Going to Evolène is a bit like going back in time. It’s a lovely Alpine village that’s unspoiled and rustic. It’s a simple place with basic three-star hotels, but you get a spectacular view of the Dent Blanche as you arrive in the valley. From a distance it’s very impressive and you can see why they call it the White Tooth.
The Dent Blanche is a pretty straightforward climb. You need crampons and an ice axe. And you need a mountain guide, of course. But if you’ve done a bit of alpine climbing already, you can get up it.
It’s a four-hour walk to the refuge. And then from the refuge, it’s a mixed route with some rock ridges and snow gullies, and then a snow arête to the end. It depends very much on the person climbing: if you’re very quick, you can do the refuge to the summit in six hours; if you take it easy, it’s nine.
There’s a wonderful intimacy to climbing. It’s a bit like going on a special mission with one other person. You wake up at two o’clock in the morning in the refuge, it’s dark outside, and everyone’s feeling a bit drowsy. You put on your head torch and your boots and out you go into the pitch black. You start walking with the tiny lights of the villages shining down below and you start climbing in the dark. Eventually, the dawn comes up and you start to feel elated.
It’s very different to skiing. Skiing is actually more dangerous, but with climbing you’re always scared because you’re always on the edge. There’s always a big void next to you. You have that feeling that you shouldn’t really be doing this. It requires an intense concentration like a forced meditation. Your mind becomes very clear. Very pure. You’re thinking only about where you put your foot and where you put your hand. But you’re also elated. And the higher you go, the more elated you get. The Dent Blanche has a lovely summit. You can see the Matterhorn right next door and the Weisshorn is very close. It’s beautiful and being up there is just a wonderful feeling.
