Blüemlisalp
3,660 m
Switzerland
Also known as Blüemlisalphorn, BlümlisalpAlso known as
Blüemlisalphorn · Blümlisalp
- Elevation
- 3,660 m
- Prominence
- 881 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: ZS- (AD-) (SAC route portal; SAC guides 2011 and 2013) · AD- (SAC Alpes bernoises (2002)) · PD (Camptocamp (PD if the rock is dry; up to III, engagement III))
The normal route on the Blüemlisalphorn, the highest of the three Blüemlisalp summits: from the busy Blüemlisalphütte above Kandersteg, a short abseil, a crevassed glacier and a steep 40° snow or ice slope to the Rothornsattel, then slabby rock and snow on the north-west ridge protected by cemented iron bars. Moderate technically, but not to be underestimated when icy.
About 32% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 6 check notes
- danger scan: Blüemlisalphütte → Rothornsattel: DEM line 648 m off the straight axis
- ascent 2331 m vs net gain 1977 m (+18%)
- Blüemlisalphütte → Ufem Stock: glacier (snap_failed, 1.2 km)
- Ufem Stock → Rothornsattel: glacier (snap_failed, 1.7 km)
- Rothornsattel → Blüemlisalphorn: dem (snap_failed, 0.9 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Oeschinensee, Oberbärgli
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 11.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,331 m
- −354 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,660 m
- Time Up
- 9h 56m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 7h 17m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Day 1: from the Oeschinen gondola top station above Kandersteg walk down to the Oeschinensee and climb by the Oberbärgli alp and the old Blüemlisalp moraine to the Hohtürli pass (2,778 m) and the Blüemlisalphütte (2,834–2,840 m) just above it, about 3.5–4 hours (5.5 hours from Kandersteg on foot). Day 2: go round the Ufem Stock on its east side and cross the saddle between it and the Wyssi Frau, where a short 10 m abseil (anchors and bars for parallel lines) leads down about 100 m to the Blüemlisalpgletscher (big crevasse at the bottom). Cross the glacier south-west and climb a steep snow slope of about 100–150 m at 40° to the Rothornsattel (3,178 m); if it is icy, use the rocks on the right, where there is a thick fixed rope and two belay stations. Beware of stonefall here. From the saddle follow the north-west ridge: first snow or rock, then about 200 m of mixed or rocky ground with slabby, not very solid rock (grade II, moves to III if off-line), with cemented iron bars every 25–30 m, then about 200 m of snow to the summit. SAC gives 3–4.5 hours and 970 m from the hut. Descend the same way (2–3 hours), using gullies on the right for quicker down-climbing, or turn the Ufem Stock on the west side across the glacier. In late summer the crevasse zone around 3,000–3,100 m can become impassable; with fresh snow or verglas on the slabs the route turns serious.
Start
Oeschinen (Bergstation)1,683 m
- Kandersteg – Oeschinen gondola
- Train to Kandersteg, walk about 15 minutes to the Oeschinensee gondola.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oeschinen (Bergstation) → Blüemlisalphütte | 7.9 | 1,330 | 182 | 5h 47m |
| 2 | Blüemlisalphütte → Blüemlisalphorn | 3.7 | 997 | 172 | 4h 08m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Oeschinen (Bergstation)1,683 m
- Col: Hohtürli2,769 m
- Hut: Blüemlisalphütte2,834 m
- Feature: Ufem Stock3,045 m
Turned on the east side; short abseil from the saddle to the glacier
- Col: Rothornsattel3,211 m
- Summit: Blüemlisalphorn3,660 m
Key Passages
- 10 m abseil from the Ufem Stock saddle
- Big crevasse at the foot of the descent onto the Blüemlisalpgletscher
- 40° snow or ice slope (fixed rope on the rocks) to the Rothornsattel
- Slabby grade II rock with cemented iron bars on the NW ridge
- Upper snow ridge to the summit
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 78%Overview
The Blüemlisalp is the glaciated three-summit massif above the Oeschinensee and Kandersteg; its highest point, the Blüemlisalphorn (about 3,660 m), is climbed from the Blüemlisalphütte by the north-west ridge, a short but serious AD- mix of steep snow and slabby rock.
Seen from the Bernese lowlands and Lake Thun, the white wall of the Blüemlisalp is one of the best-known silhouettes of the Bernese Alps. The name usually covers the whole massif: the Blüemlisalphorn in the west, the Wyssi Frau (3,650 m) in the middle and the Morgenhorn (3,623–3,627 m) in the east, with the Oeschinensee, a UNESCO World Heritage lake, at their feet.
The Blüemlisalphütte on the Hohtürli pass, on the Via Alpina between Kandersteg and the Kiental, puts all three summits within a morning's reach, and they are climbed often. The normal route on the Blüemlisalphorn crosses the Blüemlisalpgletscher to the Rothornsattel and follows the north-west ridge, graded ZS- (AD-) by the SAC: a short abseil, a 40° slope that may be ice, and slabby, often loose rock protected by cemented bars. The SAC stresses that these routes must not be underestimated: with bare ice or fresh snow even the normal routes become serious. The north face (D) is a classic snow and ice climb, and the traverse of all three summits (AD+) is a fine outing.
The glaciers have shrunk markedly; late in dry summers the crevasse zone below the Rothornsattel can become impassable.
Climbing Notes
Suitable for climbers with glacier experience who are comfortable on 40° snow or ice and on exposed, slabby grade II rock in crampons. Plan two days: walk up to the Blüemlisalphütte (about 3.5–4 hours from the Oeschinen gondola, 5.5 hours from Kandersteg), climb the next morning (3–4.5 hours up, 2–3 hours back to the hut) and descend to Kandersteg. Start early to avoid stonefall and soft snow below the Rothornsattel. The hut is busy in summer; book early. Avoid the route after fresh snow or when the slabs are iced. Bernese Oberland guides regularly lead it.
History
Leslie Stephen, Robert Liveing and James Kent Stone with Melchior Anderegg, Fritz Ogi and Pierre Simond made the first ascent of the Blüemlisalphorn on 27 August 1860. The first female ascent, by Margaret Claudia (Meta) Brevoort with W. A. B. Coolidge and the guides Christian Almer and Peter Roth, followed on 18 July 1868.
Season
Best Jul- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; hut closed (winter room open)
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Ski tours to the Blüemlisalphütte area for experienced ski-mountaineers
- Apr
- Spring ski tours; ridge descent to the Rothornsattel
- May
- Spring conditions; hut unstaffed
- Jun
- Hut staffed from mid-June; good snow on the slope
- Jul
- Main season
- Aug
- Crevasse zone at 3,000–3,100 m may become difficult in dry summers
- Sep
- Stable weather; icy slope and open crevasses possible
- Oct
- Hut staffed until mid-October depending on weather
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Blüemlisalphütte SAC (Section Blüemlisalp): online booking via the hut reservation system; +41 33 676 14 37, info@bluemlisalphuette.com.
- Fees
- Kandersteg – Oeschinen gondola
- Rules
- Oeschinensee area lies in the UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch area
- Getting There
Kandersteg
Bern (BRN); Zurich (ZRH) or Geneva (GVA) by train
- Train to Kandersteg on the Lötschberg line, walk about 15 minutes to the Oeschinen gondola
- From the Kiental: bus to Griesalp and up via the Hohtürli (long, steep path)
- By car: parking at the Oeschinen gondola valley station in Kandersteg
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,840 m
BlüemlisalphütteHutStaffedBooking required
100 beds · Staffed mid-June to mid-October depending on weather; winter room with 16 places