Dent d'Hérens
4,173 m
Italy, Switzerland
Also known as Dent d’Hérens, დან-დ’ერანი, +1Also known as
Dent d’Hérens · დან-დ’ერანი · Дан-д'Эран
- Elevation
- 4,173 m
- Prominence
- 704 m
- Difficulty
- 6/10
- Alpine climb
- Best Season
- Jul
- Routes
- 2
AdvisoryReported 6 Jul 2026
A rockfall in late July 2025 damaged the lower fixed chain in the gully to the Tiefmatten col, leaving about 15 m unprotected on unstable blocks, and the Valpelline guides advised against the Tiefmatten route. By July 2026 parties were using the chains again (strenuous, on overhanging slabs) and the hut warden was adding footholds; check current status with the hut.
gulliver.it
Routes
2Sources differ: AD- (SummitPost) · Camptocamp: AD, rock 3b, engagement III
The usual summer route from Italy: a crevassed glacier from the remote Rifugio Aosta to the east Tiefmatten col, a loose chained gully, then a fine, exposed rock ridge (II–III), a 40° snow slope and a bolted rock finish to the summit. About 1,400 m from the hut, typically 4–5 hours up.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 15.4 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,332 m
- −141 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 4,173 m
- Time Up
- 9h 58m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 7h 03m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Day one: from the car park at the Place Moulin dam (about 1,970 m) at the head of Valpelline, follow the dirt road along the reservoir to Prarayer (about 1 hour; many parties cycle it), then path 10a up the valley and a moraine to the Rifugio Aosta (2,788 m) in about 3 more hours. The path is graded EEA by the hut and has a short chained section; the old route over cabled slabs is no longer used. Day two (start about 03:00): descend briefly from the hut, climb the moraine onto the Grandes Murailles glacier and go up its right side; a steeper, crevassed section between 3,200 and 3,300 m leads to the upper plateau. Do not take the first col: continue about 300 m to point 3,601 m and the gully below the east Tiefmatten col (Ost Tiefmattenjoch, about 3,572 m), about 2–3 hours from the hut. The 70 m gully is loose and has two fixed chains; wait until parties above have left it. From the col follow the rock ridge on or near its crest (II with moves of III, exposed, a few pegs and slings) to about 3,750 m, where it merges with the snow of the north-west face. Climb the snow slope (up to 40°) near the frontier ridge to about 4,050 m, then rock or mixed ground with large metal stakes every 20 m and a chained belay to the airy final ridge and the summit. Descend the same way, abseiling the mixed section on the stakes, then either downclimb the ridge and the chained gully or use the equipped abseil line on the south side (about seven rappels, 10–30 m) that starts below the second step of the ridge. Early in the season some parties descend the south-west face instead.
Start
Place Moulin1,982 m
- Train to Aosta, bus to Valpelline and Bionaz; there is no regular service to the Place Moulin dam, about 4 km further on.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Place Moulin → Rifugio Aosta | 11.5 | 904 | 100 | 4h 39m |
| 2 | Rifugio Aosta → Dent d'Hérens | 3.9 | 1,428 | 41 | 5h 20m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Place Moulin1,982 m
Car parks at the dam (fee); road ends here
- Waypoint: Prarayer1,992 m
End of the reservoir track; path 10a starts
- Hut: Rifugio Aosta2,785 m
- Col: Ost Tiefmattenjoch3,571 m
Reached by a loose 70 m gully with fixed chains (not on route line)
- Summit: Dent d'Hérens4,173 m
Key Passages
- Crevassed glacier step at 3,200–3,300 m
- Loose chained gully to the east Tiefmatten col
- Tiefmatten rock ridge (II–III, exposed)
- 40° north-west snow slope
- Stake-protected rocks and airy summit ridge
Equipment
0/12 packedDownloads
Route confidence 78%Overview
A 4,173 m pyramid on the Swiss–Italian border 4 km west of the Matterhorn, climbed from the remote Rifugio Aosta at the head of Valpelline. The usual summer route, the Tiefmatten ridge, is an AD mix of crevassed glacier, loose chained gully, exposed rock ridge and a final snow and rock summit.
The Dent d'Hérens rises above the Zmutt glacier on the Swiss side and the Grandes Murailles glacier on the Italian side, overshadowed by its neighbour the Matterhorn. Its 1,300 m north face, above the Tiefmatten glacier, is a classic ice route; the Italian side is the climbers' way up. There is no lift and no village near the start: the only base is the 30-place Rifugio Aosta, about four hours from the Place Moulin dam in Valpelline, which keeps the mountain quiet compared with the Zermatt classics.
The original normal route climbs the south-west face to the upper west ridge (AD-). Glacier retreat has made that line harder and more dangerous in summer, and most parties now use the Tiefmatten ridge (AD): a crevassed glacier to the east Tiefmatten col, a loose 70 m gully with fixed chains, an exposed rock ridge of II–III, a 40° snow slope and a stake-protected rock finish. The south-west face remains a popular spring ski ascent to about 3,770 m.
The summit gives a close view of the west face of the Matterhorn. Expect a long day of about 1,400 m from the hut, varied terrain, and few other parties.
Climbing Notes
You need to be comfortable on crevassed glaciers, on exposed UIAA II–III rock with crampons in your pack or on your feet, and on 40° snow, and able to abseil. With a 4-hour walk to the hut and 4–6 hours from the hut to the summit, plan two days; many parties spend a second night at the hut. A guide is advisable for parties without this experience; the Valpelline guides know current conditions on the chained gully. Acclimatise first, for example on the Tête de Valpelline (3,798 m) from the same hut.
The Rifugio Aosta takes bookings by phone only and payment in cash only. Cycling the 5–6 km dirt road along the reservoir to Prarayer saves about an hour each way. In the access gully, wait until parties above are clear: stonefall there is the most common complaint in recent reports.
History
First climbed on 12 August 1863 by Florence Crauford Grove, William Edward Hall, Reginald Macdonald and Montagu Woodmass with the guides Melchior Anderegg, Jean-Pierre Cachat and Peter Perren, by the Grandes Murailles glacier and the south-west flank. Edward Whymper had turned back a few days earlier because of loose rock and later called it the only Alpine peak he attempted that never fell to him. The Tiefmatten ridge was first descended in 1873 and first climbed in 1879. George Finch climbed the north face in 1923, and Willo Welzenbach climbed a more direct line in 1925.
Season
Best Jul- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Good
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; hut unstaffed
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Ski ascents possible; avalanche risk on the hut approach
- Apr
- Spring ski ascent via the south-west face
- May
- Ski season; hut approach exposed to avalanches after fresh snow
- Jun
- Early summer: glacier well covered
- Jul
- Main season on the Tiefmatten ridge
- Aug
- Glacier opening up; more stonefall in the access gully
- Sep
- Colder, quieter; crevasses open
- Oct
- Hut closed; early snow
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Aosta (CAI Aosta, run by Valconfi): +39 0165 730006 (hut) or WhatsApp +39 345 8322077 (warden).
- Fees
- Place Moulin dam car park: about EUR 5 per day (2026 report)
- Rules
- Rifugio Aosta: telephone bookings only and cash payment only; cancellation is expected; groups over 10 pay a EUR 10 per person deposit
- The hut path from Prarayer is graded EEA (experienced hikers with equipment) and has a short chained section
- Getting There
Bionaz (Valpelline); Aosta
Turin (TRN), Geneva (GVA) or Milan Malpensa (MXP)
- By car: from the Aosta-Est motorway exit towards the Great St Bernard tunnel, then the regional road through Valpelline to Bionaz and the Place Moulin dam (about 30 km), with two car parks
- By public transport: train to Aosta, bus to Bionaz; no regular service for the last 4 km to the dam
- Hut approach: 1 hour on the reservoir track to Prarayer (or about 25 minutes by bike), then 3 hours on path 10a to the Rifugio Aosta
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Altitude
- Exposure
- Remoteness
- Avalanche
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,788 m
Rifugio AostaRefugeStaffedBooking required
30 beds · Staffed in spring and summer (exact dates not published); winter room with about 14 places