Overview
 | | Exciting evening-light on the Coeurgrat/NW Ridge of Obergabelhorn (2004) - Photo by Michael Prittwitz |
Dedication:
In memory of Rahel Maria Liu, the former maintainer of this page. Rahel died on the Innominata Spur to Mont Blanc in a snow storm on August 24th, 2004.
 |  |  |  |  | | Sunrise | Obergabelhorn | Coeur Ridge | Good View from E | View from Lyskamm |
1. Obergabelhorn - a peak between famous mountains of the Pennine Alps
This peak is situated between more famous mountains like Weisshorn, Matterhorn and Zinal Rothorn. Ober Gabelhorn ascent gives nice views
on such known mountains.
Ober Gabelhorn (4063 m) is considered to be one of the nicest Valais mountains.
There is no really easy way to the summit. The easiest (but long) way from the Rothornhütte is AD (Thanks to om).
The Obergabelhorn has very steep flanks to each side. The smooth ice face to the north is very impressive. The S Face is a pure rock face. It is one of the very few rock
faces in the Walliser Alps which one can recommend.
From the summit, one has a wonderful view of the Matterhorn with its N Face.
North Side of Obergabelhorn with its steep and icy North Face, watched from the Rothornhut on August 12, 2003 - Photo by Rahel Maria Liu
The moon above the Coeurgrat and the North Face of Obergabelhorn
2. The way to the summit
Four ridges are more secure, since they have less danger of rock- and icefall. The SW Ridge - Arben Ridge - provides great rock climbing possibilities. The NE Ridge to the Wellenkuppe is a mixed route. The SE Ridge is not very difficult. The NW Ridge - Coeur Ridge - is only in the upper, snowy part really interesting.
Routes Overview
5 Routes to the Summit of Obergabelhorn - Photos by RoyD - as/Antonio Giani - Rahel Maria Liu - olijacob and Bart
 |  |  |  |  | | ENE Ridge | WSW Ridge | NW/Coeur Ridge | N Face | S Face/Arben R |
 | ENE Ridge | - Normal Route from the Rothornhütte (3198 m): |
Wellenkuppe 3903 m), Grand Gendarm (3870 m), Obergabelhorn (4063 m)
ZS, III+, 4,5 h (Biner , 231)
250 hm, G 7, III- (1 passage), I and II near the summit; the rest ice till 50° 4,5-5h from Rothornhütte (Waeber, 434)
Photos by RoyD - JanG - kiss istván - alejandro - as/andrea.it - corvus - ChristophGeisler
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | | Top | ENE Ridge | Ascent | RothornH | Top | Descent | Ridge | N Side | Ridge |
 | WSW Ridge | - Ascent from Arben Bivouac (3224 m): |
ZS, III+, 3,5 h (Biner, 238)
G 6, III+ (short passage), II and I, 2,5 - 3 h, 500 hm, very good rock (Waeber,434)
Photos by as/Antonio Giani - as/Cyrill - as - Chandra - Cyrill
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | | from NW | ArbenR | Approach | E Summit | ArbenR | Bivouac | Ridge |
 | Coeurgrat/NW Ridge - Normal Route from Cabane du Mountet (2886 m): |
ZS, III, 5 h, danger of rockfall ( Biner, 236 )
G 7, III+, ice till 50°, 5-6 h, 1170 hm, in the upper third beautiful firn ridge (Waeber, 438)
Photos by Rahel Maria Liu - mvs/alpinpete - Huberschwiller - EricChu - Hiltrud Liu - kiss istván - Mathias Zehring
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | | Summit | Mountet H | Coeur-Grat | from Zinal | N Side | Alpenglow | NW Ridge |
 | N Face | - Normal Route from Cabane du Mountet: |
 | S Face | - Several routes through the S Face, the easiest one: |
________________________________
- Thanks to om:
Normal Route (Wellenkuppe [3 h] and NE Ridge [3 h]): AD-
NW Ridge (Heart Ridge): AD
WSW Ridge (Arben Ridge): AD
SE Ridge (Gabelhorngrat): AD
S Face: AD
N Face: D+
Climber's Logs
Getting There
1. To the Obergabelhorn:
You can come from the Rothornhütte (3198 m).
You can come from the Cabane du Mountet (2886 m).
2. To the Rothornhütte (3198 m):
ou reach the hut in 4,5 hours from Zermatt (1580 hm). You reach the Berghaus Trift (2337 m) in 2 hours from Zermatt. The best way is if
you follow the sign in the center of the village. You go over grass to Bodmen and on the northern side of the Triftbach to the Triftschlucht.
The way goes through it and to a bridge to the S side. In zigzag you go up to the hotel Edelweiss and the way along the Triftbach, pass it then and
climb up to the Trifthaus along the northern side of the stream.
Then you go further up along the stream and reach Vieliboden. You go up to the moraines of the Triftglacier and along the left/northern moraine
in zigzag to the Rothornhütte. 2,5 h from Trift.
You reach Zermatt (1616 m) with car or bus from Visp/Brig and by train from Täsch. Zermatt is well-known in the whole world as one
center of the Walliser Alps. You are not allowed to drive your car in the village.
| Zinalrothorn - Matterhorn - Dent d'Hérens - Obergabelhorn - Dent Blanche (Photo by Rahel Maria Liu) - Show labels |
Brig is the main city of the upper Wallis and the junction of the trains:
Bern - Lötschberg - Simplon - Domodossola
Furka - Oberalppass (Andermatt/Disentis, Glacierexpress)
Brig - Visp - Zermatt
Lake of Geneva - Milano
In Brig, many busses arrive as well:
Simplon-Gondo
Saastal
Blatten
Mund
Rosswald
You reach Visp/Brig by car:
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 in direction of Brig. But at Visp, you turn already right to the S in directin of the Saaser valley. In Stalden, you turn right and leave
the Saaser valley to the left. Here, the Matter Valley begins. Via St. Niklaus, Randa and Täsch, you reach Zermatt.
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.
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.
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 of the A26 and then the E62 via Domodóssola to Brig.
3. To the Cabane du Mountet (2886m):
You reach the hut from Zinal on the E route (4 1/2 h, 1250 hm, 9 km): From the parking place at the South end of Zinal, you cross a bridge
and follow the road on the western side of the Navisence to the S till it goes up. You keep on the road which goes up to the alphut Le Vichiesso
(1862 m). Shortly afterwards, you turn right to the new Mountet hut way. You go the road down to the left, traverse the stream of the glacier end
(Zinal glacier) on a bridge. You reach the turn off to the Tracuit hut and Ar Pitetta hut (1,5 h). You take the right way and go up zigzag in SE
direction, traverse the western hangs of the Besso above the breaks of the Zinal glacier. You turn around the Besso SW ridge via a rock zone below
P. 3052m. In SE direction, you reach the hut via lumps of rocks.
You reach the hut from Zinal on the W route (4 1/2 h, 1350 hm, 9 km). From the parking place at the South end of Zinal, you cross a bridge
and follow the road on the western side of the Navisence to the S till it goes up. You keep on the road which goes up to the hut Le Vichiesso (1862 m).
Here, you leave the way and go up to the Petit Mountet hut (2 h). The new way goes up over the hangs of the Pgne de la Le, around a rock zone at
about 2550 m. Then you go down and reach the falling line of the Bouquetins-O-rib which leads to the Zinal glacier via the break.
You traverse the glacier in SE direction and go up on the orographically right side. You leave it at P. 2652 m and go up to the hut over the W
hang. The ski ascent goes over the whole Zinal glacier. Pay attention to avalanches from the flanks if there is much sunshine!
You reach Zinal from Sierre (28 km) by bus or car via Vissoie and Ayer (Val d'Anniviers).
To Sierre from Sion (491m) in the West of Visp/Brig in the East.
Obergabelhorn - Photos by Mc Bojan, KoenVI, hansw, Antonio Giani and marco979
 |  |  |  |  | | West Side | East Side | North Side | South Side | N Face from Cab. de Tracuit |
Red Tape
When To Climb
CampingCamping and hotels in Zermatt or other villages in the valley
Mountainhuts
Rothornhütte (3198 m)
 | The Rothornhütte is situated at the foot of Eseltschuggen, at the end of the SE Ridge of the Zinalrothorn, and on the left side of the Trift glacier. |
90 beds
winter room with 10 beds
guarded: from midd-July to mid-September
phone: ++41(0)27/9672043
Cabane du Mountet (2886 m)
 | Cabane du Mountet is situated right above the glacier de Zinal, the lowest end of the Blanc-de-Moming SW ridge. |
127 beds
winter room with 50 beds
guarded: from March to May and from July to September
phone: ++41(0)27/4751431
internet: Cabane du Grand Mountet
Summits to climb from the hut: Besso (3668 m), Zinalrothorn (4221 m), Trifthorn (3728 m), Ober Gabelhorn (4063 m),
Dent Blanche (4357 m), Grand Cornier (3962 m), Äschhörner (3618 m), Mettelhorn (3406 m), Schalihorn (3974 m)
Arben Bivouac (3224 m)
 | The Arben Bivouac is situated in a valley on the S side of Obergabelhorn. |
______________________________
- Thanks to om:
Cabane du Mountet (2886 m) SAC hut
situation: SW of Zinalrothorn
how to go there: Rhône valley - Sierre - Mission - Ayer - Zinal
how to climb there:
1. Zinal - Le Vichiesso - Pont sur la Navisence - Grépon: 5h
2. Zinal - Le Vichiesso - Petit Mountet - Plan des Lettres - Glacier de Zinal: 5 h
Rothornhütte (3198 m) SAC
situation: S of Rothorn
how to go there: Rhône valley - Visp - Stalden - Täsch P; by train to Zermatt
how to climb there: Zermatt - Triftbach - Vieliboden: 4.30 h
General Information and Weather Conditions
Panoramic View of OBERGABELHORN SE Face – ZINALROTHORN – WEISSHORN - BISHORN (Photo by hansw)
1. GENERAL INFOS:
2. WEATHER
Maps
Books
The fragile W Summit of Obergabelhorn: Down below, in the red circle, is the Arbenbiwak (2009).
| Monte Rosa - Matterhorn - Obergabelhorn - Dent d'Hérens - Dent Blanche (Photos by as) | Show E Summit |
- Banzhaf/Biner/Burgener, Alpinführer Walliser Alpen 4/5, Vom Theodulpass zum Simplon (2009). SAC Shop (look at the contents Balfrin - Gabelhorn)
- Helmut Dumler/Willi P. Burkhardt, The High Mountains of the Alps. amazon.com (look at the contents Ober Gabelhorn)
- Hermann Biner, Hochtouren im Wallis. Vom Trient zum Nufenenpass. 2nd ed. 1996. ISBN 3-859022-160-5
- HelmutDumler/Willi P Burkhardt, Viertausender der Alpen. 11th ed. Munich 1998. ISBN 3-7633-7427-2. amazon.de
- Michel Vaucher, Walliser Alpen. Die 100 schönsten Touren. 2nd ed. Munich 1990. ISBN 3-7654-2124-3
- Erich Vanis, Im steilen Eis. 80 Eiswände in den Alpen. Munich et al. 1980. ISBN 3-405-12158-2. amazon.de
- Michael Waeber, Walliser Alpen. DAV-Gebietsführer. 12th ed. Munich 1999. ISBN 3-7633-2416-X. amazon.de
- Clubführer Walliser Alpen, Vol. II, Verlag Swiss Alpine Club
External Links
* Obergabelhorn at www.4000er.de - Images and Routes
* 4000er Karte - www.4000er.de
* Pennine Alps by Air Overview I - Photo by Diggler
* Pennine Alps by Air Overview II - Photo by Diggler Link MountainArea
Images
|
Pennine Alps > Obergabelhorn (Ober Gabelhorn)
