Eiger: Mittellegi Ridge
- Activity: Alpinism
- Country: Switzerland
- Level: AD (Little difficult)
- Season: July, August, September
- Max guests: 1
- Transfer: 100€ / 100km
Where?
Eiger is a peak in the Bernese Alps, known for its sheer 2-kilometer north face. The stories of attempts to climb it and the description of the successful ascent are well-described in the book "The White Spider" by Heinrich Harrer, a participant in the first successful climb in 1938. The first ascent of the mountain was made in August 1858. The mountain is slightly less than 4,000 meters high and is located near two more technically simple 4,000-meter peaks - Monch (4107 m) and Jungfrau (4158 m). I recommend combining the ascent of Eiger with the ascent of Monch and Jungfrau, which is known as the "Bernese Trilogy".
The route along the Mittellegi ridge is probably the most thrilling route to an Alpine peak. The narrow ridge and breathtaking abysses on both sides require experience in rock climbing and good physical preparation. Minimal experience in rock climbing is necessary, while experience with Mont Blanc is not required :)
Preparation
Preparing for the ascent should be done in advance. It is ideal to spend a couple of months climbing in the climbing gym, go out to climb on rocks. If there is an opportunity to go to the mountains and climb a simpler combined route, do it. In any case, the Eiger is a bad candidate for a first ascent. When climbing the Eiger, you need to be able to use mountaineering equipment - crampons, ice axe, safety system. The guide will of course conduct a lesson with you, but only to refresh your skills.
Including in price
- Guide's fee
- Group equipment
- Assistance in refuges reservation
- Accomodation and food for the guide in Chamonix
- Guide's cable cars in Chamonix
Not including in price
- Personal equipment rentals
- Accomodation and food for guest in Chamonix
- Guest's cable cars in Chamonix
- Guest's cable cars in Grindelwald
- Guide's cable cars in Grindelwald
- Accomodation and food for guest in refuges
- Accomodation and food for guide in refuges
- All transfers
Details
- You will be with the guide alone for 8 days. The guide will adapt the program to your needs.
- Acclimatization and technical training are aimed solely at achieving the goal of climbing the Eiger.
- The preparation takes 4 days, which will allow you to train well before the challenging route. In addition, in case of fickle weather, there will be a possibility to slightly shift the date of the main ascent.
- Two days are allocated for the ascent - once we start the climb, we are confident in the weather forecast. However, if the weather conditions are uncertain, attempting the climb is highly discouraged as strong winds, snow, and wet rocks on the sharp rocky ridge will make the ascent much more difficult and dangerous.
- In case of unsuitable weather conditions, it is possible to postpone the ascent or perform a technical climb in another area of the Alps. Additionally, upon agreement with the guest, a series of rock climbing ascents can be organized in Chamonix/Aosta.
Route
Grindelwald (1034 m) - Eismeer (3159 m) - Mittellegihütte (3355 m) - Mittellegi ridge - Eiger (3979 m) - South Ridge - Mönchsjochhütte (3658 m) - Jungfraujoch (3463 m) - Grindelwald.
Itinerary
Meeting point
The program starts in Chamonix. The meeting point with the group is set by the guide.
Day 1. Rock climbing.
In the morning, a short briefing will be held and the equipment will be checked. Rental equipment is available if necessary. We will head out to the climbing area within the Chamonix area. We will practice climbing in boots, securing and descending using ropes. We will also learn the basic commands for the route.
Rock climbing, difficulty III/IV.
Day 2. 1-st warm-up climb.
We will meet at the Montenvers train station. From there, we will take the train to the end of the line and hike for about an hour to reach the start of the route. Today, we will be climbing the long ridge of Fretes des Charmoz. It's not too difficult, but it can be a bit nerve-wracking at times. We will learn how to move along the ridge, trust the rope and the guide. The climb will take about 4 hours. Afterward, we will hike back down to the train station and back to Chamonix.
Gain of altitude 1300 m. Drop of 1300 m. 3 hours of hiking and 4 hours of alpinism (difficulty level II/III).
Day 3. 2-nd warm-up climb.
In the morning, we go to the rental shop, get rock climbing shoes, and take the cable car to Brevent. The approach to our route is a 15-minute walk downhill. After yesterday's walks, it's a pleasant break. Today, it's a rock climbing route, the climbing is more challenging than the previous days, but we'll succeed. We'll spend around 3 hours on the ascent. What's even better is that the descent is also by cable car, without the need to wander for hours on trails. In Chamonix, we return unnecessary equipment to the rental shop.
Gain of elevation 200 m. Drop of 200 m. 20 minutes on the trail and 4 hours of rock climbing.
Day 4. 3-е warm-up climb.
In the morning, we take the first cable car to the Aiguille du Midi station, put on our crampons, rope up, and descend along the ridge to the glacier. After a 30-minute walk on the glacier, we approach the route along the Cosmic Ridge. The route is short (takes 3 hours), but very interesting. In case of unsuitable conditions, the guide can change this route to another within a 30-minute approach on the glacier.
In the evening, we meet up and check all the equipment for the Eiger, as the next day we start the ascent.
Elevation gain 200 m. Elevation loss 200 m. 5 hours of mountaineering.
Day 5. Transfer to Grindelwald and approach to Mittellegi hut.
On the first day of climbing the Eiger, we start in the morning from Chamonix by car (or by train). We make our way to the town of Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen. We take a lift and a train to the Eismeer station, which is located in the center of the southern wall of the Eiger. Through a tunnel in the rock, we climb onto the wall and descend onto the glacier. We ascend to the Mittellegi Hut on the glacier and then on the rocks. The hut is located on a narrow ridge. We spend the night in the hut.
Gain in altitude: 400m. 3-4 hours of mountaineering.
Day 6. Ascent.
Eiger, day 2. We start before dawn. The route follows the ridge, which is sometimes challenging due to rocky sections, then there are snow sections and finally the summit. We descend via the south ridge route to the train station and take the train down to Grindelwald. The ascent takes 4-5 hours, and the descent takes roughly the same amount of time. The descent can take longer than the ascent. We return to Chamonix on the same day.
Gain in altitude: 1000 м. 8-12 hours of mountaineering.
Day 7. Extra-day.
If this day is not used for climbing, guests can optionally spend one more day rock climbing or go for an easy trek.
Possible changes
The guide may make changes to the program if required by weather conditions, the guest's physical and psychological condition, up to its cancellation.
Information
Map
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