Homad from Möntschelealp via the Langeneggspitz.

Gorgeous panoramas from the Berner Voralpen, on a lazy Sunday afternoon of a summer-like October.

From the Möntschelealp I aimed to the Langeneggspitz, because it was immersed in the sunlight, whereas the path climbing up to the Möntschelespitz on its north flank seemed to lie mostly in the shadow. So I took the path passing near the Brunnhubel (1423m) that then descends into the Sulzgraben, at the confluence (1320m) with the unnamed creek flowing down from the Langeneggspitz.

My original plan was to climb directly from there onto the north-east ridge of the Langeneggspitz to get some sun tan :). But then I saw a path climbing in direction south-west, more or less in direction of the north-east ridge of the Birespitz. This path, which is interrupted on the Schweizmobil map, in fact continues up to about 1500m. There were fresh footprints, seemingly from the same day. At 1500 it joins into a path coming across horizontally (presumably) from the Sulzgrabenalphütte, that heads in direction of the unnamed creek. This path has been recently maintained: someone has nicely digged it and it is easy to follow (although unmarked). This path then bifurcates, with one branch climbing up in direction of the Birenspitz and the other descending into the unnamed creek - I took the latter.

Once I reached the unnamed creek  (about 1450m), I crossed over to the south flank of the NE ridge of the Langeneggspitz, more or less vertically down from P.1596, but the path soon vanished (or I lost it :). By now I was fed up fumbling about and wanted to get on the darn NE ridge of the Langeneggspitz to get my hard-deserved sun tan, so I climbed up more or less straight from the unnamed creek in direction of P.1596. This was the only hard part of the tour, not particularly exposed thanks to the copious scrubs and trees, but on rather steep terrain with long grass and brittle rocks: very much Schrofengelände. Due to the steepness and the friable rocks, I rate this part of the path as T3+, maximum T4-.

Once on P.1596, I climbed up through the woods on the NE ridge of the Langeneggspitz (T3). I was still tired from the excursion of the previous day on the Grisset, and from this point on I started going slow-motion, taking a break every three-four steps... From the Langeneggspitz I crossed the saddle to the Lägerlistand and took the path towards the Homadsattel, then from the Homad to the Möntschelespitz. For the descent, I took the well-marked path from the Möntschelespitz to the Möntschelealp through the Sulzgrabenalphütte. Apart from the Schrofengeländestück, I presume most of this tour is T2. The panorama from the Homad is rewarding and breathtaking, with the Berner Alpen on the one side, the Niesen, the Stockberg on the foreground, Thun and the Mittelland on the other side.