European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 20, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                , continued from paged a. I became More acquainted with the tips. I still thought. About the matterhorn. Strangely it seemed that a everywhere i turned i d see a picture of the Mountain. In offices restaurants train stations there was a poster or photo of the matterhorn. Browsing through a Magazine. Or newspaper a Story about it would pop up. In the summer of 1986, i took my first lessons in Rock climbing and i Learned about technical climbs. A. My wife and i climbed the Bre Thorn that summer. Although  is actually a simple hike and not a technical climb it was a Nice experience and was our first Mountain Over 4,000 meters about 1 3, too feel. We also walked up to the Hornli Hivitte on the first shoulder \ of the matterhorn. J looked up at the Mountain noticing All the shrines and memorials to   killed there. An inner feeling urge i me on in my dream. To climb it but the  saying Quot Don t i by  so i did t the following summer was to be the Lime i made aspect Ini Effort to get ready running and doing other. C conditioning. I met a 26-year-old Mountain guide in. Carmich named Christoph Krah who helped me climb the Alps Ilze one morning. We got along Well and stayed in  a. But a combination of family problems and bad. Weather Pul an end to climbing plans for that summer and a knee problem wiped out plans for the next one i could Only wait until next year. / a. Would the summer of 19.89 work out i hoped i. Called Krah in the Spring and asked if he had Ever guided on the matterhorn. Yes. And yes he would guide me. Quot of Quot i said Quot let do it in August and let s do one or two others before we try the matterhorn i la meet you in. Zermatt August 20we la plan More then depending on the . A Ai got to Zermatt a week ahead of Krah and walked up several mountains of 8,1 00 meters to 1,480 feet or More to improve the legs. A a a. A. A when  arrived the weather turned Back we a a. ,. C Oulen t i limb. We practice climbing ice out pm the. Len Lerein  her a Glacier at about 8,000meters just below he Brill turn. Otherwise,.-we sat. Around grumbling Boul the weather. A a on a monday alter almost two Days of bad weather a we dec  count on a Lorei ast that said the weather would break on  it was supposed to be Clear and. A sunny but Windy. -. A a a. Quot let s go to the hut up at  afternoon and. Tomorrow Well do tie Strahl Henru Quot . The a Strahl lion is a 4/,20t Meler 11 8,780-toot leak adjacent to a pass Between Zermatt and saas i be. A we got to the hut around 8 . We Watt bed the weather and look a few photos. Across the Valley we could seethe matterhorn which was socked in at just. About the 4,000-meter level. It appeared to have plenty Quot of hew Snow on it which h Wastl t  pestered Krah with questions about the matterhorn will the weather allow us to t limb it in a few Days 1 do. You think there s too much Snow on. It now will most of the1 new Snow melt pit in a Lew Dav Quot we ii just have to wait and see Quot to said patiently. Shortly utter supper we hit the sat k. I he wind was so Strong it sounded As if it would blow the Root Oil the hut. Thinking about the c limb ahead made it hard Tor me to get to sleep tint eventually i do de Oil. Via were up at 4 . And on our w a a s. 1 he weather was cold probably in the Tipper us but tin wind had stopped and the stars were shining brightly. The mute was practically All on Gnu Ier so we wore1 c tampons. Spikes c camped onto Cun boots. A it i for a amps Mark swear Engin we made it above die author rests at the top of the. Matterhorn. Leaning against the c Ross of the top of the Mountain Center is guide Cristoph Krah. 1 Here were countless crevasses Olau shapes and sizes a to negotiate. All this ice was a new experience for me. Tilings wore a Little spooky now and then especially when the crevasses were too wide to  across.  a lot and we d find an ice Island in the Middle. To jump to and then gel to the either Side. After about an hour or the Glac Ier it talked to us with Bangs and groans. Higher up the wind got worse we thought about. A turning Back but decided to go on. A Little later at u Point where i could hardly see where i was going i asked Krah if w e should turn Back. Although feeling slightly miserable1, i laughed hard when he said we were Only. About 20 meters from the lop. Ait had taker us six hours. 1 Don think we stood on the Summit More than two minutes. We wanted to gel Clow n before the wind blew us Oil. A. 1 we were Hack to the hut in about Lour hour s. We Resil d  while Tho Vyent Down to Zermatt. 1 he weather was Nice the next Dav. About noon we  remarked that the Sunshine was Hilling All the. Mountains and that there seemed to he no Clouds. Anywhere i started to ask a clue Simon and Krah Inmei a ruled "1 know what you re going to ask me Mark. A on want to know what i think the Sun is doing to All that Snow on the  1 be then sail that most of it would pro Hack Mell. He  in Stop Krah knew the answer-1 wanted to hear. The weather forecast said we should have Goodweather through at least noon Friday. We were running out of time so we decided to go up to the Hornli Shulte. On the first shoulder of the matterhorn the next Day. The following morning we would try for the top.  got to. The hut late thursday afternoon. On Friday sept. 1, 1989, at 5 . We started for the top. Although i had a Good lamp on my helmet i did no to enjoy climbing a in the dark. Things got better after the Sun came up. The Rucks Vivere in Good condition and the Snow was gone. After about three hours we were at the Solvay Hustle a. Small shelter at about 4,000 meters just below the High. Shoulder. We rested there briefly and drank  was More difficult above the shelter mainly a because it was steeper and the thin air above 4,000 a meters gave me trouble. Krah told me to suck in a deep. Breath now and then and when letting it out say.,Quot Cheepo  i asked what in the world is _ Quot Cheepo Quot All about he said Quot it s just another Way of. Reminding yourself of what ridiculous things we do for enjoyment Quot a. Quot a. A. A somewhere around the High shoulder we put on the crampons. The last hour was the hardest and i was breathing heavily. The air just did t seem to have any. Oxygen in it. Finally we reached the 4,478smeter 1.4,701 foot Swiss Summit at 10 . A a. A. A Krah Shook my hand and i thanked him for getting me to the top. That was one of. The. Happiest moments of my. Life. For years i had dreamed of the , now i 1 was on the top and it was wonderful. A 2 1 Here was More thrill to come. I had been determined to touch the Gipfel Kreuz Cross on the Summit if i Ever made it to the top. So we  along the top  to the italian Summit to touch the Cross.  Tew photos we  the Swiss Side sat Denvon a uric i ate lunch. The weather was great. I had expected. Wind at that. Altitude,.but the air. Was Calm. The a a a. Temperature was pleasant  the High 50s. You could see Lor mites. It could not have been belter. A alter about.30 minutes the weather changed so we headed Down. By the Lime we were Halfway Down the. Top was socked in and the Clouds seemed to he following us. As we c Amo nearer to the Hornli we could see. Someone in a Blue windbreaker looking up in our a  Tiomi with binoculars. Yve waved and realized a immediately it was my wife. She had come to the hut to meet us. A Quot a a a. We got Down to where she was waiting around .2 i . 1 lie dim was Over. What a  a a the Mountain is probably Switzerland s most ,. And although it s not extremely difficult to climb it was a riot Law for me. There were around 30 people climbing in that Day including two or three other americans. As i look Back at it All i  m an Amateur climber and always will Fie. Astill i m fortunate u Home been Able to climb the. Matterhorn.  a vhf Aronsen a Rucks the Quot outdoor  Tor Tec -o1-� and Snipes a a 4 b stripes Magazine Juhe 20, 799/