We all know there are two types of riding days, the first is the bike park day without too much thinking required, and the second is the ride that has to be earned, bound to the risk of disappointment or complete failure.
My trip to the stunning Rosenlaui Glacier with Anders Würsten and Ramon Hunziker was definitely one of those days that had to be earned, but it left us with new experiences, not only from mountain biking but also from the awe inspiring nature around us.
Deep down, every mountain biker has a spirit of adventure and discovery (some deeper than others), and with these sentiments motivating us, we were not going to be deterred by the hard work that would be required for this adventure. Safe in the knowledge that we would be the first mountain bikers in this area, we were eager to see what terrain and photo opportunities would open up for us.
With world famous tourist magnets like Eiger, Jungfrau Joch and Grindelwald just around the corner, the Rosenlaui Glacier, like the rough diamond that it is, remains almost forgotten. The natural surroundings here are more pristine and untouched, maybe just because there is no easy way up, no chairlifts to get you there. This is exactly what makes this location stunning, with the added bonus that there isn't another soul here to disturb this incredible location.
The Engelhörner or 'Angels Horns', with the sun rising over it to illuminate the valley below... Only to disappear a few hours later.
In the not too distant past, these rocks were covered by a thick layer of ice which flowed and shaped the rocks over thousands of years to the smooth 'moulin' or glacier mill that can now be seen. Ramon and Anders take a closer look at the river that now flows 500 meters inside the rock form, exiting further below.
Anders and Ramon utilise the natural terrain to build a small take off. With terrain this rocky, there's not many possibilities for shaping.
The Rosenlaui glacier now covers an area of 6km² and stretches down the north east shoulder of the Wetterhorn mountain chain, at an elevation of 3200 meters above sea level. The glacier stretches a total of 600 vertical meters down the valley, which is still pretty impressive. This large vertical drop causes some very spectacular ice falls, generating a thundering sound that reverberates throughout the valley below.
Riders: Anders Würsten, Ramon Hunziker
Photos & Text: Hansueli Spitznagel
www.spitznagel.chEditorial:
geebeebee media
Remember Otzi from 1991. Not the same area; but...just saying.
Fast forward 3300 years. I can see it now, in 3300 years some mountain bikers will find the frozen mummified remains of some unfortunate MTBer who failed to clear a crevasse while riding this glacier field in this day and age. Upon examining the remains and piecing together the evidence left behind, they will marvel at two things and conclude a third. One, why would he choose that wheel size to try and clear glacial crevasses? And two, what an odd bike, not XC not AM not freeride; why that type of bike up here? At the end they will conclude that his death was foul play as he somehow had something to do with a robbery. For on his downtube was affixed a sticker that read "Norbs got robbed".
people leaving trash on the other hand...grrrr!