UKC

Hi,

I am planning a couple alpine trips to Switzerland this summer, and have been using the SAC portal to look at routes, but I am finding the information on them to be quite limited? I don't know if I'm expecting too much, but would a guidebook give more information on recommended gear and what the technical difficulties of each route would be? Using the route portal alone I feel like I am having to work out/guess the reasons a route is given a certain grade?

Also, does anyone have any recommendations for guidebooks for the south-west Valais? Grand Combin to Arolla sort of area.

Thanks!

I think you are using the free version of the route portal - if you pay, you will get more detail for each route - they have basically digitalised all the SAC guidebooks onto there, and a year subscription is probably more cost effective than buying the individual books.

The TopoVerlag Daniel Silbernagel book is good but only in German - https://topoverlag.com/products/walliser-alpen-5-auflage-2021-fundgrube-kop...

For rock climbing in the Martigny type area, the Carnets d'Escalade free app (https://www.carnetsdescalade.ch/) is good, so is entremont escalade (https://www.mountain-guide.ch/fr/Topo/).

Hmm so I definitely bought and am using the paid version, and it’s given me access to more routes but I can’t see more detail, for example there’s not change to the info available for any of the free routes? Maybe I’m using it wrong? 

I don't know what kinds of routes you're looking at (mountaineering , trad, sport) but assuming the former the SAC descriptions are definitely written for the experienced alpinist who knows what rack to take on what sort of route.

I'd always cross reference against Camptocamp, which can be much more detailed