. A wonderful 4000m peak with a lovely rocky Southeast Ridge in ascent, a narrow snow arete summit and a steep descent challenged by large crevasses and seracs. Fortunately, the previous day had been a glitch timing-wise and we easily managed the route within guidebook times. Again, my students, were spotting some rather worrying techniques, particularly on the way down where parties were hanging around the scene of a serac collapse to take photos and sort gear!
Saas Grund – 11 July 2025: Everyone was back at the campsite for a BBQ on the Friday, before heading home first thing Saturday. The small charcoal BBQ the Army had commandeered was going to take a while to feed everyone, but a quick chat with the campsite owner and the RAF were cooking on gas and quickly handing out burgers!
A thoroughly enjoyable Alps trip where we achieved our expedition aims, both as an RAFMA group and as a Tri-Service trip. Finally, a big ‘thank-you’ to the Ulysses Trust for supporting RAFMA Reservists in delivering and participating in Adventurous Training – your support makes these trips possible and ensures that younger personnel gain the benefit of experience some of the Reserves can provide.
