PRISTINE
SUMMITS OF
MONTE ROSA

We meet in Zermatt at the friendly local hotel in the evening. Your guide will brief you on the week ahead; the weather and conditions we will expect to have as well as checking the team equipment

After an early breakfast we take the cable-car to Klein Matterhorn, from where a simple snow/ice climb takes us to the West Summit of Breithorn 4,165m/13,665ft, and in good conditions we can continue to the Central Summit 4,160m/13,648ft before descending the Grand Glacier de Verraz to the Val d'Ayas Guides Hut 3,425m/11,237ft. This is a cosy little hut with a rather good bar (Peak #1)

We need an early start to climb the 400m/1,300ft to the base of the south side of Pollux 4,092m/13,425ft where the short but interesting South-West Ridge might be climbed before the traverse of Castor 4,423m/14,511ft to Feliksjoch and the descent to the Quintino Sella Hut 3,585m/11,762ft which has panoramic views over the beautiful Gressoney and Ayas Valleys (Peaks #2-3)

Another early start is needed to navigate under Lyskamm to the Passo del Naso del Lyskamm 4,100m/13,450ft before crossing the crevassed West Lys Glacier to pick up the Balmenhorn 4,167m/13,671ft, an odd little peak with a bivouac and statuesque cross at its top, and then Pyramid Vincent 4,215m/13,828ft before turning down to the Gniffetti Hut 3,647m/11,965ft or the slightly lower Mantova Hut 3,470m/11,385ft (Peaks #4-5)

After an early breakfast we slowly climb up the East Lys Glacier to reach the short but steep Corno Nero 4,321m/14,177ft, a fine little summit soon followed by the more simple Ludwigshöhe 4,341m/14,242ft and the long whaleback of the Parrotspitze 4,432m/14,541ft before crossing the Grenz Glacier to Signalkuppe 4,554m/14,941ft on the summit of which is the Margherita Hut, the highest mountain hut in Europe, our last Italian night of this tour (Peaks #6-9)

After an early breakfast, we climb the Zumsteinspitze 4,563m/14,970ft by a short scramble and then stroll down the crevassed Grenz Glacier, passing under the magnificent North Face of Lyskamm and sprawling South West facets of the Dufourspitze, eventually reaching the very Swiss Monte Rosa Hut 2,795m/9,170ft for a welcome rest before heading off again across the icy Gorner Glacier and a gentle climb back to Rotenboden under the Riffelhorn, and the Gornergrat mountain railway back to Zermatt, civilisation, hotel, hot showers and beer (Peak #10).

After a late breakfast, we say goodbye to Zermatt and depart for home

This is a sample itinerary, your actual itinerary may vary if conditions are more suitable in another region or factors such as the weather or lift service precludes access. In some cases, this may be an additional expense to you