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Alphubel
13799 feet/4206 meters
Wallis (Mischabel), Switzerland, Europe
Last update: April 15th, 2002
© Copyright by
Rahel Maria Liu
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Alphubel
(Picture credit to: ©
Sacpizplatta
)
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Overview
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The Alphubel is a very characteristic
mountain of the Wallis because of its trapezium formed silhouette
of East and West, although these both sides have totally
different characters: In the East, the glaciers go up to
the summit and build a summitplateau of almost 1 km length
from the South to the North. In the West, there goes a rock
face with a similiar width 500 to 700 hm steeply down to the
Weingartenglacier. From the Alphubel you have a very nice view over
the Mischabelgroup and across to the Matterhorn
and Monte Rosa . If there is fog, it is difficult to find
the highest point of the Alphubel because of the many different
summits and the summitplateau.
The first climbers came from Täsch. From the
other side, the Alphubel was climbed first only 22 years later.
The reason was probably, that the Alphubel was more famous
for the people of the Matter Valley than those of the
Saaser Valley. The Rotgrat was climbed for the first time
in 1889 (by George Broke with Adolf and Xavier Andenmatten).
The first ascent with skis was on the 29th March 1910 from
Saas Fee. Dr. Alfred von Martin and Hermann Rumpelt together
with the guide Oskar Supersaxo from Saas Fee needed 9 h
in order to reach the Alphubeljoch.
The easiest ascent is via the E-flank, although
very big schrunds may become a problem during summer.
The shortest way comes up from the Längfluh. The
eastern summit zone is also easily climbed from the Täschhütte
over the Alphubeljoch with a traverse, so that you can avoid
the biggest bergschrunds. From both huts, its is a great skitour.
But you must pay attention to the crevasses. From Alphubeljoch,
there is also the SE-ridge with its firn as an interesting
alternative to the E-flank. A classic, very beautiful, mixed
route goes via the southern W-ridge, the Rothorngrat (II-III).
Finally, one must name the N-ridge, which builds the connection
to the Mischabeljoch with the bivuoac hut (III-). The demanding
northern W-ridge is climbed very seldom. The other routes
through the flanks have all the danger of rockfall and icefall.
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Routes Overview
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1. East-flank from the Längfluh
-
G 3 - 4, 4 h, 1340 hm, 5 h from the Britanniahütte,
G 3-4 (1290 hm); 4,5 h from the Täschhütte,
G 3 (1500 hm) (
Waeber
)
- WS, 4 h (
Biner
)
- till 35°, PD, 3-4 h from Längfluh, 1350
hm (also a skitour) (
Dumler
)
2. SE-ridge from the Alphubeljoch (Icenose)
-
ice till 45°, 1-2 h, G 4, 420 hm (
Waeber
)
- WS, 4,5 h from Täschhütte or 4 h from
station Mittel Allalin; from Alphubeljoch to the summit:
1,5 h (
Biner
)
- ice till 40° below the summit, PD, 4-5 h from
Täschhütte, 1500 hm (also as skitour, depot
at Alphubeljoch) (
Dumler
)
- 2.a: Feejoch/Feekopf/SE-ridge: II (passages), below
the summit ice till 40°, PD, 3,5 - 4 h, 870 hm. Mostly
ice, at the Feekopf rock climbing (
Dumler
)
3. Southern W-ridge/WSW-ridge (Rotgrat) from the
Täschhütte
-
III+ (passages, the rest II), 6 h, G 6, 1500 hm, interesting
mixed tour; really climbing: only the topmost 300 hm, very
exposed (
Waeber
)
- ZS+, III+, 6 h (
Biner
)
- ZS, 5 - 7 h, compact rock, 1 easy firn part, 1505
m (Vaucher)
- IV- (passages), the rest III+ and II, mostly rock,
PD, in the lower part wide firne ridge, 5,5 - 6 h
from Täschhütte, 1500 hm (
Dumler
)
4. N-ridge from the Mischabeljoch
-
II-III, 1,5 h, G 5, 350 hm (
Waeber
)
- WS, II, 1 h (
Biner
)
- III, PD, 1,5 - 2 h, 360 hm (
Biner
)
Dumler
)
5. WNW-ridge (to the North-summit, 4116 m):
-
IV, G 9, long, seldom climbed (
Waeber
)
- S, 6-7 h from the beginning of the ridge (Vaucher)
- S, IV+, 8 h (
Biner
)
6. Northern West-ridge:
-
8-9 h from the Täschhütte, IV, G 8, seldom climbed
(
Waeber
)
7. West-rib (to the N-summit)
-
IV-V, G 10, difficult, but not as beautiful as the direct
route at the northern West-ridge (
Waeber
)
- IV+ (2 rope lengths), the rest III and II, AD+,
from the starting point: 6-7 h, face: 880 hm (
Dumler
)
8. S-flank/S-face
-
IV, G 8, 5 h from the Alphubelglacier, in the lower part
crumbling, in the higher part beautiful and difficult climbing
(
Waeber
)
- III+, mixed, D, seldom climbed, 5-6 h from the
foot, face: 650 hm (
Dumler
)
9. NE-face
-
ice till 55°, mixed, D, objectively dangerous, face:
600 hm (
Dumler
)
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Getting There
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1. To the Alphubel:
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a. You can come from the Britanniahütte (3030m).
- b. You can come from the Täschhütte (2701
m).
2. To the Britanniahütte (3030m):
-
a. from Saas Fee with the Felskinnbahn: 45 min. on foot. From
the cable car station you go the wide track up, traverse
to the Egginerjoch and reach the hut quite horizontally
in SE-direction.
- b. from Saas Fee via Plattjen: 3 3/4 h, 1250 hm,
2 h from the cable car station Plattjen (630 hm). From
the ground station of the Plattjen-cable-car, you go
zigzag up over the Galenalp (2054m) along the Plattjen-house
to the summit station (1 3/4 h). From here via the
E-flank of the Mittagshorn and in the Meiggertal to
the Heidefriedhof (2764m). With a traverse to the Chessienglacier
and to the moraine. At the end, you go over the glacier
(no crevasses) in S-direction to the hut.
- c. from Saas Fee via the Egginerjoch: 3,5 h, 1250
hm. From Saas Fee, you go along the Plattjen-cable-car
in Chalbermatten and zigzag up to the Galenalp (2054m).
You do not turn left to the Plattjen-house, but keep
right (S), traverse the end of the NW-ridge of the Mittagshorn
and go up parallel to the Felskinn-cable-car to the S
below the W-flank of the Egginer. You go over moraines
till you reach the Egginerjoch. Now quite horizontally
on the wide track over the Chessienglacier in 20 min.
to the hut.
- d. from Saas Almagell: 4 h, 1360 hm. About 1,5
km in the S of Saas Almagell, a marked way turns to the
W at Zer Meiggern (sign). You go over the hangs of the
Flue in SW- and then W-direction steeply up to Mälliegge
(2389m). Now you go along the Blattbach and then zigzag
below the Heidefriedhof ot the way via Plattjen.
- e. from Mattmark-Stausee: 3,5 h, 850 hm (glacier!).
From the dam of the Mattmark-reservoir, you follow
the road along the W-side. After the tunnel, you turn
right up and reach in S-direction the Schwarzbergalp
(2372m). In northern and then northwestern direction you
go on kind of a way to the Schwarzbergkopf till about
P. 2931m (2 h). Here, you traverse to the Allalinglacier
to the opposite side (below P. 3143m, beginning of the
moraine). You traverse the Hohbalmglacier in NE-direction
and go up to the hut.
- You reach Saas Almagell by car from Saas Grund.
You turn left and leave the road to Saas Fee to the right.
- 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 left and leave the Zermatter valley to the
right. Here, the Saaser valley beginns. Via Saas Baalen
and Saas Grund, you reach Saas Fee.
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 Täschhütte (2701 m):
-
You reach the hut from Täschalp (Ottavan): 1 1/4 h, 490
hm. You go on a wide way, at first a few meters along
the Rotbach, and then zigzag through the hangs western
below the Rotridge. You traverse below the hut and
reach it from the E. This is also the winter ascent.
Danger of avalanches above the Täschalp!
- You reach the Täschalp on a small road from
Täsch via Täschberg ( 2 1/4 h, 770 hm. You
reach Täsch with car or bus from Visp/Brig. In
Stalden, you turn right and leave the Saaser valley
to the left. Here, the Matter valley beginns. Via St. Niklaus and
Randa you reach Täsch.
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When To Climb
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Summer and winter (with skis)
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Camping and/or Accomodation
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There is a camping ground in Saas Grund
Good and cheap tourist camp for example in Saas Grund:
Saaser Hütte Adler:
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Mountainhuts
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1. Britanniahütte (3030m)
The Britanniahütte is situated on a shallow
sinking of the ridge from the Allalinhorn over the Mittelallalin
and Hinterallalin, shortly before it reaches the Klein
Allalin. Behind the Klein Allalin, the ridge falls down
steeply to Mattmark.
2. Täschhütte (2701 m)
The Täschhütte is situated highly
above the valley of the Täschalps, a little bit on the southern
side at the foot of the Alphubel-Rotgrat (southern W-ridge).
From this place, you have a wonderful view to the Weisshorn.
It is a good starting point to climb any summit between
Täschhorn and Rimpfischhorn.
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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. 1328 Randa
1:50000 no. 5006 Matterhorn-Mischabel
(to order at
DAV Service
)
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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
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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