Vertical-Life
Wallis by Gu - Video incl
Wallis: Branson, Vernayaz, Massonex
By Guntram Jörgbr>Pictures by Dominik Hadwiger
If someone asks me for the reasons why going for two days, on a five hour drive, to Wallis in the south-eastern part of Switzerland instead of going to Magic Wood or Ticino, here are my arguments to give him: ) Me and my photographer Haddi went there for checking out three main areas Branson, Vernayaz, and Massongex.
La Danse des Balrogs, 8A+ (B) in Branson
Petite Arvine, 8A in Vernayaz
Branson includes eight boulders in all difficulties. The main boulder of this area is bloc 2. There you can find a number of hard but nice lines as Traction céleste, la danse des balrogs and Radja. The rock is, as in the other areas, Granite but it feels slippery under your fingers, so I recommend going there in cold winter days.
Vernayaz can be separated in two parts: Vernayaz I includes about 21 problems and Vernayaz II four problems. Both areas are arose by a rockfall some years ago. It is a small area, but with lots of different boulder problem. Its really sharp to climb, so you have to be careful.
Massongex is placed under a small rock face where rope climbing is possible. The six sectors are distributed in a big area, and it takes some time to go to different spots. All topos and information's are available under www.bimano.ch.
So take your time and go to check out the areas of Wallis. It is definitely worth to go there. If you need more evidence, check out our new movie which is produced by Dominik Hadwiger.