UKC

Are the Almageller Hut, Britannia Hut and Weismiess Hut all equally suitable for a solo walker wanting to acclimatise through walking and sleeping at altitude before climbing some peaks around Saas Fe?

Yes. They´re all between 2700 and 3000m, which is a good height to start acclimatising at. You´ll get the maximum effect if you walk slowly up from the valley and ignore the multiple lift possibilities. Which peaks are you considering?

Have a look at https://www.sac-cas.ch/en/huts-and-tours/sac-route-portal/britanniahuette-s...

And use the search for the other huts.

The Almageller hut would be suitable and is a pleasant approach, I have only had tea at the Weismiess hut (after the Weismiess traverse and less attractive from memory) and don't know the Britannia

On each hut page it gives the ways to get up to the hut and the grade 

Hope this helps. 

Fletschorn Bivak in that area worth a look too. A wilder place and a lot cheaper.

I’d agree that the walk up to Almageller is the nicest of the three you have suggested.  Mischabel Hut is very high and has a tough approach so depending on the level of acclimatisation you’ve already achieved may be a good step up.

I´d definitely agree with that, but the question is: acclimatisation for what? There aren´t many peaks around Saas Fee/Saas Grund significantly higher than the Mischabel hut´s 3300m which would be suitable for a solo hill walker; maybe the Ulrichshorn from the Mischabel at 3900m, but even that could get tricky.

The ulrischorn has a substantial glacier crossing.  I wouldn't solo over there

It’s been a long time; I‘d remembered it as being very straightforward and completely safe, but happy to be put right!

Quite some time ago, but I remember that there are considerable glacier crossings involved in accessing the Britannia hut. Not a place to be wandering about solo.

John

Various options but no major glaciers

https://map.geo.admin.ch/?lang=en&topic=ech&bgLayer=ch.swisstopo.pi...

Thank you to everyone for all those comments which are VERY useful.  I will be on a course after my acclimatization climbing, with flexibility, the Weissmies/Lagginhorn and Nadelhorn etc.

Before reaching Saas Fe I'm planning to walk around the Cabane de Tracuit/Arpitettaz, perhaps Cabane de Moiry.  At this stage I will be walking with another experienced walker who is new to the Alps.

The Fletschorn Bivak sounds interesting!!!  I'll check it out.  I was also considering the Antigine Bivouac at the top of the Ofentalpass on the frontier with Italy.  I'd want to bivy only if the forecast is good and I suppose it's best to book the huts well in advance?

Will be acclimatising last week of June and first week of July 2024.

Antigine is also good and has some great high level walks nearby.  Note that bivuouc huts are simply unmanned - they still have bunks, blankets and shelter so the weather isn't so important.  Take a stove.

Thanks for that tip.

I didn't know that.  THANK YOU.  (I only know so much.)

You must have to reserve a place in the Bivouac?  And pay a fee?

The Swiss ones you book online mostly these days and there is a small fee. The Italian ones are mostly free and first come first.served.

If you are likely to do the Nadelhorn then you'd not want to do the Mischabel hut approach twice!

The same might be said of Almageller Hut if you are likely to do Weissmies from there.

Two or three days in advance should be ok for hut booking.  End on June is quite early in the season so I'd not expect things to be busy.

Sorry, I have stayed at the Britannia Hut, but I was thinking of the hut for the Finstraahorn(  sorry for the spelling) which did involve interesting glacier crossings. They were both many years ago.

john

We've slept and acclimatised at all three recently. They are all friendly and well run. 

The Weismiess is super-accessible, take the lift and either walk up or down (depending on where you get off). Or slog up from Sass Grund, prettily. The warden is well worth discussing your plans with. Lovely man. 

Almageller has a v pretty Alpine walk with suspension bridges and you can have lunch at the Almagelleralp hut on the way. Or walk over from the Weismiess hut to get two nights up high.

Our first two days this year were an acclimatisation trip to the Britannia (the highest) which I'd highly recommend. Bus to Mattmark, walk glacier trail from the lake up to the hut (usually v doable solo but ring hut to check), night at over 3000m, next morning do the via ferrata - they hire kit - and any scrambling you fancy, then beautiful traverse to Plattjen lift back to Saas Fee. (Check the lift down is still working, I don't think it is every year.)

Haven't been in early season for ages, but last year no probs booking the night before in September, except at weekends.

Have fun. 

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone for your replies which are all very helpful.

I’ve previously done a night in the Weissmies hut and a solo hike / easy scramble up the Jegihorn. Good acclimatisation.

You should be perfectly acclimatized after a week. I did the Weißmiess as my 1st 4000er having spent only 1 night at 2700m, and I wasn‘t feeling at all well on the summit; problems with my vision and nausea. The next day we bailed from half way up the Lagginhorn because of approaching thunder; 2 days later we did the Ulrichshorn and on the next day the Nadelhorn with no altitude problems; one rest day, then the Matterhorn, again with no problems. You should be perfectly fine at altitude on your course; have a great time!

Maybe. Quick acclimatisation and recovery are weird creatures. We'd done some 3,600m peaks by the Mountet Hut, then went to bivvy under the Finsteraarhorn, and do the Strahlhorn. All fine. Day after climbed up past the Mischabel Hut to bivvy and do the Lenzspitze N face in the morning. About 400m past the hut I couldn't put one one foot in front of the other, total bonk. Following day I felt intimidated by the Lenzspitze so did the Nadelhorn. All fine again. Quite unpredictable.

Yep.  I think the honest position is you *won't* be even close to fully acclimatized after a week but you might well be acclimatized enough to do everything you want and enjoy yourself.  Or you might not.

Sorry, meant the Rimpfischhorn not the Finsteraarhorn, obvs. And the Moiry not the Mountet hut. Got concussed a few days ago, still bit wonky . . .

Might be worth having a look at possibilities around the Dix hut, it has a lovely approach from Arolla and in my eyes Val d’Herens is the prettiest of the Swiss valleys. A number of summits nearby don’t involve glacier travel.

There are more options to do things from the Almageller hut. You could head up to the first col on the way to the Weissmies. Or walk over in the direction of the Portjengrat. All straightforward in daylight. Good for acclimatisation to exercise at that altitude.

That Almageller hut is a long way up from the valley, although there is a possible car some of the way.

The Mischabel hut is a good scramble/via ferrata. You could walk up to the glacier, about 30-40 minutes from the hut, but nothing else. The hut is at 3300m, so you need to be careful heading straight up there. You can use the lift to Hannig. Which I would recommend.

There's not a lot to do from the Britannia hut, and it's an easy walk from the top of cablecar. That's the easy, boring option IMO.

In my experience, beasting up from the valley does little to aid acclimatisation and is more likely to tire you out. I find the spending time at altitude, even just sleeping is what's needed.