Mönchsbüffel in August 2009

Johannes reports about two life-influencing highlines:

Here is the report of one of the two highlines I'll surely remember for the rest of my life.

In August 2009 I spent two weeks in "Berner Hochland" together with Roland Schlott and Bernhard Witz. The reason of the trip was to rig a highline at the Mönchsbüffel and several highlines in Eiger North Face.

Mönchsbüffel is a relatively unknown mountain above the valley of Lauterbrunnen.
At an elevation of only 2080 meters Mönchsbüffel is quite low compared to Eiger however a lot more strenuous with regard to getting there. We had to walk for four hours carrying 35 kg backpacks first alonggreen switchbacks, then through barren rocks scenery with raging rivers up to the Mönchsbüffel.

The mountain scenery, the sunsets, the glacier that glowed orange at night, the ice avalanches you hear at night and the long and dangerous trail from teh bivvy to our highline spot were finally the reason why i still go to teh mountains looking for similar experiences. It was to say my Big Bang!

None of us was able to walk the highline we rigegd there. At that time a 50 meter long highline at such extreme exposure and the effort of rigging it were too demanding for us.

For me this time was very special. I was 16 at that time and I was afraid that each of these days would be my last one. Often it was only Bernhard who prevented me from quitting. Now in retrospect I'm glad of having taken the risk - it was one of my best times ever.

One year later Bernhard Witz and his team succeeded walking the highline and drilled and set tup a 70 meter long highline right next to it.