Altmann
2,435 m
Switzerland
Also known as ალტმანიAlso known as
ალტმანი
- Elevation
- 2,435 m
- Prominence
- 316 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Lift closedReported 1 May 2026
The Säntis cable car (Schwägalp–Säntis) is closed from 1 May until late autumn 2026 while it is replaced; the summit restaurant is also closed. Traverses from the Altmann over the Rotsteinpass and Lisengrat to the Säntis must descend on foot. Official reopening is planned for spring 2027.
saentisbahn.ch
Routes
1Sources differ: F (Camptocamp (route 307770, 'F/T5')) · T4 (bergwelt.me tags the tour T3–T4; some hikers rate the summit scramble T4)
The usual way up the Alpstein's second-highest peak: a marked mountain path from the Gamplüt gondola past Alp Tesel, Chreialp and the Zwinglipasshütte to the Altmannsattel (2,368 m), then an unmarked, polished limestone scramble (II, a few iron pegs) with an exposed ridge from the fore-summit to the cross.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 9.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,243 m
- −161 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,435 m
- Time Up
- 5h 38m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 11m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the top of the Gamplüt gondola above Wildhaus (1,357 m), a nearly level path along the flank of the Schafberg leads to Alp Tesel, then climbs steeply via Chreialp to the Zwinglipasshütte (1,999 m) at the foot of the Altmann's south face; allow 2–3 hours (SAC: 3 hours, T2, from Wildhaus or Gamplüt). The Zwinglipass is five minutes beyond the hut. From the pass a red-and-white path crosses the karst plateau via Fleckli to the Altmannsattel (2,368 m), where the routes from the Rotsteinpass and the Fählensee also arrive. The summit climb from the saddle is unmarked. It goes fairly directly up the slope above the col, with easy climbing to grade II on worn, polished limestone; iron pegs help at the awkward spots. From the fore-summit an exposed crest, with one polished section that some people take astride, leads across a small notch to the summit cross and summit book. Loose stones are common in the lower part, so keep distance from parties above. A round trip from the saddle takes up to about 2 hours. Descend the same way to the Altmannsattel and back via the Zwinglipass, or continue down the cabled Fliswand to the Berggasthaus Rotsteinpass. The rock is treacherous when wet, and snow often lingers in the gullies in early summer.
Start
Gamplüt1,353 m
- Wildhaus–Gamplüt gondola (Gamplütbahn)
- Train to Buchs SG or Wattwil, bus to Wildhaus; short walk to the Gamplüt gondola valley station at Lisighaus
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gamplüt → Altmann | 9.3 | 1,243 | 161 | 5h 38m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Gamplüt1,353 m
- Feature: Chreialp2,097 m
- Hut: Zwinglipasshütte2,000 m
- Col: Zwinglipass2,011 m
- Col: Altmannsattel2,369 m
- Summit: Altmann2,435 m
Key Passages
- Unmarked scramble above the Altmannsattel (II, iron pegs)
- Exposed, polished crest from the fore-summit to the summit
- Small notch just below the summit cross
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The second-highest summit of the Alpstein (2,435 m), a grey limestone tower on the Appenzell–St. Gallen border. A marked path reaches the Altmannsattel; the last 70 m are an unmarked, exposed scramble to grade II on polished rock.
The Altmann rises in the heart of the Alpstein, the compact limestone massif of the Appenzell Alps, on the border between Appenzell Innerrhoden and the St. Gallen commune of Wildhaus-Alt St. Johann. Only the Säntis, about 70 m higher and 3 km to the north-west, is taller, and because the Altmann has no buildings on top its summit view is wider and quieter: Lake Constance, the Rhine valley, the Vorarlberg and Graubünden Alps, the Glarus Alps and, on clear days, the Bernese Alps.
For walkers, the attraction is a long day on the marked paths of the Alpstein, from Wildhaus via the Zwinglipass or from the Rotsteinpass, with the summit as a short but serious detour from the Altmannsattel. The final climb is unmarked and polished by traffic, with iron pegs at the trickiest spots and an exposed crest before the cross; it is the line between a demanding hike and a scramble. For climbers, the Altmann is a classic crag, with the east ridge, the Schaffhauser chimney, the south chimney and the west edge among the most popular routes.
Ibex and ptarmigan live around the summit. The name is usually read as 'old man', after the grey rock walls.
Climbing Notes
Fit hikers with sure feet and a head for heights who have scrambled before can manage the normal route; everyone else should stop at the Altmannsattel, which is already a fine viewpoint. A helmet is worthwhile because of loose stones in the lower part of the scramble and parties above. Avoid it when wet or snowy: the polished limestone becomes treacherous, and old snow often lingers in gullies until early summer.
As a day trip, take the Gamplüt gondola from Wildhaus and walk via Alp Tesel and Chreialp to the Zwinglipass (2–3 hours), then on to the saddle and the summit; allow 7–8 hours for the round trip. For a more relaxed plan, stay at the Zwinglipasshütte or the Berggasthaus Rotsteinpass, which also allows a traverse over the cabled Fliswand towards the Säntis. Afternoon thunderstorms and fog are common in the Alpstein in summer, so start early.
History
The first recorded ascent is credited to Carl Friedrich Fröhlich with Huber and Looser in July 1825, though hunters and herders may have been up earlier. Climbing in the south face began in the chimneys and later moved to the west and east ridges; in the 1980s many new routes up to grade VIII were put up on the south face.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; Zwinglipasshütte unstaffed (winter room only)
- Feb
- Winter; ski tours towards the Altmann's north top from the Zwinglipass only for experienced parties
- Mar
- Winter conditions
- Apr
- Snow on the upper paths; hut unstaffed
- May
- Hut staffed at weekends from May; old snow in gullies
- Jun
- Snow patches possible in early June
- Jul
- Hut staffed daily during summer holidays; thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season
- Sep
- Often stable weather
- Oct
- Hut staffed until the end of the autumn holidays; early snow makes the polished rock dangerous
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Reservation is essential at the Zwinglipasshütte (SAC Toggenburg): online via sac-toggenburg.ch/alpsonline.org, by phone (+41 71 565 36 21) or email; the winter-room access code is issued by the reservation office. The Berggasthaus Rotsteinpass takes bookings directly.
- Fees
- Gamplüt gondola fare (paid at the top station)
- Zwinglipasshütte overnight fees, with discounts for SAC and reciprocal alpine club members; a small wood fee applies in the winter room
- Rules
- The summit route above the Altmannsattel is unmarked and not maintained; the access paths are official marked mountain trails
- Getting There
Wildhaus
Zurich (ZRH); St. Gallen–Altenrhein (ACH) is closer but has few flights
- Train to Buchs SG or Nesslau/Wattwil, then bus to Wildhaus; Gamplüt gondola from Lisighaus, about 5 minutes from the village
- By car to Wildhaus (parking at the Gamplüt valley station)
- From the Appenzell side: train to Wasserauen, then via Seealpsee and Meglisalp to the Rotsteinpass (3½–4 hours) and over the Fliswand to the Altmannsattel
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
2- 1,999 m
ZwinglipasshütteHutStaffedBooking required
42 beds · Staffed at weekends from May to the start of the summer school holidays, then daily until the end of the autumn holidays; winter room (8 places) open all year
- 2,120 m
Berggasthaus RotsteinpassHotelStaffed