Climb of Breithorn
Mountaineering in the Monte Rosa Massif

The ascent

Climbing Breithorn

The Western Breithorn is part of the alpine ridge of the Monte Rosa chain. It is generally considered to be one of the easiest 4000 peaks in the Alps, but by no means does that mean it is in any way less beautiful! The Breithorn is one of the border mountains separating the Aosta Valley from Switzerland, between the Matterhorn and the Monte Rosa chain.

The western peak is the highest and most frequented one, while the central and eastern Breithorn, both also above 4000 mt., are more challenging. From its summit you will enjoy a fantastic view on the whole ridge, looking at all the 4000 peaks leading to Monte Rosa.

The crossing of Verra glacier and the climb to Western Breithorn do not present any special technical difficulties and is perfectly suitable for those who want to gain first experiences in the world of mountaineering. But this ascent can also be recommended to trained hikers, who want to discover Monte Rosas fantastic environment. With an experienced mountain guide at your side, your safety is in good hands.

However, keep in mind that you will move above 4000 meters, hence you might feel the effects of altitude. We therefore strongly recommend an appropriate training.

Program

Breithorn climbing programme

Meeting point in Cervinia :

Vertical drop: + 850 mt; - 850 mt
Length: approx. 6 hours

You will meet your mountain guide at the cable car ticket office in Cervinia at 7.00 am to check your equipment and get ready for the day. You will buy the lift ticket to the Plateau Rosa and have a coffee before starting the day.
We will take the cable car to reach the top of Testa Grigia at 33000 mt and from there we will start the traverse. The ski area of Cervinia is connected to Switzerland, on the northern side of the Plateau Rosa and the Klein Matterhorn.

Option for private groups: You have the possibility of taking the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing cable car up to the Klein Matterhorn. The vertical drop is reduced to about 400 metres and the price is around 50 euros extra per person.

The classical route (S-SW flank) sets out on a nearly flat glacier, called the ‘Great Verra Glacier‘ and then leads to the summit via a slightly more pronounced slope (no more than 35 °).

The ascent to the summit and the descent from the glacier takes about 6 hours.

The start on the glacier is on the Plateau Rosa ski slopes at the top of the cable car and after an hour's walk we move away from the ski area and the climb becomes wilder with a great view on the whole Monte Rosa massif. To get to the top of Breithorn, we walk up a beautiful snow ridge on a slope of about 35°, the view from the summit is magnificent.

We will admire many peaks around us at more than 4000 meters like the Matterhorn, the Mont Blanc, the Dent d'Hérens, the Weisshorn, the Dufourspitze and the Dôme. This central summit at the heart of the Alps is quite busy thanks to the lifts on the Italian and Swiss sides.
Your guide will lead the group at a moderate pace to maximise the chances of reaching the summit with pleasure!

Materiel

Mountaineering Technical Equipment 

• Hiking Goretex shoes suitable to crampons
• crampons
• Walking poles
• Iceaxe
• Helmet.

How to dress for mountaineering

First layer on the skin:

• (Merino wool) thermal/breathable long sleeve
• (Merino wool) long thermal/breathable underwear
• Woolen warm socks

Second layer:

• Warm technical sweater
• Waterproof & windproof hiking pants

Third layer:

• Thin but warm down jacket (to wear just in case of cold temperatures)

Last layer:

• Waterproof & windproof Goretex jacket

Important Additionals:

• Warm winter hat
• Buff/head-neckband
• Warm winter gloves
• Headlamp
• Suncream (protection factor 50+)
• Sunglasses
• Camera

If you have any doubts or simply need clarification on what gear to take for your climb, you can take a look at our Blog page "What gear for mountaineering?"

N.B. Consider a change for when you are back to the hut (you can leave some stuff at the hut).

IMPORTANT: if a person is not properly equipped and dressed, the mountain guide may decide not to allow him/her to take part in the climb. We ask you to read carefully the equipment list provided in the programme PDF and to call us if you have any doubts.

Level

Difficulty and level required for climbing Breithorn

Easy mountaineering climb.

If you have already done some mountaineering or glacier trekking, and have experience of cramponnage on a glacier, you will be comfortable with this climb!

If you have never used crampons before, but are used to walking in the mountains and have approached glaciers by feet or on skis, this will be a perfect summit for your first mountaineering experience, the route is easy and not very long.

You need to be in good shape to resist 6 hours of walking at high altitude above 3500 meters.

Useful infos

Useful information to prepare your mountain trip:

Meeting on the first day

Meeting with the Guide at the Crevinia Cable Car ticket office at 7.00 am.

End of the trip

The programme ends on the second day between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm in Cervinia. 

Organisation:

The week before your departure, you will receive a reminder by email with all the information concerning the meeting and the guide in charge of your group.

Guiding

How to reach Aosta Valley ?

• Via Chamonix Mont Blanc – you can reach Chamonix by train from the main French airports or from Geneva airport – then you can reach Courmayeur – Aosta Valley through the Mont Blanc Tunnel (there are buses connections from Chamonix to Aosta Valley, but if you would like to be free to move it is advisable to rent a car).
• Via Geneva or Martigny – you can easily reach Martigny by train from Geneva airport - then you reach Aosta city center via the tunnel of Grand Saint Bernard (there are buses connections from Martigny to Aosta Valley, but if you would like to be free to move it is advisable to rent a car).
• Via Milan/Turin airport – rent a car directly to reach Aosta via the highway
  • Rent a car directly to reach Aosta via the motorway;
  • By train: https://www.trenitalia.com/trenitalia-france.html
• Or via Bourg Saint Maurice (73700, France) - Col du Petit Saint Bernard - you can reach Bourg Saint Maurice by train from the main French airports. Once in Bourg Saint Maurice you will need to rent a car to reach the Aosta Valley via the Col du Petit Saint Bernard (2 hours drive). It's a slightly longer trip but you can save the toll at the Mont Blanc Tunnel.

Public transports Aosta Valley

• Bus trasport from Chamonix to Courmayeur: https://aosta.arriva.it/line/courmayeur-chamonix/
• Bus trasport from Courmayeur to Aosta : https://aosta.arriva.it/en/line/aosta-courmayeur-2/
• Bus transport from Milan to Aosta: https://aosta.arriva.it/en/aosta-milano/
• Bus transport whithin the Aosta Region: https://aosta.arriva.it/en/timetables-and-routes/

Bus to the Cervinia Valley

The departure point of the bus for Cervinia is at the train station in the village of Chatillon.
For the bus timetable: https://aosta.arriva.it/en/line/chatillon-breuil-cervinia-2/

If you are coming only for the climb, we can organize you a taxi to pick you up or the mountain guide can come to pick you up on the road nearby Aosta (organization upon booking).

Food

• Lunch and drinks are at your own charge
• Remember to bring some food to eat before you leave (cereal bars, dried fruit, chocolate, etc...)

Budget and currency

Italy is in the Eurozone, so the currency is the Euro (€).
The shelter has a credit card terminal, however, we strongly advise you to bring cash!

Car sharing

When you register online, you can choose whether or not you wish to take part in the car-sharing scheme to get to the starting point of your course. Once you have made your booking, you can log back into your Esprit Montagne account to access a section dedicated to carpooling. Here you will find the contacts of the other participants who are interested in car-sharing, so that you can contact them directly.