At the end of August we moved to the Western Alps. We were a group of mountain guides together with the nice Americans from BAM, most of whom were with us at the Wild Blue Extreme last autumn. The programme included rocky ridge climbs and some altitude acclimatisation in preparation for the Matterhorn. Thanks to the consistently good weather, we managed to make some nice climbs in Valtournenche, Great St Bernard and Courmayeur. Unfortunately, however, the normal route to the Matterhorn from the Italian side was closed, so we moved to Switzerland, to climb the Allalinhorn and then attempt the ascent to the Matternhorn from the Zermatt side. In the end, only two teams reached the summit, proving that even with good preparation, the Matterhorn is still a difficult mountain. The BAM team really put in a lot of effort and everyone improved their technical skills, showing great determination and willingness to put themselves to the test. In the end, the trip was a success and I must thank all the participants and guides present, but especially Alberto De Giuli (www.albertodegiuli.com) who organised everything to perfection!
