Girl’s Day Out

Lorraine Huber: I was lining up at the Grand Montets lift in Argentière when I thought I had recognized someone out of the corner of my eye. "Roberto?", I asked in disbelief. Flashing me his charming smile, Roberto shouts: "Ciao Lori!" in his strong Italian accent. Roberto and I had worked at a ski camp together in Cervinia, Italy, back in 2008. It was the first time I saw the Matterhorn, and I was right away spellbound. I simply could not tear my gaze away from that beautiful, steep, archetypical mountain, soaring solitarily in all its glory above the quaint mountain village of Zermatt. Back then, Roberto planted the seed in my mind that I could climb and ski its east face.

Fast forward to 2016, it still seemed like a difficult dream to realize, but little did I know. Roberto told me excitedly that the conditions on the Matterhorn east face were possibly shaping up. Next thing I knew, Roberto invited me to join him in climbing and skiing the east face, and I impulsively agreed. I felt strong and motivated and decided if conditions are favorable, why not? Excited as he was, he also asked another friend, freerider and ski mountaineer Giulia Monego. Roberto had to leave Chamonix for a couple of days and suggested that I'd coordinate with Giulia about the trip, which I was more than happy to do. Giulia and I had the same ski sponsor for eight years, but I always regretted not being able to ski with her more.

We arranged to meet at Moo Bar, and she told me that her friend Liv Sansoz, double world champion in lead climbing, would be joining. At that time, I was in Chamonix with my friend, ski mountaineer and Bergans of Norway teammate Melissa Presslaber, who also agreed to come along. That was the first time the four of us came together. Roberto never joined us in the end. After getting the ball rolling, he surprisingly decided to form his own team, all male, and attempt the tour from the Italian side. After all, he did manage to make is dream come true after 15 years. We were on our own – four girls, fully committed and it was the beginning of a great adventure.

(Giulia Monego) If skiing the East face of Matterhorn is not even conceivable for an average skier, it's really inspiring and attractive for a skier that loves steep lines like me. I had looked at that line for many years, visualizing the ideal route and the options. After careful consideration, I had a clear view of the entire face, and I felt confident to give it a try. While driving to Zermatt, I was optimistic that the snow conditions were good, but until we would have set skis on it, we couldn't be sure. That's the beauty and the challenge of ski mountaineering, and as we approached the mountain, we kept a relaxed spirit of adventure, but with the excitement of facing a new challenge.

We arrived early at the Hörnli hut and had all the time to check our gear, eat, rest, read the signs that the mountain gave us and answer them with good decision making. Every steep line requires a visual inspection to imagine the snow conditions and whether the avalanche risk is manageable. Done that, I felt pretty calm and positive. I couldn't wait to get up there with my skis under my feet. Plan A was my ideal line, in the center of the face, through an enclosure of rocks that forms a couloir, taking you to the top skiable point of the face. Plan B was a lower slope closer to the Hörnli ridge. Only the next morning we would find out which one to choose. (Liv Sansoz) Like with every big face, climbing Matterhorn involved setting out at night.

We would have a Bergschrund to cross and climb a face with potential dangers such as avalanche or rock falls by the time the sun hits. The day before the ascent, Giulia had shown us her ideal line, and we started the ascent with this line in mind. The night was dark but not too cold, and we easily found our way up to the Bergschrund, breaking trail in deep snow. We tied in to pass the Bergschrund at sunrise. Our goal was to reach a group of three rocks higher up that Giulia had spotted. With a good and steady rhythm, we got higher and higher as the sun started to hit the face. At about 4,000 meters, we reached a strip of rocks. The snow got thinner, and we could feel the rocks right under our feet. I was not too excited about it, nor was Giulia.

Nevertheless, she wanted to give it a closer look and went a bit higher before agreeing that this line was not an option. Plan B came into effect: to reach the highest point possible next to the Hörnli ridge. We had to descend a few hundred meters below the rocks, traverse to the right and climb back up. It was still early, and the snow was still hard. As we gained altitude, the face became steeper. We stopped at a rocky strip above the Solvay hut with no snow. This was the starting point for our descent. We set up a belay and dug into the snow to make small ledges. The snow had softened up; it was time to go down. (Melissa Presslaber) We are getting ready for the descent. Giulia is going first.

Following a first careful turn, she immediately finds her flow, stringing together one controlled turn after another. I am next. I feel great, I am focused, and I absorb every second of it. It's Liv's very first time skiing a steep face, and of all places, it's the Matterhorn! But being a professional climber and former base jumper, she copes. And she's a great skier after all! We motivate her, and it turns out she's a natural. Then it's Lorraine's turn. Skiing the steep face, she is totally under control. It's wonderful to see how this team harmonizes. Every one of us knows just what to do. It's so much fun to share this experience with the girls. The snow conditions are choppy, sharks under the thin snow surface call for extra attention.

Any mistake could have fatal consequences. As we reach the Bergschrund, all four of us rejoice. Yes! We skied the Matterhorn! It will take me some time to realize it. We recollect the gear we left at the Bergschrund and continue down to Furi, thighs burning, where we enjoy some rewarding Rösti and Radler on the sun deck of a restaurant. We raise our glasses to this day, and we are grateful. Thank you, girls, and thank you, Matterhorn. It was a great pleasure!