The Eiger is one of the world’s great mountains. Clint Eastwood even made a movie about it back in 1975. Far as I know, it’s the only mountain that ever co-starred in a mainstream movie. Watch the trailer and I think you’ll agree that the mountain has clearly held up much better than the movie.
I had a girlfriend back then who loved Clint Eastwood, so we had to see all his films. Had he knocked on her door and said, “Let’s go. Right now. You and me”, she would have forgotten I existed and run away with him. Much like Jamie would do today if George Clooney knocked on our door. I don’t think she’d even take the time to write me a good-bye note.
But back to the movie. Clint played a James Bond wannabe. He’s given an assignment to kill another unknown enemy spy, and the film’s plot revolves around Clint’s attempts to figure out who the spy is and dispatch him before the spy can kill him.
And while he’s figuring it out, he climbs the Eiger. Presumably because it provides more action than hanging around the ski lodge drinking hot toddys and eating fondue.
Mountain climbers consider the Eiger to be a bit of a challenge. The first ascent of the west flank didn’t happen until 1858. The north face, long considered one of the world’s most challenging and dangerous ascents, wasn’t climbed until 1938. At least sixty-four climbers have died attempting to climb the north face, earning the Eiger the German nickname Mordwand, which means “murderous wall”.
Kleine Scheidegg (where our buddy Ray used to work at the Hotel Scheidegg) sits at the base of the Eiger’s north face, and our hotel in Wengen, a few miles away, also has a great view of the mountain.
I was there in 1970/71. The male employees lived in the bahnhof (train station) building next to the hotel. Women had rooms in the top floor (garrett) of the main hotel building. We weren’t allowed on that floor.
I was hired as a waiter and my friend, John Anderson, worked in the wine cellar (it was actually in the cellar). The crew was a mixture if different ethnicities. The maids and kitchen scullery workers were for the most part Spanish (sound familiar), waiters and waitresses were English, Australians, Americans, New Zealanders and Canadian. Dutch employees ran the office and accounting departments. The only Swiss were in upper management, the concierges and the owners.
Staff meals were served in a room off the kitchen, which was also on the floor below the lobby/dining rooms. The food was all prepared and everyone sat down and ate together.
My waiter job for breakfast consisted of handling room service. Food was prepared in the kitchen and sent to the first floor pantry using dumb waiters. I would assemble the tray and deliver it to the appropriate room; either in the main building or the adjacent one.
The hotel had no elevators. Each tray had to be taken up the main staircase to one of the four floors above. Since the hotel is situated at 6,700 feet, and I delivered up to 20 trays a day, it was a great cardio workout.
Whenever possible, I’d try to deliver two trays at a time. Early one morning, I was delivering two trays to the top guest floor when I lost my footing and dumped two trays into the central stairwell. They crashed into the lobby three floors below, giving a rude awakening to the dozing elderly concierge.
Must have been a great workout. Oxygen is a little thin at this elevation. I got completely winded yesterday carrying a suitcase up one floor at 13,600 feet. Of course, I’m old and haven’t worked out in a month or so.