Defending the WHY - Turn your curse into a power
Defending the WHY - Turn your curse into a power
Matthias Scherer on Vettisfossen - 18th February 2026 © Chris Holter / Norrrøna
The ultimate truth for us humans is the unknown - the unfathomable only to understand with your soul. Bend your mind as much as you want, turn words and pictures into parodies of what generations have shed blood and lives for. What remains is fear wrapped in a colorful cloak.
So I am sharpening my instincts - I set out to reclaim the WHY - because it only matters WHY you did something in the first place: The desire for the unknown, a curse that overshadows the desire for simple happiness.
But the day comes, when shadows turn into light and curses into power…
Tanja Schmitt on the first pitch of “Nightmare on Wolfstreet” - November 2025 © Matthias Scherer
So while the world is literally burning, my mind is dwelling in the dark season and thoughts go back to the last winter - the next one will be born out of it.
A winter that was in its own way a testament to the soul of ice climbing. No certainties from the beginning, just the unknown with ice lines forming in their always unpredictable chaotic way. The unmistakable rise in global temperatures that creates weird scenarios and ice formations - often little trust worthy.
Canada was a harsh season opener - as in all those past seasons over the last eighteen years. Stanley Headwall was the only place with ice forming with the Murchison lines rising shortly after. Nemesis and Suffer Machine were again the destination, with a rare right hand variation of Suffer Machine formed, that allowed us a boltless ascent.
POV of my helmet camera climbing the RHS variation of “Suffer Machine”
While empty prophets were calling their hordes of epigones to the Stanley Headwall we headed north.
The daggers of Virtual Reality on Mount Murchison had been hanging over me for many seasons and also my 6th ascent of this line in this November of the year 2025 proofed to be serious. Below you can watch a short video of Virtual Reality filmed with a 360 camera attached to my pack. Turn the sound on to get a little feeling about the quality of the ice.
Virtual Reality in November 2025 © Matthias Scherer
With silence turning back to the Headwall the moment came for us to climb “Nightmare on Wolf Street”. Everyone of us got on this route what we are searching for. The view with the lowering sun from high up the Headwall is always a deep one. The last rappel in the fading light - always one rappel closer to the stars.
Back in Cogne - with Repentance closed, Tanja and myself could not add any further ascent to the 71 we have done so far since 2004 so there remained the mixed lines in the Valeille and the overrun classics.
„Stars and Sun“ was a surprising good line. We did the first ascent of the season and my thoughts were going back to January 2004 when we climbed the rarely formed pillar of „Sunrise“ just next to it.
A deep freeze in January with temperatures below -20 C gave the necessary conditions to climb „Trip into the night“ in the Valsavarenche again. We opened the season on its left side with the usual demanding daggers and medusas and linked a quick ascent of the classic, already climbed right side, that was in very friendly shape this day.
More mixed climbing back in Cogne with the always excellent Hard Ice Direct line before heading east to the Dolomites for the meeting with the SCARPA family on the Ice Days. This conventions are always a source of motivation…
We are off to Norway - defending the WHY.
With Chris and Mathias from the Norrøna creative crew behind their lenses we spend days in Rjukan and its classic ice lines. The vibrating ice masses of Haugsfossen, a little taste and echo of what is haunting our dreams since years. Some laps on Juvsøyla for capturing moments of flux in stasis. Then back to the „Halls of the Vikings“ the Norrøna house to kick off the Rjukan Ice Fest. Intense days climbing, sharing time and stories with the participants follow.
Then it’s finally time to follow the call: „Vettisfossen“
In 2013, 2014 and 2016 we had attempts, but always bend our wills to the overwhelming power of this giant among waterfalls. Everyone who ever stood under Vettisfossen and did not feel this incredible raw power of nature is a blind fool. Vettisfossen will give you maybe the chance to pass and you should be grateful if so. More over it is incredible, that Vettisfossen saw its first ascent in 1977 by Henry Barber and Rob Taylor. It took nearly twenty years till Vetisfossen saw its second ascent. The history of our sponsor Norrøna is very tightly connected to the first ascent. Back then legendary climber and gear inventor Tomas Carlström was witnessing the first ascent from a close by ice line and got hands on a revolutionary new material that would change the outdoor textile industry forever: Gore Tex ! Henry Barber and Rob Taylor climbed Vettisfossen in prototypes of the first Gore Tex generation and Tomas, after testing himself one of the jackets, realizing its capacities convinced Norrøna to order Gore Tex material and started right away to design Europes first Gore Tex jacket in 1977! The first version of the Norrøna Trollveggen jacket had seen its birth - so imagine what an evolution this garment has seen till today and it always makes me feel proud wearing one, when I think of all those years packed with adventures, innovations and history that went into this Jacket line.
Tomas Carlström and Henry Barber in February 2026 in Hemsedal, with Henry and Tomas showing some of the original equipment used on the first ascent of Vettisfossen in 1977 - picture was taken by Chris Holter
Having Mathias, Chris, Torstein and Eivind from Norrøna with us watching and documenting our ascent from the viewpoint in front and above Vettisfossen gives the whole endeavor a very real aspect.
But once we are out of the trenches on the morning of February the 18th the focus is on the ascent. We run up to the cone. It is as we remember: the area under Vettisfossen is torn by countless masses of ice debris. Some daggers that bombed in here have easily the size of church towers. Behind the cone this game goes on. No time to loose here, we solo up in high speed to the end of the cone. Here we set up the first belay. Heike is traversing on thin ice and some technical sections up to the main line. She is out of our sight and stretches our 70 m ropes to the max. We follow up. Tanja is taking the lead. This next pitch is the big unknown. We were not sure from watching the fall the day before where we would pass: left, middle or right? Heike and me are watching Tanja from the safety of an ice cave climbing higher, out of our sight. Then comes here voice from the radio: „Belay“
The belay is in the middle on a huge terrace with imposing roofs and daggers hanging above. We all feel that Tanja has the connection with Vettisfossen that day and so she is also going for the next pitch. It is very steep with lots of hanging features, that need very careful tool placements, route finding is the key here, protections are scarce. A true battle. All the time the sound of the rushing water inside is surrounding us. Heike and myself follow up to a perfect belay under a huge ice umbrella. Now it’s my turn. I have a plan how to climb this next pitch. But plans on ice lines like this are just a nice blanket for the mind. They always need to adapt. Over sections of very brittle medusas I reach a glass like pillar on the right of the huge column. This thing is translucent and I see the water running, behind. The next 15 meters will demand outmost precision and carefulness with the tools. I change in more precise gloves sharpen my instincts and set out to reclaim the WHY. The ice is slightly vibrating below my crampons and I reach finally the top of the glass column consisting out of a huge roof. Some athletic moves bring me up on its top, then another one and I reach finally a wonderful balcony on the right side of the line. Two solid screws sink in and I give a „GO“ to Tanja and Heike via my radio. Heike is our leader to finish up our ascent. While I stand with Tanja on the balcony I feel this wonderful peace settling in me. I reclaimed the WHY, we are watching the timeless mountains around us and then suddenly the clouds are opening and a streak of golden sun light is touching the world around us. We follow up in a golden light. A dream has become true, we are all deep in awe. Vettisfossen had let us pass. It’s a deep moment that we share with Torstein, Eivind, Chris and Eivind daughters who were expecting us on the exit before we start to walk down to join Mathias.
With the whole Norrøna crew in Vetti Gard after the ascent on February 18th 2026 - picture by Chris Holter
Vettisfossen will take the third position on my top 100 ice climbs. All top three ice falls are now in Norway - the land of ice …
“Nightmare on Wolf Street” will be on rank 29 taking the place in between “Monsieur Hulot” and “French Reality”.
Back in the now I am running through the heat, on the horizon Mont Blanc veiled by dust and smoke, the sun is merciless, but the shadows are getting longer the dark season is rising - soon it’s time to reclaim the WHY again …
Shot by Chris Holter / Norrøna