Looking to hire a guide to climb Matterhorn towards the end of June. Any recommendations? I know the Swiss hut is closed for remodelling this year, but I assume you can still climb that side if you want to bring a tent up to the hut area, yes? Alternatively, an Italian side attempt looks good too, but (at least online), they appear to be less organized than thier Swiss counterparts (shocking, I know).

Anyway, please save the "guided" speech... my friend and I don't really care, have used guided services before, and on a mountain like Matterhorn (where route finding appears to be a significant part of the climb), a guide will surely speed things up. Plus, we like to chat up the locals...

So, any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

I'm also suspecting that the best way to do it is just to roll into Zermatt and try to hire someone on the spot (assuming there is good weather)... but I could be wrong...

I used Alpin Center Zermatt when I climbed the Matterhorn. I thought they were fairly accommodating in case there are contingencies related to weather or conditions depending on how flexible your travel plans are. I would use them again.

Unfortunately I don't know anything about renovation of the hut, camping nearby or climbing from the Italian side.

It took me two trips to climb it due to weather the first time. I hope your luck is better than mine!

Woodie

Woodie Hopper wrote:I used Alpin Center Zermatt when I climbed the Matterhorn.

Hey Woodie!

Here was their response:

*********
Dear Sirs

Thank you very much for your request!

Tha Hörnlihut (Matterhornhut) will be closed for the Summer 2014, because they build a new hut.

If you want to climb the Matterhorn next Summer, please contact us again at the end of May, then we know, if
there will be a tentative accommodation or not.

Thank you very much for your understanding!

Kind regards from Zermatt

*********

Like most climbers in the European Alps, guides like the relative comfort of the many refuges. Very few climbers use tents in the Alps, and guides do so even less.

For guided climbing on the Hörnli ridge, if there won't be some sort of accommodation, I expect that there will be far less people. If camping is forbidden (I'm not saying it will be, but it might - the Alpin Center Zermatt will know more about that in a couple of months at the latest), you would have to start much lower, making it a physically much more demanding ascent, and as a result lots of aspiring climbers will undoubtedly postpone their trip. If camping is allowed, well, I expect that the vast majority of the guides don't want the hassle and will stay away from guiding the Hörnli ridge this year. Even if they aren't nearly as famous, there are many other interesting routes in the area, and I'm sure the guides will still have enough work. Only if there is some sort of temporary shelter set up, so that the guides don't have to drag up a tent and don't have to cook, it will be business as usual, sort of.

On the bright side, with much less people on the ridge it will be a whole lot safer. One of the reasons I've not climbed it (yet) is that it's so busy. I must say, with much less people on the mountain, the traverse from Italy to Switzerland (up the Cresta de Leone and down the Hörnli ridge) suddenly looks like a rather attractive proposition.

pm sent.

Watching the guides savor their huge meat platter at their private table and socialize before meeting their clients, I agree 100% with what Rob said!

If the Hörnlihut is closed, you can climb the Lion's Ridge as well - it's more difficult, but also less busy...

The Italians have been much more accomidating actually. I'm conversing over email with a few. It appears that most folks in Cervina want to see how the spring shakes out before commiting to a time/weather window...

Oh well... I think our timing (late June) is a bit off... most folks are saying "the season" doesnt start until the end of July...

Right, yes, the best season for Matterhorn usually starts from middle July, moreover this winter fell a lot of snow on the Alps...

This is Jungfrau summit, not Matterhorn, isn't it?
Nice pic althogh...

Flachlandtiroler wrote:This is Jungfrau summit, not Matterhorn, isn't it?
Nice pic althogh...

Yes! The image and its title caught my eye on a non-climbing site. My first reaction (despite the pictured terrain looking out of reach of my ability) was to dream of climbing in the Alps, but then my mind turned to suspicion that the person posting was intentionally using the name Matterhorn for greater name recognition. In the spirit of Mel Torino, I figured it would be a fun expirement to post here. With your help and a little digging I found the source. Some of the other images are pretty interesting.

Regardless, have fun out there whichever mountains you find yourself visiting this season!