Recommendations for 4000m peaks -- Switzerland

[avidwanderer]

I am planning a trip in Early September, and plan to take a guided climb of a 4000m peak. I am looking for recommendations for a peak that I can knock out in a day, starting from a nearby town.

My Alps experience thus far has been on unguided climbs:

Watzmann Ostwand
Grossglockner Studlgrat
Zugspitze Blaueis traverse

I feel comfortable climbing up to UIAA IV.

I have been out of the climbing game for awhile, but am in excellent physical condition. Looking for something relatively low risk to break back in.

Appreciate any suggestions.

[rgg]

Real easy in one day from the valley are Allalinhorn or Alphubel (both from Saas Fee) or Breithorn (from Zermatt). However, considering your experience, you might not be too impressed with these. The scenery may be outstanding (depending on the weather of course), but the normal routes are just easy glacier walks.

Longer but, provided you're acclimatized, still feasible in one day from the valley, and much more interesting, are Lagginhorn or Weissmies (both from Saas Grund) or Pollux (from Zermatt). I personally recommend Pollux by the SW ridge. The route combines easy yet scenic glacier travel with fairly easy rock climbing, culminating in a short, beautiful snow clad summit ridge. For the descent you can either go back the way you came, or go down along the NW ridge.


Pollux summit ridge

Also a bit longer but possible in a day is be Pyramide Vincent (from Alagna). I've only done the normal route, but I reckon it's possible and much more interesting to go up by the SE ridge via Punta Giordani and descend the normal route.

Two further 4000-ers to consider are Mönch or Jungfrau. I have no personal experience with either, but based on what I've read about them, Mönch fits your wish for something relatively low risk. Jungfrau seems just a little harder, so I'm not sure whether that's what you're looking for.


For all these, your day starts with a cable car or train ride to get high up the mountain quickly, and hopefully ends with another one. If you're too slow and miss the last cable car down, at best you'll have a very long walk; alternatively you might have to spend the night in an alpine refuge. There are plenty of those around, fortunately. More likely, if, during the day, your guide thinks you're too slow to catch the last cable car, he'll turn around.

Cheers, Rob

[avidwanderer]

Rob,

Great feedback! Thank you for your suggestions.

Will be digging into these routes.

Matt

[Flachlandtiroler]

Real easy in one day from the valley are Allalinhorn or Alphubel (both from Saas Fee) or Breithorn (from Zermatt). However, considering your experience, you might not be too impressed with these. The scenery may be outstanding (depending on the weather of course), but the normal routes are just easy glacier walks.

Just for the record, you can also do the Hohlaubgrat in one day.
Lagginhorn has also been mentioned, here the south arrete may be more interesting.

With a guide, Mönch & Jungfrau & Fiescherhorn are quite usual daytrips.

[Diego Sahagún]

avidwanderer (Matt), all routes mentioned are very nice being Breithorn and Allalinhorn the easiest. Anyway, if you have those skills you could attempt rgg's or Flachlandtiroler's more difficult and longer mountains. We'll wait to your trip report..

[SarahThompson]

When our Matterhorn plans fell apart a few years ago due to new snow our guide suggested daytripping the Lyskamm traverse from Zermatt which included going up and over Castor first. Longish day but not bad if you're fit, and more than just a glacier walk. It ended up being an awesome tour, perhaps better than the Matterhorn!

IMG_4169small.jpg (83.67 KiB) Viewed 5198 times

[Donno]

Matt, I was in Zermatt a couple years ago and did six 4000M peaks in two weeks. My recommendation is not to go valley-peak-valley but rather valley-hut overnight-peak then either down to a different hut or down to the valley. Especially for your first peak when you need to acclimate.
-Donno