Monte Rosa Superior – summit parade from the Breithorn to the Nordend

“Catwalk” on the ridge of the Valais Alps – a tour of superlatives …


Region: Wallis, Switzerland
Fitness Kondition

Du bist ein Genießer, du liebst es gemütlich. 2 bis 3 Stunden Gesamtzeit sind kein Problem für dich.

Du magst gemütliche Touren, kannst auch etwas drüber hinausgehen. Bis zu 5 Stunden Gesamtzeit schaffst du gut.

Du bist schon etwas ambitionierter und es macht dir nichts aus, dich 6 bis 7 Stunden auf Tour zu bewegen.

Deine Ausdauer ist sehr gut, du bist nach einer 8- bis 9-stündigen Tour noch nicht „ausgepowert“.

Deine Kondition ist überdurchschnittlich gut und du kannst nach 9 bis 10 Stunden auf Tour immer noch entspannt dein Bier genießen.

Beachte bitte auch, dass für diese konditionelle Bewertung eine Leistung von mindestens 300 (bei Touren ab Schwierigkeitsbewertung  mindestens 400, ab  mindestens 500) Höhenmetern in der Stunde (im Aufstieg am Wanderweg ohne schweres Gepäck) Voraussetzung ist.

You enjoy walks, you like it unhurried. 2 to 3 hours of walking time are no issue for you.

You like unhurried walks but do appreciate something more challenging. 5 hours walking time are finde with you.

You are already a bit ambitious and you don’t mind 6 to 7 hours walking time.

You are in great shape, 8 to 9 hours of walking / climbing are not your limit.

You are physical fitness is way beyond average, even after 9 to 10 hours of walking / climbing you will enjoy your beer with a smile.

Please consider the minimum climbing rate based on these degrees of fitness 300 m or 1000 ft vertical per hour. From level  and higher it is 500 m or 1500 ft vertical per hour, both with light backpacks.
Technic Technik

In der untersten Schwierigkeitsstufe bewegst du dich an der Grenze zwischen Piste und freiem Skiraum. Du kannst mit diesem Eigenkönnen schon an meinen „Geführten Skitouren für Anfänger“ teilnehmen. Wenn du dich steigern möchtest, empfehle ich dir den Kurs „Schnupperskitouren – von der Piste ins Gelände“.

Du beherrschst den sicheren Stemmschwung in jeder Schneeart in sanftem, maximal wenig mehr als 30° geneigtem Gelände. Im Aufstieg kommen keine oder nur vereinzelte Spitzkehren vor.

In gelegentlichen Steilstücken von 30 bis 35° bereitet dir der sichere Stemmschwung keine Probleme. Für den Aufstieg benötigst du Spitzkehrentechnik.

In mäßig geneigtem Gelände schwingst du parallel, häufige Steilpassagen um 35°, gelegentlich auch mehr, schaffst du mit sicherem Stemmschwung. Im Aufstieg ist auf deine Spitzkehren Verlass. Vereinzelte Tragepassagen bis zu 40° meisterst du mit Steigeisen. Leichte Kletterstellen* (max. UIAA I–II) sind für dich gut machbar.

Du bist ein sehr guter Skifahrer und beherrschst den Stemm- oder Parallelschwung in jeder Schneeart auf einer durchschnittlichen Hangneigung von 35 bis 40°. Du bist in punkto Spitzkehrentechnik auch im exponierten Gelände sattelfest. Häufige Tragepassagen um die 40° mit Steigeisen wie auch gelegentliche Kletterstellen* (max. UIAA II) nehmen dir nicht den Mut.

*I. a. nicht obligatorisch.

In the lowest difficulty level, you move on the border between ski run and off-piste area. You can already participate in my “guided ski tours for beginners” with this own skills. If you want to improve, I recommend you the course “Skitours for Beginners – from Piste to Off-Piste”.

You mastered the safe stem turn in each type of snow in gentle, max. little more than 30 ° inclined terrain. In ascent, there are no or only occasional switchbacks.

In occasional steep sections of 30 to 35 °, the safe stem turn does not cause you any problems. For the ascent you need switchback technique.

In moderately sloping terrain you ski in parallel, frequent steep passages around 35 °, occasionally more, you can do with a safe stem turn. On the ascent your switchbacks are reliable. Occasional carrying passages up to 40 ° you overcome with crampons. Lightweight climbing sections * (max UIAA I-II) are possible for you.

You are a very good skier and master the stem or parallel turn in any type of snow on an average slope of 35 to 40 °. You are also saddle-fast in the exposed area when it comes to switchback technique. Frequent carrying passages around 40 ° with crampons as well as occasional climbing sections * (max. UIAA II) do not take the courage.

*In general not obligatory.

Es sind keine speziellen Techniken notwendig. Etwas Trittsicherheit bringst du mit.

Du beherrscht das Gehen mit Steigeisen in gelegentlichen Gletscherpassagen mit 30 bis 35° Neigung.

Auch wenn sich steile Gletscher- oder Firnpassagen von 30 bis 35° häufen, bewegst du dich sicher. Dein Technikrepertoire schließt (ab dieser Schwierigkeitsstufe) das Steigen mit Frontalzacken ein. Vereinzelte leichte Kletterstellen (max. UIAA I bis II) überwindest du zügig.

Obwohl der Großteil der Tour in steilem Gletscher- oder Firngelände von durchschnittlich 35°, manchmal auch 40° verläuft, fühlst du dich noch wohl. Mittelschwere Kletterstellen (UIAA II bis III) meisterst du ohne lange zu überlegen.

In der höchsten Schwierigkeitsstufe ist eine absolut sichere Frontalzackentechnik obligatorisch. Du musst Gletscher- oder Firnpassagen bis zu 45°, vereinzelt bis zu 50° überwinden. Du bist ein guter Felskletterer, der sich vor schwierigen Schlüsselstellen (max. UIAA III bis IV) nicht scheut.

No specific skills necessary, just the usual sure-footedness.

You are able to climb and descend with crampons on occasional glaciers of up to 30 to 35 degrees slopes.

Even in frequent 35 degrees glacier slopes you feel confident. From this degree of difficulty on you can reliably use your front points. You manage occasional easy climbing difficulties (UIAA I – II) without hesitation.

Even though most of the tour you will be exposed to steep glacier and snow slopes of 35 up to 40 degrees you are comfortable with that. You routinely manage medium climbing difficulties (UIAA II – III).

The highest level of difficulty requires superior front point technique. You will have to deal with glacier and snow slopes beyond 45 and up to 50 degrees. You are a good rock climber not hesitating to deal with difficulties of (UIAA III – IV).


maximum participants: 1
Prices: Euro 4500.-

Tour Character

Long and technically demanding mountain-ridge crossing. Climbing one of the highest western alpine massifs. Intensive altitude exposure from at least 34oo to a maximum of 4634 m.

Required Skill and Fitness Level

Skill: Safe walking with crampons. Short passages (up to 50 m) can be up to 40 degrees steep (depending on the ratio). Surefootedness and freedom from giddiness on exposed sections. Safe and speedy climbing in easy, mixed terrain.

Fitness: Daily stages between 5 and 10 hours at high altitude (see tour description).


Meeting point: Schluhmattstrasse 28, 3920 Zermatt, Schweiz

Tour Description

Kilometer-long ridges on the Breithorn and Lyskamm, impressive views of the highest rock- and iceface of the Alps in the traversal of the Dufourspitze – for the ambitious and sure-footed mountaineer a grandiose tour. The mountain guides of the Firngrat team are your dependable companions on this change between heaven and earth.

Details

  • Number of participants: 1 person per guide.
  • Services included: tour organization, reservations, guiding by a state approved mountain and ski guide including his expenses.
  • Services excluded: Overnight and half board ca. Euro 85.- per day, Klein Matterhorn Cable car and Gornergrat train ca. CHF 120.- (for actual prices click here).
  • Accomodations: Klein Matterhorn Lodge, Rifugio Quintino Sella, Capanna Gnifetti, Capanna Margherita.
  • Misc: Insurances (accident, travel cancellation) at customer’s responsibility. Please refer to general terms and conditions.

Day 1
We meet early in the morning at the Klein Matterhorn cable car in Zermatt. With this we go up and cross south of the Breithorn west- and middle summit to the Volante bivouac. From there we climb the Roccia Nera, 4075 m, eastern cornerstone of Breithornkamms. Afterwards we head for the Gendarm, 4106 m, and the Eastern summit of the Breithorn ridge, 4139 m, to reach a saddle. Here starts the rocky ridge part that leads us to the middle summit. In beautiful solid rock we have to overcome climbing difficulties up to the level of difficulty III +. From the little visited middle summit, 4159m, a beautiful snow ridge leads to the populated western or main summit, 4164 m, from which we return to the Klein Matterhorn Lodge via the easy normal route. We spend the night here.
Day 2
Initially on the same way as the day before we traverse to the approach of the Pollux southwest ridge. First over simple rocks, finally exposed via fixed ropes and a snow ridge we reach the summit of the first twin, Pollux, 4092 m. We continue on easy rock down into the "Zwillingsjoch", from where we exceed the beautiful snow summit of Castor, 4228 m. The descent leads us to the Sella hut, 3585 m.
Day 3
Even before the day starts, we climb up to the Felikhorn in the light of the headlamps. Illuminated by the first rays of the sun, we put our hands and feet on the long ridge of the Lyskamm massif and cross the western (4479 m) and eastern (4527 m) summits. Almost the entire West Alpine arc in view, in the haze of the Po Valley still the Apennines divine, we rest below the eastern summit. The following ridge section, a magnificent as well as striking "Firn blade", requires our full concentration. Only when this almost horizontal ridge lowers to dip shortly before the so-called discovery rock in the broad firn saddle of the Lysjoch, we can relax ourselves and descend to Capanna Gnifetti, 3647 m.
Day 4
Today's day is technically easy and completes our summit collection: our first highlight is the Vincent Pyramid, 4215 m (optional via Punta Giordani, 4046 m, then technically difficult), the second the distinctive rock horn Corno Nero, 4321 m. Afterwards we cross the easy Ludwigshöhe, 4341 m, and traverse the impressive "roof ridge" of the Parrotspitze, 4432 m. Our last climb, the Punta Gnifetti, 4554 m, we overcome after a rest on the Colle Gnifetti. We can take our time for the tour, because no further descent is ahead of us. A total time of 6 to 7 hours is planned to reach our destination, the Margherita Hut, which is at the top of the summit. We will spend the night there.
Day 5
At night we descend to Colle Gnifetti, to climb Zumsteinspitze, 4565 m, in the first twilight. During the exposed descent into the "Grenzsattel" we are already warmed by the first rays of sun. In constant ups and downs we follow the ridge course. Overcoming short firn and rock passages, we are led to the summit of the Dufourspitze. In easy climbing, towards the end very exposed we reach the highest point of Switzerland, the Dufourspitze, 4634 m. After a long rest on the summit with an indescribable panorama, we climb or rappel into the Silbersattel, 4515 m. If we have enough motivation, we can still make the optional counter-climb to the Nordend, 4609 m. Quickly we now climb down on the Monte Rosa Glacier to the New Monte Rosa hut. There we have a break to tackle the last part of our tour, the descent to Gornergletscher, its crossing, and the ascent to the Rotenboden. With the Gornergratbahn we return to Zermatt.

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