MONTE ROSA / SPAGHETTI ITINERARY

Day 0

Gather in Zermatt during the evening for a briefing on equipment, logistics and general plans.

Day 1

Take the tramway to Klein Matterhorn, then an ascent of the Breithorn (4164 meters 13660ft) Next, trek across the Verra glacier to ascend Pollux (4,092 m or 13,422 ft). This second peak depends on timing, general fitness of the group, and the conditions. Head down and sleep at the Guide d'Ayas Hut (3,420 m or 11,217 ft).

Day 2

We reascend yesterday’s track and either climb Pollux (if we didn’t the previous day ) and / or climb Castor (4,223 m or 13,851 ft) via its west face, descending the narrow Southeast Ridge to to the Quinto Sella Hut (3,858 m or 12,654 ft).

Day 3

Two options are available today, both concluding at either the Gneffeti or the Montova Hut

Option One: Traverse the south face of Liskamm across the Passo del Naso (steep ice with crampons) with opportunities to summit peaks like Ludwigshöhe or the Vincent Pyramid during the day.

Option Two: Embark on the technically demanding traverse of the entire Liskamm Ridge, encompassing its West and East summits (4,527 m or 14,850 ft). This latter option demands exceptional fitness, proficient crampon skills, and favorable weather conditions. The climbing on the section is extremely exposed, often a knife-edged arete, and is most often guided with a ratio of 1 : 1.

Day 4

We reascend yesterday’s track back onto the glaciers Lysgletscher to the Lisjoch climbing the other 4000m peaks we didn’t get to climb the previous day: Ludwigshoehe, Parrotspitze, and finally the Signalkuppe (a.k.a. Punta Margherita) 4555 m (14940 ft) settling in a the Margherita Hut for the evening, the highest hut in the Alps !

Day 5

Again, we have two options for the day depending on conditions, energy and experience level and ratios.

Option One: Is almost all downhill today back into Switzerland, albeit a long journey. First descending through the broken glaciers of the GrenzGrat Glacier, passing by Monte Rosa Hut, refuelling with a coffee and a strudel, and then a few more hours of trail hiking to the Gornergrat Railway, which will take us back to Zermatt.

Option Two: Traverse the Zumsteinspitze en route to the Dufourspitze (4618m or 15150 feet) the second highest peak in the Alps! Highly exposed climbing gets us to the summit ridge. The descent via the normal route is down the steep fixed ropes that lead to the Silbersattel. Making our way down through glaciated terrain we eventually end up at the Monte Rosa hut. A few more hours of hiking gets us to the Gornergrat Railway, which will take us back to Zermatt.