Weissmies and Alphubel
Mountaineering program in Switzerland

Trip

MOUNTAINEERING IN SWITZERLAND: THE VALLEY OF SAAS AND THE UPPER WALLIS

The Saas and Zermatt valleys are the perfect destination to experience the atmosphere of the upper Wallis, with its many peaks over 4000 meters at the heart of the Alps, known for their beauty all over the world.

WEISSMIES 4017 meters

The Weissmies is one of the most popular peaks in the Saas Fee valley, thanks to its easy access by cable car from Saas Grund. The normal route is doable in one day starting from Saas Grund via the via Kreuzboden cable car to reach the top station of Hohsaas at 3000 meters. On the other hand, the crossing of the Weissmies and the ascent by the north ridge are done over several days, sleeping respectively at the Almagellerhütte and at the Weissmieshütte.

In the Swiss German dialect “Weissmies” means “white moss”, to represent the beautiful ice cap of the summit and to make the difference with the Schwarzmies (covered with mosses and lichens).
The first ascent of the Weissmies was made in August 1855 by local guides Jakob Christian Heusser and Peter Joseph Zurbriggen.

The Weissmies summit (4,017 meters) is the highest point of the Simplon 4000 trio, along with the Lagginhorn (4,010 meters) and the Fletschhorn (3,993 meters).

ALPHUBEL 4206 meters

The Alphubel is a summit of 4206 meters above sea level belonging to the Mischabels massif, in Wallis (Swiss Alps).

This stunning mountain lies in a majestic glacier environment between the Mischabeljoch 3851 mt, which separates the Alphubel and the Täschhorn, and the Alphubeljoch 3782 mt, a large icy saddle that separates the Alphubel and the Feekopf. The Alphubel has a rather peculiar square shape and its flat top makes it unique compared to the sharp mountains that surround it. The east face, on the Sass Fee side, is characterized by glaciers that rise to the top and form a large summit plateau. The west face, towards Täschtal (Täsch valley), appears mainly rocky, with a severe wall that descends steeply towards the Weingarten glacier.

The first ascent of the Alphubel was made on August 9, 1860 by W. Hinchliff and L. Stephen with guides M. Anderegg and P. Perren.

From the Täschhütte, this great mixed route leads to the summit via the east face or the southeast ridge known as the Eisnase (ice nose).

The Alphubel is technically one of the easiest 4,000-meter peaks to climb, but it's a fairly long mountaineering race that demands good physical shape and endurance.

Program

Day 1
Saas Grund - Weissmies (4017 mt.) - Saas Grund

Vertical drop: + 1000 meters; - 1000 meters

Meeting at 7.15 am in Saas Grund, at the departure point of the cable car for Kreuzboden / Hohsaas.
We will take the first dumpster in the morning at 7:30 am, to reach Hohsaas at an altitude of 3,101 meters.
We will climb the Weissmies by the normal route, starting from the Hohsaas station and crossing at the beginning the wide glacial plateau of the Triftgletscher up to an altitude of 3200 meters.
Then, a climb in the middle of the seracs under the ice cap leads us to a pass at 3800 meters. The final part of the ascent is magnificent, following the NW ridge to the summit at 4017 meters.
The descent route will be on the same of the ascent, until Hohsaas where we will take the cable car again to reach back Saas Grund.
Overnight stay in hotel in Saas Grund or Saas Almagell.

Day 2
Saas Grund - Täsch - Täschalp (2200 mt) - Täschhütte (2700 mt)

Vertical drop: + 500 meters

We will quietly leave the Saas valley in the morning to reach the Zermatt valley until the village of Täsch. There we will leave the cars and we will take a taxi which will bring us to the Taschalp mountain pasture. From there we will take the path up to the Täsch Hut (Täschhütte) where we will spend the night.
The walk takes between 1h30 / 2h, we will have time to enjoy the beautiful landscapes and to rest well for the ascent the next day.

Day 3
Täschhütte (2700 mt) - Alphubel (4206 mt) ascent by the SE ridge if in good conditions (Eisnase) - Täschalp (2200 mt) - Täsch

Vertical drop: + 1500 meters; - 2000 meters

Wake up early in the morning and depart around 4:00 am for the top of the Alphubel.

We will walk up the Alphubelgletscher until the Alphubeljoch (3771 meters).

From the Alphubeljoch there are two options: depending on snow conditions and the group, the guide will decide whether to take the normal route across the glacier to the north or go straight up the southeast ridge (Eisnase).

The ridge of the Eisnase is quite narrow in the beginning and then becomes wider, but also steeper: this will be the ideal route to improve your crampon technique!

Once on the summit area, you continue almost flat until you reach the highest point at an altitude of 4,206 meters.

Descent by the ascent route, around 4 hours to Täschhütte.
Once back at the hut, we can enjoy a typical Swiss plate, before continuing the descent to Täschalp, where a taxi will pick us up to take us back to our cars in Täsch.

Materiel

Mountaneering technical equipment

• Hiking Goretex shoes suitable to crampons
• crampons
• walking poles
• iceaxe
• helmet.

How to dress for the ascent of Nadelhorn

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 duvet (to wear just in case of cold temperatures)

Last layer:

• waterproof & windproof Goretex jacket

Important Additionals:

• sleeping sheet for the hut
• 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

This mountaineering program is designed for mountaineers with a good physical and technical level. Previous mountaineering experience is required. The climbing routes are mainly glacial with steep passages on a glacier at around 45 degrees as for Weissmies. As for Alphubel, two itineraries are possible: either by a glacial and rocky ridge or by an easier glacial route.

Useful infos

Insurance

Cancellation and repatriation insurance is mandatory, as is mountain search and rescue insurance (minimum cover of 10,000 Euros).

Esprit Montagne offers the following insurance: https://www.assurance-multi-sports.com.

Meeting on the first day

In front of the Kreuzboden - Hoohsaas cable car station at 7:15 am, in Saas Grund: click here to see where.

How to reach Saas Fee

The Saas-Fee / Saastal valley is easily reacheable by car or public transport, it is about two or three hours drive from Chamonix, Geneva or Zurich. The city of Visp is connected to the main Swiss cities by direct train connections. From Visp leaves the 511 bus which takes you into the Saas valley.
For those traveling by car, there is a large car parking at the entrance of Saas-Fee (see where): access to the village is forbidden to cars, the village is accessible only to pedestrians.

Saastal Card advantages

By staying overnight in a hotel in the Saas Valley (Saas Fee, Saas Grund or Saas Almagell) you can enjoy the benefits of the SaastalCard!
All the hotels in the valley, and some apartments too, subscribe to the SaastalCard service: upon arrival, you can use free all cablecars in the Saas valley and the PostBus (Metro Alpin not included); one night at the hotel provides a free lift ticket for the current day. More info on Saasfee.ch. Remember to ask for the Saastal Card if you are staying in the valley for one or more nights.

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.