- 29
- 67 565
Wil Lindsey
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 6 เม.ย. 2015
The Matterhorn: Confronting Fear and Uncertainty
Less than two days after summiting Mont Blanc, the weather window narrowed, forcing us to move quickly toward our next objective: the Matterhorn. Upon arriving in Zermatt, a mix of fear and uncertainty lingered over whether our physical condition was sufficient to safely climb Switzerland's deadliest mountain.
By the time we reached the Hörnli Hut, our confidence had grown-we felt physically prepared. However, what I underestimated was the toll of mental fatigue from the prior days. As we climbed higher and the exposure intensified on the upper snowfields, I found myself mentally struggling to stay cool. Reaching the summit was surreal-standing on the knife-edge ridge was exhilarating.
The descent started smoothly, and we became more comfortable navigating the terrain than we anticipated. However, as midday temperatures rose, loose, slippery snow created additional challenges. Our decision to prioritize safety by consistently protecting the route with fixed gear and cams proved invaluable.
When we finally stepped off the route and returned to the hut, I was overwhelmed with relief and elation. The sense of accomplishment from completing our final objective was immense. The Matterhorn lived up to its legendary status, with exposed scrambling terrain that tested us both physically and mentally. It was a truly iconic climb, one I’ll never forget.
Strava: www.strava.com/activities/11936512197
By the time we reached the Hörnli Hut, our confidence had grown-we felt physically prepared. However, what I underestimated was the toll of mental fatigue from the prior days. As we climbed higher and the exposure intensified on the upper snowfields, I found myself mentally struggling to stay cool. Reaching the summit was surreal-standing on the knife-edge ridge was exhilarating.
The descent started smoothly, and we became more comfortable navigating the terrain than we anticipated. However, as midday temperatures rose, loose, slippery snow created additional challenges. Our decision to prioritize safety by consistently protecting the route with fixed gear and cams proved invaluable.
When we finally stepped off the route and returned to the hut, I was overwhelmed with relief and elation. The sense of accomplishment from completing our final objective was immense. The Matterhorn lived up to its legendary status, with exposed scrambling terrain that tested us both physically and mentally. It was a truly iconic climb, one I’ll never forget.
Strava: www.strava.com/activities/11936512197
มุมมอง: 2 223
วีดีโอ
Climbing Mont Blanc in a Single Day: Valley to Summit
มุมมอง 25Kหลายเดือนก่อน
Tackling western Europe's highest peak in a single go starting from the valley. Join me as I take on the challenge of conquering Mont Blanc, Western Europe's tallest mountain. Starting from the valley at Les Houches (near Chamonix) at 7:40 PM, we spent most of the climb in darkness, reaching the summit by 8:00 AM the next morning. This 22-hour trek pushed me to my physical and mental limits, ma...
Peak Season Crowds on the Cosmiques Arete | Chamonix, France
มุมมอง 3.1K2 หลายเดือนก่อน
Located at cable car away in Chamonix is an absolute classic: The Cosmiques Arete. This is a fantastic route with great rock, views, and just the right amount of exposure for a great day out in the mountains. We intentionally left late hoping to dodge majority of the crowds, but quickly caught up to the conga line. Fears of missing the last cable car set in as we waited over five hours for a sl...
Warming Up for the Alps Trip on a Classic Traverse
มุมมอง 5442 หลายเดือนก่อน
We're thrilled to be back in the Alps, kicking off our trip with an acclimatization climb on the Mont Blanc Massif to climb the Aiguilles de Entreves Traverse. With some last-minute advice from a rando in the hut, we opted for the glacial traverse from Aiguille du Midi to the Italian side of the Massif. What was supposed to be a straightforward 4-hour day quickly turned into 10-hours. This clim...
Ice Climbing Pinnacle Gully | Mount Washington, Jan. 2024
มุมมอง 4.8K10 หลายเดือนก่อน
Wasn't sure if conditions would be in given the early winter weather patter. It was climbable, but certainly thin on pitches. Was neat day out and way cooler than I could have pictured. Felt like a proper NH ice climbing milestone. Thanks to Brendan for leading the whole way and yes, the glove was recovered.
Whistler's Top of the World | Whistler, B.C.
มุมมอง 393ปีที่แล้ว
Spent two days at Whistler bike park up in British Columbia. Whistler lived up to the hype and is a place I've wanted to go riding at since I started back in 2013. Put together a montage style video highlighting Top of the World and other misc. fun sections.
Mount Tallac | Backcountry Skiing (2023)
มุมมอง 294ปีที่แล้ว
What was a last minute activity before flying out, ended up being the best day of the trip! Great views of the lake, pure fun, and great spring conditions! A 10/10 day to go down in the books! Strava: www.strava.com/activities/9164588697
MOUNT RAINIER | Ice Climbing the Kautz and Descending the Disappointment Cleaver
มุมมอง 8Kปีที่แล้ว
We returned to Mount Rainier for a second time on the more challenging Kautz Route. This route ascends from paradise on the southern side to Ice Climb the Kautz Ice Chutes, which were rated WI-2 as of late June, 2023. It was our first experience with glacier travel as a party of two, and it definitely it was a bit nerve-wracking. On the final 700 feet on the upper Nisqually we got hit hard by a...
MT. SHASTA | Skiing Avalanche Gulch in One Day
มุมมอง 1.9Kปีที่แล้ว
Flying from the east coast and attempting a sea level to summit attempt of Mount Shasta with no sleep. Was absolutely wrecked going into it at 1am and even more so at altitude on the headwall above Helen Lake. Regardless, the climb was good quality fun with an awesome ski descent (after things thawed out a bit). Really cool seeing the prominence of the mountain over the surrounding area and I h...
Skiing Gulf of Slides Main Gully and the Sherbie | Mt. Washington, NH
มุมมอง 2.7Kปีที่แล้ว
The season finally turned around and the combination of good weather and huge snow fall the weeks prior made for a perfect day out. Did a solo mission to go check out gulf of slides and ski the sherbie. Conditions were good, but being a bit wind scoured had me a bit on edge skiing the gully with new gear. RIP to my skis that were destroyed on the COG two weekends prior. All in all, ended up bei...
Powder Day on a 14er | Quandary Peak, CO
มุมมอง 420ปีที่แล้ว
Travelled to CO to meet up with some friends for a week of skiing and decided to try for Quandary. Kinda knew going in that conditions were not the best, but we felt margins were good to give it ago. The day was really cool exploring on the front range and being back up in altitude. Maybe not the best place, but that was a first for proper back country skiing. Conditions made it a bit nerve rac...
Ice Climbing in the White Mountains | Arethusa Falls, NH
มุมมอง 458ปีที่แล้ว
Its been a rocky winter in the North East this year and we were happy to have a nice window for ice climbing back in late January 2023. Today we are Ice Climbing at Arethusa Falls in New Hampshire with two top ropes on WI3-4 pitches. Great time, easy location to set up at for the day, and good be experiencing some winter!
Ice Climbing Arethusa Falls, NH | 360 VR Video
มุมมอง 144ปีที่แล้ว
Ice Climbing at Arethusa Falls in New Hampshire. 360 degree video of two WI3-4 pitches. First time bringing the new camera out, lot to improve on. New full video coming out soon.
ENDEAVOR - Trad Climbing the Whites (5.7+ Multi)
มุมมอง 5422 ปีที่แล้ว
Climbing Endeavor on White's Ledge in Bartlett, NH. Endeavor is a 4-5 pitch 5.7 climb with tricky route finding and an easy to miss Hand Crack (the best feature of the climb). Its a great day out and friendly to new climbers who are looking for bigger days out. Definitely a top tier climb for the region.
NE Ridge of the Nadelhorn | The Coolest Ridge in the Alps?
มุมมอง 2.9K2 ปีที่แล้ว
From the sunrise ascent to the panoramic ridge, the Nadelhorn exceed all expectations. We started the climb from the Mischabel Hut follow a day of rest after Pollux and the hike up. The alpine start worked out perfectly with the incoming weather (though it was several hours earlier than expected) and gave us time to check off both Nadelhorn and Ulrichshorn, and descend the 8,000 ft to the valle...
The Nadelhorn (14,196ft) | A Via Ferrata to Mischabel Hut
มุมมอง 5202 ปีที่แล้ว
The Nadelhorn (14,196ft) | A Via Ferrata to Mischabel Hut
Ridge and Rock Climbing | Pollux (Zermatt)
มุมมอง 3.4K2 ปีที่แล้ว
Ridge and Rock Climbing | Pollux (Zermatt)
Crevasse Crossing Dread | Climbing in the Pennine Alps
มุมมอง 1.7K2 ปีที่แล้ว
Crevasse Crossing Dread | Climbing in the Pennine Alps
The Flowiest Trail in New England? | Tunnel Ridge, VT
มุมมอง 3.1K2 ปีที่แล้ว
The Flowiest Trail in New England? | Tunnel Ridge, VT
Climbing Matterhorn Peak | Sierra Nevada
มุมมอง 1K2 ปีที่แล้ว
Climbing Matterhorn Peak | Sierra Nevada
A downtown Rip | Stringer's Ridge Chattanooga
มุมมอง 767 ปีที่แล้ว
A downtown Rip | Stringer's Ridge Chattanooga
Incredible video, hopefully I'll build up to do the same in a couple years! In the mean time I'm aiming for Triglav then Mont Blanc this coming year, wish me luck! Oh and I was wondering what backpacks you guys use? - thinking of getting the ortovox trade 35 or 28 and looks like that might be what you guys are using?
Amazing ! 🙂
What was the date of this climb?
It was July 20, 2024
Magnific video ...woooow
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed
Would love to see yall do a gear and logistics video! Great job guys!
Yeah we can put something like that together! Good idea
Well done! Such a great video Wil.
Hell yeah!
A brilliant climb guys made even more impressive (if that’s possible by the fact to climbed Mont Blanc the day before 😳🏔️🏔️🇫🇷🇨🇭 And your both humble enough to tell it how it is (bravo 👌🏻) Congratulations and best wishes Simon 🤠👍
Haha thank you Simon!
Epic truly epic guys 🏔️🇫🇷 (bravo) Regards Simon 🤠👌🏻
Thank you!
2 questions that I hope they answered! Have you ascended Mont Blanc before with the same route? Like I just find it impossible to follow a new track at night! My other question is , did you guys have to pay for that break at the Hut? from the video it looks like you were there no more than an hour!
Hey! First answer is no, that was our first ascent. The boot pack and route was very well marked. Second is that we did not pay for any of the huts. Only were in there for a few minutes and didn't use their services. We did eat at the Tete rousse hut at the bottom.
@willindsey thats amazing dude! I think I will follow the same path this summer then, thanks for the guide
@@-unbreakeblecow488 awesome! Best of luck! It's all on fitness and training
@@willindsey i surn darn hope so, im solo so that can complicate things, i couldnt have lived or done most of my journeys without youtube videos like these , bless
Did you go there during the summer time?
Yes, we went mid July 2024
@@willindsey Thank you mate, I will try it out in summer 2025. Would you mind share which agency you booked with?
We did it unguided and without an agency. We managed all the planning and logistics. Just us on the mountain!
nicely done bro! I'll be up there next year
great video Wil!
Thanks man!
With the difficulty of booking huts, this was a smart way of climbing the mountain. When I left the last hut in 2020 before sunrise, the weather was bad, my guide and I got lost on the dome du goutier. So yeah, no chance to summit just because I chose the wrong day 9 months prior. The via ferrata wasn’t there, that looks new.
Very cool … but also very tiring to hear Americans being Americans and talking feets … when you guys will start to be more culture friendly and use the local standards? This is just so tiring
Why can't Americans realize the damage they do while using the Imperial system in a conversation between themselves. Hoping for a swift recovery from the psychic damage that was done to you Greg 🙏🙏🙏
3:29 nice nose bro
Absolutely love it! Congrats on that quick summit! Could you make a video or something discussing the adaptation to high altitude and the level of fitness required to achieve something like that?
I'm one of the dudes from the vid. First off if you haven't already I'd recommend reading Training For the New Alpinism, it's basically the bible for mountain fitness imo. We both did a lot of long slow aerobic exercise leading up to the trip, more specific training like uphill hiking is going to carry over better than something like cycling for example. We did several days at altitude before this effort, a night at ~8k ft, then two days at ~12k ft doing moderate exercise, and then a rest day where we took a tram up to ~10k ft and just hung around doing nothing. Personally this felt like good acclimatization, I've usually dealt with headaches when I go from sealevel to ~14k ft quickly, and on Blanc I avoided them and felt like I could move much faster than usual.
Awesome! Thanks, @bredanmooney8230. I’ve taken note of everything you mentioned, and I’ll definitely pick up that book. I already checked out your Strava to see how much you’re doing and downloaded the track haha! Next summer, I’ll give it a shot. It looks like an incredibly challenging experience in terms of fitness and acclimatization. Thanks for the info, and keep killing it!
Hey man i see (I think) that your wearing the La sportive aequilibrium boots just bought a pair and was wondering how you found them on Mont Blanc. What an expedition man fair dues
I'm the guy in the video who was wearing the aequilibriums. Honestly they were very cold from the Gouter hut until the sun came out. I was getting worried I might get some cold weather injuries as my toes started going numb. I may have just tied them too tight but it was definitely approaching the limit of what I would use them for. They are great boots however, very comfortable and they climb well for basic scrambles and steep snow.
@ thanks for the response man much appreciated just got them in the post today and they fit like a glove!! Can’t wait to try them out but I’ll make sure to double up my socks if I’m climbing Mont Blanc Ahahha
Great vid fellas.
Insane, beautiful!
Beautiful footage of your climb! What a great push! I did this route starting from the top of the tramway, and that was plenty of vertical for me. The grand couloir late at night, when it is the most stable, is smart. I watched from just below Gouter Hut as a climber was lost to a big rockfall an hour behind me (about 9am) at that notorious spot. Thumbs up, stay safe, keep climbing, and greetings from Canada!
Savage, bruhs 🎉 congrats 🎉
My favorite fountain pen.
Can’t believe he said he wasn’t in good shape after that climb. Most humans couldn’t climb 13,000 foot in one day no matter how hard they tried. Amazing effort!
I think he meant that he currently felt bad, not that his general fitness was poor
@@somechrisguyyou might be right. He said “I’m not in the best shape right now.”
Yeah I was not feeling the best at the top. Very tired, slightly spacy, and behind on nutrition. The last push took a lot
@@willindsey does anyone feel good after at 13,000 foot climb? Ever?
Amazing work! Been slowly planning the Mont Blanc to Matterhorn blitz personally
Awesome! That's what we did! Took us a year or so to feel like I was ready for all that. Best of luck!
Awesome feat, and gorgeous footy. Random question, do you know the brand of the tan nose guard/shield? I've been looking for one that covers the nostrils as well as the top. Thanks!
Yes! The brand is Beko. bxgear.com/
beko nose guards
well done, men! I guided in Zermatt for 2 summers in the 70's. Our longest was the Monte Rosa....10, 000 vertical feet from town. Mt Blanc more like 13,000. We would do the Monte Rosa in 2 days with clients and that was always a big effort. Chapeau to you for this in one day!
Cool stuff and thank you!
So cool, when did you guys ascend Mont Blanc?
Glad you enjoyed it! This was back in mid July 2024! Fortunately the grand couloir was still filled in
Amazing. I'd love to do it once too...
Looks like you guys had a great time!
Thanks! It was a good day out! Big fan of your stuff too! Haha
@@willindsey 🙏🏻
Love your video man! Really hope I can climb Mont Blanc one day
Thanks man! Hope you do!
Is there a description somewhere of your layering system? How much of a difference in temperature was there between the valley and the top?
I don't have anything posted. It was probably about a 60 degF delta. I went up in lightweight running shorts, put hardshell pants with full length zips before hopping on the glacier. (had thermals if needed). Started in sun hoody to R1 to mid weight jacket to hardshell (for the wind) and then belay jacket at the summit. Extra pair of heavyweight socks that was put on at the Gouter hut. Planned out layers that would be easy to switch out into and knew there were huts to change if needed. hope it helps!
@@willindsey Fantastic insight! Thank you!
Legends
Thanks man!
Nice one. Did the same solo this year but went down via Trois Monts. ;)
u crazy
Damn son, you wild!
First comment
And then off to Scale Burger! Great video :)
Whats the thing on your noses?
It's a Beko! It's for sun bxgear.com/
What a great not-adventure. It is like crossing across a glacier to reach the shopping center. Chamonix sucks.
Great video, I've led the Cosmiques a few times and yes the bottleneck is at the same spot. What is going on with mad nose pieces?? Is Factor 50 not good enough?
Hahah glad you enjoyed it!
Hahaha “party of 14” shouldn’t even be a thing at restaurants! Great video man
Haha thanks man! Glad you liked it!
Wow! Cant believe you did this!
Thanks man! Cool channel btw
Thanks for sharing this traverse! Looks like it was a great day.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Are you guys planning to eventually try to climb Kilimanjaro or Mt Everest?
Don't know yet! The bigger objectives require a lot of time and logistics. Probably Denali first over the other two.
Well done! Great video.
Honestly vt has the best trails in New England. On par with Quebec
Trail forks is saying it’s best north to South. How would you go about doing that ? Parking etc
Damn son, you wild!
Nice 👍
Thanks ✌