kirklees climbing
SIMPLON DORF
Swiss Sport Climbing
Frau Arnold approached our table in the Backerei and it struck me that the last time I’d systematically spoken German was 42 years ago in my GCE
Oral. “Er, zwei kleine Fruhstuck bitte…(?)” must have been roughly correct because bread, jam, gorgeous butter and some of the best coffee on the
planet appeared quicker than it takes a Spanish waiter to yawn.
Do not miss Frau Arnold’s Backerei in Simplon Dorf and do not miss the crag there either. This schist outcrop is the perfect spot for summer sport
climbing with just enough routes for a full week if your thing is on-sighting 6a+-7b (though there’s a small but very worthy selection of 7b+/7c s to
work on as well). The rock looks a bit average from a distance but just get your hands it... instantly friends! The holds are generous and the friction outrageous.
The Simplon Pass zigzags swiftly up from the deep alpine trench at Brig towards the Italian border (with more glaciers in view than you could shake a
stick at). It’s a quick, well-graded modern road to the col (25 mins by car) and you don’t need a Swiss motorway ‘pass’. Oddly, on the far side of the
pass, a small piece of Swiss upland slopes away down the “wrong”/ south side of the watershed. In this misplaced territory, off to the side of the main
highway, is the delightful alpine village of Simplon Dorf. Here is a selection of attractive small hotels and B&Bs, bars, a backerie (oh, and a small
shop). All of these are red-draped with identical geraniums; Swiss perfection, beautiful (but suspiciously well-organised).
At the lower end of the village a Heidi-road leads through meadows, past waterfalls and woods to a parking spot above a rocky knoll. Eight minutes
downhill wandering brings you to Simplon Dorf (the crag). The rock is a fabulous schist (the guidebook says gneiss, but do correct me if it’s not
actually schist); steep but not too steep (but not waterproof in summer thunderstorms), juggy, rough, very well-bolted… in fact the perfect place for
on-sighting. The crag is popular with the Swiss but also with Italians looking to escape the summer heat. It’s a good spot for families too as the base of
the crag is flat, safe and pleasant (as long as the kids don’t wander too far downslope for a wee!).
Photos: On the left, the classic 6b, Stradineri, steep but on very good holds. Extremely popular but the scene of many running on empty at this point. On
the right, Huxley's lezte Massaker 7b+; having jumped across the steep section below to reach a good rest, the climber now faces a surprisingly technical upper wall.
At the right-hand end is a small selection of short easy routes (though consequently the 5s are quite tough for the grades) but working leftwards the
routes quickly gain 30m in stature with a very good selection of 6b-7bs. Don’t miss the steep black line of Stradineri at F6b. There'll probably
be a queue - it's quite a busy crag but not oppressively so - in fact, it's multi-national and pleasantly convivial. At the centre of the crag,
several routes in the 7b+/7c range work up through unlikely ground with, for example Huxley's letzte Massaker, leaping surprisingly easily through
steep terrain. Equally worth visiting for are Microkosmos and Ferdinand Purrligaager. This duo of 7cs up the centre of the
crag provide sustained climbing at a gently leaning angle and with blind, wicked surprises tucked up their sleeves.
All this on-sighting uses up calories and the 8 minute walk out is the straw that breaks the camel’s back; let’s revisit Frau Arnold’s for an
apfelstrudel.
Guidebook: Schweiz Extreme Band 1 (which also covers the crag at Simplon Pass itself, others down in nearby Italy and also back in Brigg).
Where to stay: Big campsites back down in the alpine trench between Visp and Brig (but they tend to be full and overlooking the local cement works/retail
park). There is however a small, less formal campsite up out of the valley at Reid-Brig ('Upper' Brig) which gives grand views across to the ‘back’ of the
Bernese Oberland. Overnight parking spots on the Simplon Pass are plentiful (and the rather threatening teutonic eagle keeps an eye on things). And all
the lay-bys have toilets; how Swiss is that! Avoid wild-camping at the crag car-park; there have been problems with this in the recent past.
Season: Summer; it’s nearly 2000m above sea level.
Other things to do: Fabulous mountain walking all around the Simplon. Based back at Brig: mountain-biking, day trips to the huge Altesch Glacier
(via chair lift), Zermatt, Saas Fee totally punctured with horns of every possible shaped as long it’s totally big and pointy. There are the
not-to-missed medieval houses-on-stilts (but note: you don’t need to go so far; there’s plenty of the same in Ried-Brig …except without all
the tourists). For an idle day, there are bustling bars and even more backereis in Brigg, a very pleasant town to sit, drink beer and watch the
world go by. Try the bar near the castle; quieter and very laid-back. In bad weather, the Italian Lakes aren’t that far.
Photos: Clockwise from the top left, the park in Brig, the view north from the top of the Simplon Pass across the Rhone Valley to the
Briethorn, the terrifying (to a lowly sport-climber) north face of the Fletchhorn, and the eagle guarding the top of the Simplon Pass.
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