Windgrat (NE ridge)

Overview

The NE ridge of Nadelhorn is the normal route and one of the easier routes to climb from Mischabel Hut. The ridge has some steeps of II (P.D.) on the final rocky section and some parts of 40º in the snow ridge. Because the walk in the glacier is short and the ridge has enough slope it's possible to climb the peak all the year. It's an important reason to choose this mountain out of season.
The hut it's open fom june to september but it has a winter hut open all the year.

Getting There

See the main page with a good description to approach to Saastal's valley where is Saas Fee. It's important: the access to the village is closed and you must use the parking (paying) in the entry.

Day 1: Mischabel Hut

Ascent to the Mischabel Hut.
Slope 1500m, time 4h15min or more (very different weights in winter or summer in the haversack)
Type: via ferrata, I+

Alternative in summer: take the cable way to Hanning (you'll reduce the slope to 1100m)

We'll begin in the parking of Saas Fee and we'll walk in the village in direction to the church. We'll follow the signal "Mischabel Hut", and after some ramps of asfalt we'll traverse the forest always searching the marks of paint (red-white or blue-white). The path turn to left in the area of ski-lifts to get the long path in zig-zag of the spun with a few of solitary pines. We'll arrive to the crosspath where's connect the route from Hanning (2300m). We'll turn to left under the ridge to see the point of entry. The path entry in the ridge in a little col with the little peak Distelhorn (2806m). We'll begin the via ferrata area with scales and fixed rope. In winter some steeps are exposed with snow but in summer it's an easy climb. After 500m of slope of ferrata we'll reach finally the Hut.

Day 2: Windgrat

To the summit!
Slope: 1000m
Time: 3h 30 min (very changing according with habituation of the height of course)
Type: glacier and ridge

We'll begin early in the morning (very different if we want to descent in the day or if we want to spend another night in the hut). The first section goes behind the hut in the ridge East of Schwarzhorn (3620m). It's not neccesary to climb this summit and we'll leave the ridge to descent to the glacier very soon (it's easiest). The use of the rope in the glacier it's very advisable (generally the crevasses are in right side of the route and you'll see it but it's not always appear). We'll make the path in the snow in the area over the crevasses in direction initially to Lenzspitse and in the area with less slope we'll turn to right in horizontal. We'll reach the area under the col (Windjoch) and the peak Ulrichshorn and we'll walk to right before turning to the col to evitate more crevasses.
In the Windjoch (3880m) we'll get the line of NE ridge. The snow it's generally in good conditions in the morning but in winter or early in the spring it's possible to discover some steeps of ice under the snow. Specially dangerous is the area of 40º near of the presummit NE if has some of ice (it's North face walking under the ridge NE). In this case the use of some ice screw are very advisable (the fall it's long to the glacier).

Reaching the bottom of the rocky ridge we'll try to find a very little col in left side to entry in the section easiest of rock-climb. The right side it's hardest and the snow and ice it's most frequend (North face). The left side of the ridge has good repises and the rock climb is grade II- or II. The access to the summit it's narrow and exposed and the use of rope in some pieces of rock it's very advisable. Enjoy in the cross of the narrow summit of Nadelhorn (4327m).

For the descent we'll follow the same route and the rappel from the cross of the summit it's a very good option to reach the area less exposed of the rocky ridge, specially if have some of snow or ice.

Ridge NE

Rocky climb

Summit

Windgraf

Windgraf

Essential Gear

-One or two ropes of 30m (one for the glacier or the sections of rock-climb; if we need to make some rappel from the summit it's very interesting to take another rope)
-Harness.
-Some strings and carabineers (for the final rocky ridge and even for some sections of via ferrata of the hut with snow)
-One or two ice-axes (very advisable the use of two ice axes in the season with risk of ice: winter, spring...)
-Crampons.
-One or two pitons of ice (ice screws).

If we climb in winter (with summer hut closed) the hut has beds, blankets and kitchen but you need food, stove, clothes,... the habitual things in this type of ascents.

External Links

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Images

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