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Weisshorn
4506 meters
Wallis (Weisshorn), Switzerland,
Europe
Last update: August
29th, 2003
© Copyright
by
Rahel Maria Liu
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Weisshorn
View from the summit of Zinalrothorn on August 13th, 2003
The Schaliridge in the foreground, the
Eastridge to the right and the Northridge in the back
©
Copyright by
Rahel Maria Liu
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Overview
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Like Matterhorn, Weisshorn
is called to be the most beautiful mountain of the Alps. It has three
very clear-cut ridges, which build a pyramide. The most impressing
view is from North and the Eeast, since one can watch the glacier of
the NE-flank. The SE- and the W-flank consist mostly of rock, although
they have wild glaciers at the bottom.
All routes are very
long, which should be climbed only by experienced and acclimatised
persons, who can climbe mixed routes well. The E-Ridge is the normal
route (III and snow/ice up to 45°). The very beautiful N-Ridge is
a little more difficult (III+). The Schali-Ridge (SW-Ridge, IV) is one
of the most beautiful ridge-traverses of the Alps. The flanks have big
dangers of rockfall and cannot be recommended. Only the Young-rib down
from the N-Rige (near the Grand Gendarm) to the W is quite secure.
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Routes Overview
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1. E-ridge (normal route)
from Weisshornhut:
- ZS, III,
7 h (
Biner )
- 1580 hm, G 5, III, 6-7h (
Waeber )
- AD, III (sometimes), mostly II and I, ice
up to 45°, 6-7 h, 1600 hm (Dumler)
2.
N-ridge from Bishorn/Weisshornjoch:
- ZS+,
III+, 8 h (
Biner )
- G 6, III+ (passages), 7-8 h from Cab.de Tracuit,
460 hm, 7-8 h (
Waeber )
- AD+, III (passages), mixed, 8 h from
Cab. de Tracuit, 450 hm (
Dumler )
3. SW-ridge (Schali-ridge)
from Schalijoch-Biwak:
- S, IV,
5 h (
Biner )
- G 8,
IV (passages), the rest III and easier, 5-7 h, 750 hm (
Waeber )
- D, IV (passages), II and III, 5-6 h, 750 hm (Dumler)
4. Young-Ridge:
- IV (passages), the
rest III and II, 8-9 h from Ar-Pitetta-Hut (
Waeber )
- D, IV (passages), the rest II and III, 7-8h from Arpitettaz,
1550 hm (Dumler)
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Getting There
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1. To the Weisshorn:
- a.
You can come from the Weisshornhütte.
- b. You can come from the Cabane
de Tracuit.
2.
To the Weisshornhütte:
- You
reach the hut in 4,5 hours from Randa (1530 hm) on a well marked
hiking path. The shortest way starts a little southern of the camping
ground Attermenzen
- You reach Randa with car or bus or train from
Visp/Brig.
- Brig is
the main city of the upper Wallis and the junction of
the trains:
a. Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon-Domodossola
b. Furka-Oberalppass (Andermatt/Disentis,
Glacierexpress)
c. Brig-Visp-Zermatt
d. Lake of Geneva-Milano
- In Brig, many busses arrive
as well:
a. Simplon-Gondo
b. Saastal
c. Blatten
d. Mund
e. Rosswald
- You reach Visp/Brig by car:
a. from the West: From Geneva (airport)
on the A1 to Lausanne, on the A9 via Montreux, Martigny
and Sion to Sierre. From Sierre the road no. 9 with
direction to Brig. But at Visp, you turn already
right to the S with directin to the Saaser valley.
In Stalden, you turn right and leave the Saaser valley
to the left. Here, the Matter valley beginns. Via St. Niklaus,
Randa and Täsch, you reach Zermatt.
b. from the North: from
Bern on the A6 to Spiez, from here the road
to Kandersteg, at Kandersteg, you drive your car on a train
and go by train through a tunnel; end of the tunnel:
Goppenstein; you continue the road to the S and
reach the main road from Sierre. On the crossroad,
you turn left (E) and reach Visp. From here, continue
as route a.
c. from the East: from
Bregenz on the A13 to Chur; turn off at Reichenau and continue
the road no. 19 to Brig/Visp via Flims - Sedrun - Andermatt
- Gletsch - Fiesch. From Visp, continue as described
in a.
d. from the South: either from Como on
the A2 via Bellinzona to Airollo, then road no.2 till
Hospental and here to the left on the road no.
19 to Brig/Visp or from Arona till the end von
the A26 and then the E62 via Domodóssola to
Brig.
3.
To the Cabane de Tracuit:
- You
reach the hut from Zinal on a well marked hiking path (4 1/2 h, 1580
hm).
- You reach Zinal
from Sierre (28 km) by bus or car via Vissoie and
Ayer (Val d'Anniviers).
- To Sierre from Sion (491m) in the
West of Visp/Brig in the East.
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When To Climb
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Summer
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Camping and/or Accomodation
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The most recommendable
Campingground in this area is the Camping in Randa-Attermenzen:
http://www.camping-randa.ch/
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Mountainhuts
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1. Weisshornhütte
(2932 m):
The hut is situated in the SE of Weisshorn on
the flanks of Hohlicht.
2.
Cabane de Tracuit (3256m):
The hut is situated 300m in the SE of the Col de Tracuit.
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Mountain Conditions and General Information
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1. GENERAL INFOS:
2. WEATHER
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Maps
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Schweizer Landeskarten:
1:25000 no. 1327 Evolène
1:25000 no. 1328 Randa
1:50000 no. 5006 Matterhorn-Mischabel
to order at
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Books
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Hermann
Biner , Hochtouren im Wallis.
Vom Trient zum Nufenenpass. 2nd ed. 1996.
ISBN 3-859022-160-5
Helmut
Dumler /Willi P. Burkhardt,
Viertausender der Alpen. 11th ed. Munich 1998.
ISBN 3-7633-7427-2
Perren, Ernesto/Kuster, Luzius, Am
Wege zur leuchtenden Pyramide - Das Weisshorn und seine 100-jährige
Hütte.
Visp: Rotten, 2000.
ISBN: 3-907624-05-X
Michel Vaucher, Walliser Alpen. Die 100 schönsten
Touren. 2nd ed. Munich 1990.
ISBN 3-7654-2124-3
Michael
Waeber , Walliser Alpen.
DAV-Gebietsführer. 12th ed. Munich 1999.
ISBN 3-7633-2416-X
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