Overlooked would best sum up this rather pleasant looking peak.

Depending on whom you talk or which guidebook you read to it is either part of the Nadelgrat and a worthwhile objective or it is not part of the Nadelgrat and therefore not a very worthy objective.

But one thing is for sure and that it is over the magic 4000m mark and it is the last (or first) 4k peak of the Mischabel chain.

At one time it was a very popular peak as the normal route was straight foreword and allowed for a varied day of glacier, couloir and ridge climbing all of a moderate nature.

However, with recent melting the Alps the peak has become much despised by guides (good thing for the rest of us, as they keep away from it) as there is now no easy (quick) and safe way up it. So it sees rather few ascents these days, which is a pity as it has a great view of the Dom.

The two normal routes to the summit are suppose to snowy colouirs but in recent years there has been very little snow in them. In summer of 2005 the bergshurg at the base of the Dirrujoch was well over 15m high with a 4 m gap in places. As well there was a good 2m wide moat at the base of the alternate rock climb up its right hand side. It does require ice climbing skills well above its AD rating.

Fortunately there is in place a series of fixed anchors down the Dirrujoch’s colouir set at 15 to 30m apart. The route can be very hard to find in decent as at one point anchors are well to the right of the colouir and end the also end well above the Reid glacier.

The first recorded ascent was in September of 1879 by A. Mummery, P Burgener and F. Imseng but it was most likely climbed before this date by locals out hunting chamois.

Dürrenhorn, Dirrunhorn Dirrujoch, Holbergjoch, Dürrenjoch, Hohberghorn, Hohbärghorn. Unlike most of the Alps there is a great deal of confusion in the naming of features at this end of the Mischable.

Older maps and differing descriptions and names in guidebooks have added greatly to this confusion. I am going to use the latest 2001 edition of the 1:25 000 Swiss map #1238 Randa, to describe the local features of along the Nadelgrat.

Starting from the North at grid coordinate 630:110 the first mountain on the Nadelgrat is Gugal (3377m) the ridge then drops SE to the Galenjoch, (3300m), the ridge then rises to the Chli Dirruhorn (3890m) and then descends quickly to the an unnamed joch at (3860m) at the top of a snowy couloir rising up from the Ried glacier. From this point the ridge rises to the Dirruhorn (4035m) then drops down to the Durrujoch (3916m).

The ridge then rises again until the Hohbärghorn (4219m) is reached. The ridge then drops again quickly to 4144m where it starts to rise again. The Hohbärgjoch is a little further along ridge and is only marked on the west side of the ridge on the map. Most of the routes I have read in guidebooks that use this joch as an approach the Nadelgrat either refer to the snowy east side or the rocky west side, both are correct as the joch is the point on the ridge not the gully up to it. It was most likely placed fully on the west side of map the map for purly aesthetic reasons.

The ridge continues to rise to the Stecknadelhorn(4241m) and then only drops slightly until is rises again sharply to the Nadelhorn(4327m).

Most sources will agree that this is the complete Nadelgrate. Some claim it starts at Lenzpitze(4294m) and ends at the Durrujoch, others say it contains only the Hohbärghorn, Stecknadelhorn and Nadelhorn but most of the descriptions I have read site it as being the ridge made up of the Dirruhorn, Hohbärghorn, Stecknadelhorn and Nadelhorn.

Confusion most likely comes from the fact that older maps the Nadelgrat label was much closer Lenzspitze and as such many people included it. There is also another old Swiss map that has the North, North, East crest of the Balfrin(3795m) clearly marked as the Nadelgrat.

Looking back at the history of climbs on the ridge one can see why many include Lenzspitze. The first full traverse started from the Dom hut to the Dirrujoch and then over the Hohbärghorn to Lenzspitze and then back to the Dom. This accomplished in 1892 by a party guided by Christian Kluckler. The fist full traverse did not take place till 1916 when a party lead by Adrian Mazlam started at Lenzspitze all the way up and over the Gugal and then down the rest to the ridge.

Getting There

Most parties start at the Bordier but it is also possible to start from the Dom hut (as long as you don't mind being laughed at by the hut warden)

Red Tape

None. Go and enjoy. Do buy rescue insurace as rockfall can be bad.

Route Overview

South East Ridge: F+ from the Dirrujoch

North Ride: AD+ from the Bordier hut.

When To Climb

Any season is possiable but with the increased risk of rockfall early summer and mid fall would be the safest.

Camping

Yes but there is a hut so why bother.

What;s in a name

I seems this peak was known as the Durrenhorn in some guide books and maps but most have been corrected in the latest edtions.

Images



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