UKC

Hey everyone!

I have been putting together a trip to Zermatt in Aug 2020 with the ultimate goal of hopefully summiting the Matterhorn. I have a guide booked in for a 2 day ascent/decent.

I will be acclimatizing separately with my girlfriend who hasn't been climbing as long as I have, but has a good ability. I am planning on a trip up to the Domhutte (3k elevation) and a day up the Breithorn (4.1k elevation) with a night stay at the Gandegghutte (3k elevation). I would ideally like to have another day at similar altitudes with a similar trek so I am properly prepared. Does anyone have any suggestions of something similar and in the Zermatt area?

Also, any past experience of peoples success/cancellations due to weather on the Matterhorn? Are cancellations due to conditions very regular? Missing out on it due to weather is the only thing that keeps me up at night!

Thanks 

The Mettlehorn at 3400m is good for acclimatisation. You can combine it with a night at Trift.

There are several other 4000m routes/peaks around the Breithorn with reasonable accessibility, such as Castor and Pollux which may be of use to you?

GL

I'd suggest acclimatizing somewhere else.  Zermatt is ferociously expensive and most things rather high.  Plenty of other options for a warm-up week.

This. Breaking the 4k barrier during acclimaization, which is a good thing before Matterhorn (not because it is so high, but because your guide will set a fast pace and will turn round if you are too slow) is also easier on the Saas Fee side (Alallinhorn, Weissmies, Lagginghorn, possibly Nadelhorn), all with huts above 2900m.

CB

I suggest there are better options than going to the Dom hut.  The approach is good training and summiting the Dom itself might be a good option, but it's too much of a slog IMO and there are better ways to acclimatise. 

Personally, I'd prefer high huts you can get to more easily and do stuff from the hut.  A long hut approach is potentially just tiring yourself out!

The Brittania Hut is easier to get to and you have options like the Strahlhorn (easy but a bit dangerously crevassed).  Or the Allalinhorn (which you can do on the first lift/train from Saas Fee).

The Weissmies and Hohsaas huts are easy to get to and you can do the normal route on the Lagginhorn or Weissmies. 

Another option is the Mischabel Hut, which is a wonderful scramble.  The Nadelhorn is one of the best PD(+) routes in the Alps.

If you are in Zermatt, the Breithorn, Castor and Pollux are all good. 

Note that the local guides bash the clients up the big M at a breakneck pace and if you can't keep up, they'll turn you round.     

Hi All,

Thanks for your valued suggestions. I'll have a further look. I was looking at Weissmies, but not too sure my partner is up for the that one unfortunately. Trying to strike a bit of a balance is proving a little difficult. 

Good to know about the timings on the Matterhorn as well. I have chosen an English guide who is based in country for the season. I should be fine within the timings, but hopefully he is not as pressured as some of the stories I have heard from local guides based in the hut.

@Crimp Eastwood (epic name by the way haha) and Pero - I have considered these two. They would prove a good addition if I am in the Breithorn area already.

I will check out some more options around Saas Fee/Grund as well.

Cheers

There is a nice via ferrata (Jegihorn) in Sass valley that might be worth looking at if wanting something you can both do together. 

I'd go with the Saas Fee plan. We camped at the good site in the town, then day 1: Weissmies hut; day 2: Weissmies (problems with acclimatization near the summit, not a brilliant idea going up so high so quickly); day 3: attempt on the Lagginhorn, turned back at 3700m due to threatening thunderstorms; day 4: back down to Saas Fee and a rest day; day 5: up to the Brittania Hut (a long slog, as has been mentioned!); day 6: Nadelhorn: difficult on the ridge in high winds, but by now fully acclimatised; day 7: attempt on the Nadelgrat, early retreat due to very strong winds; day 7: back down to the tent and rest day. My partner became ill, so after this I was on my own: day 8 bus to Zermatt and bivi at the Schwarzsee; day 9: up to the Hörnli Hut early in the morning, rest day; day 10: summit and back down to Zermatt.

Apart from being too impatient with the Weissmies, our programme worked well, with two summits of 4000m+ and 4300m+ plus a lot of time well over 3000m and two nights sleeping in the valley; I had no problems with either fitness or altitude on the big day. 

Another recommendation for Saas valley, a great place to get yourself in the zone, and great facilities in the valley itself.

Another option, if you do fancy the Weissmies, is to consider from south side, from the Almagellerhutte, which is (was, anyway) superb. Choice of ridge to summit, or a benign and fairly uniform snow slope then summit ridge. Avoids the horribly crevassed routes from Hohsaas.

Although the traverse of the Weissmies is superb and going up the glacier gives a more complete course with ice, snow, a snowy arete and a long rocky ridge to descend. That said you do get to spend a fair bit of time under some nasty seracs on that approach so I can see why you'd not.

I'd also agree with the suggestion of the Saas valley for acclimatisation. There's various good rock routes on the Jegihorn for a first day with an easy descent. TryAlpendurst (4c) for example.

The East-northeast Ridge - Hohlaubgrat (AD)on the Allalinhorn is a nice route and not in any way AD, PD covers it nicely, it's no harder than the Nadelhorn normal route and the one rock pitch has bolts and iron bars for belaying off.

Camping is better in Saas Grund (is there a campground in Saas Fee at all?), and it will include the lift pass, very convenient for acclimatization.

After moving to the other side, I would avoid Zermatt like the plague and rather base myself at the campground in Randa.

CB

My mistake, Saas Grund it was and is! 

Hi Ryan, I climbed The Matterhorn in September 2018, it was a spontaneous decision as we were in Zermatt on a holiday.

We had no kit so we hired everything in the town and bought a rope. As the weather was so stable I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to tick it.

I booked the Hornlihutte three days before setting up there quite expensive, think it was around £115, anyhow as myself and regular climbing partner Chris had done lots of long multi pitch routes and scrambling in Snowdonia and Scotland that year we were quite fit when we got there.

Our acclimatization before getting to the hut was to go up to the Gornegrat and walk for a couple of hours then up to the Klein Matterhorn the following day, walked up to the top ski lift Gobba di Rollin and back to the lift.

The weather was amazing on our summit climb and it went really smoothly.

The guides will push you to the Solvey and possibly will turn you back if you wont make their time but, get lots of hills done especially long scrambling routes before then and I'm sure you'll be fine, 

Good luck

Mills.

Thanks everyone for your wealth of knowledge, it's much appreciated!

Considering my partners abilities, I'll look at staying in the Brittania Hut and the Gandegghutte for a few nights and look to summit Allalinhorn and Breithorn before heading up to the Hornli with the guide. Acclimatisation is looking similar to what I did for Mont Blanc when mapping it out which is reassuring.

I think there will be some 'down time' as I'll look to book the Gandegghutte for a couple of nights and only be summiting Breithorn. I might check out the area up there for some scenic treks, glacial traverses etc. I'll keep castor and Pollux in the back pocket maybe, depending on how things go. 

I suppose it will keep my muscles rested for the Matterhorn!!

Out of interest, has anyone done the full traverse from the Brittania to Strahlhorn and then on to the Monte Rosa Hut? It looks great!

Thanks again all