Gross Schärhorn
3,294 m
Switzerland
Also known as Schärhorn, შერჰორნი, +1Also known as
Schärhorn · შერჰორნი · Gross-Schärhorn
- Elevation
- 3,294 m
- Prominence
- 514 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: PD+ (gipfelbuch.ch (WS+, Griessfirn ascent variant))
A long one-day glacier tour from the Klausenpass road (1,948 m): up the Iswändli to the Chammlijoch, across the crevassed Hüfifirn around the Chammlihoren to the Chammlilücke, then cairned scree on the north flank to the east ridge and an easy block ridge (I–II) to the summit. About 1,400–1,600 m of ascent; the SAC normal route starts from the Planurahütte.
About 100% 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
- 100% approximate geometry
- Klausenpass → South tip of the Chammlihoren: glacier (snap_failed, 4.5 km)
- South tip of the Chammlihoren → Chammlilücke: glacier (snap_failed, 0.7 km)
- Chammlilücke → Gross Schärhorn: glacier (snap_failed, 1.2 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Iswändli, East ridge shoulder
- waypoints not on the route line: Chammlijoch (229 m off the trail)
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 6.4 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,541 m
- −199 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,294 m
- Time Up
- 6h 20m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 32m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the top of the Klausenpass follow faint paths south to the Tierälpligrat and stepped terrain, marked with paint and cairns, to the foot of the Iswändli (about 2,860 m), a short glacier step that has become much less steep as the ice has retreated. Above it, cross the crevassed glacier plateau to the Chammlijoch (about 3,000–3,030 m), about 2½ hours from the pass. From the Chammlijoch head south down the edge of the Hüfifirn and round the south tip of the Chammlihoren (crevasses), then traverse to just below the Chammlilücke (about 2,830–2,850 m), the col between the Chammliberg and the Schärhorn. This is also where the SAC normal route from the Planurahütte (2,947 m) arrives across the upper Hüfifirn (3–4 hours, 450 m from the hut). Leave the glacier for the east side of the north flank, where cairns and path traces climb rocky scree west of point 2941 to the snowy shoulder of the east ridge; finding the way from ice to rock can be awkward late in the season. Follow the shoulder, traverse briefly on the south flank and climb the broad back of the mountain over snow and scree to a final easy block ridge (I, one move of II) to the summit. Descend the same way, with a tiring counter-climb back up to the Chammlijoch. A shorter but more serious ascent climbs the Griessfirn moraine from the Chammlialp directly to the Chammlilücke up a 40° slope that is often bare ice and under constant rockfall from the Chammliberg (WS+).
Start
Klausenpass1,949 m
- Seasonal PostBus Altdorf–Klausenpass–Linthal to Klausen Passhöhe (summer only).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Klausenpass → Gross Schärhorn | 6.4 | 1,541 | 199 | 6h 20m |
Waypoints
- Station: Klausenpass1,949 m
- Col: Chammlijoch3,006 m
not on route line
- Feature: South tip of the Chammlihoren2,891 m
Crevasses when rounding the spur
- Col: Chammlilücke2,829 m
- Summit: Gross Schärhorn3,294 m
Key Passages
- Iswändli glacier step
- Crevassed Hüfifirn around the Chammlihoren
- Ice-to-rock transition below the north flank
- Easy block ridge to the summit (I–II)
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 55%Overview
A 3,294 m double summit above the head of the Schächental and the Hüfifirn in the Glarus Alps, its twin tops shaped like an open pair of scissors. The normal route is a PD glacier tour to the east ridge, done in a long day from the Klausenpass or from the Planurahütte.
The Gross Schärhorn and its slightly lower western twin, the Chli Schärhorn (3,234 m), form the landmark double peak at the head of the Schächental, west of the Clariden and north-west of the Tödi. To the south lies the Hüfifirn, one of the larger glaciers of the Glarus Alps, draining into the Maderanertal; to the north the steep slopes drop towards the Klausenpass road.
All the easier routes reach the summit through the Chammlilücke, the col north-east of the peak, and finish up the east ridge over scree and easy blocks. The usual approaches are from the Planurahütte across the upper Hüfifirn, or in a long day from the Klausenpass, either over the Iswändli and Chammlijoch or more directly up the Griessfirn moraine, which is exposed to rockfall from the Chammliberg.
Glacier retreat has changed the mountain: the Iswändli is no longer the steep ice field it once was, but the ice-to-rock transitions at the Chammlilücke and below the north flank have become looser and harder to find. The ridge is notorious for strong föhn winds.
Climbing Notes
For parties with basic glacier experience and good fitness: from the Klausenpass expect 1,400–1,600 m of ascent and a 9–10 hour day including the counter-climb back to the Chammlijoch. Skills needed are roped glacier travel with crevasse rescue, crampon use on short steep slopes, and easy scrambling on loose rock (I–II). Splitting the trip with a night at the Planurahütte shortens the summit day to about 3–4 hours each way; the hut is reached from the Klausenpass over the Iswändli or from Alp Hinter Sand above Linthal (T3+, 5½ hours).
Start early: snow bridges on the Hüfifirn soften quickly, and late in the summer crevasses open around the Chammlihoren and stonefall increases at the Chammlilücke. Check recent condition reports before going, and turn back in strong föhn.
History
First climbed on 9 August 1842 by Jost Gisler, Georg Hoffmann and Peter Leonz Imholz. The mountain was the target of the first official excursion area of the Swiss Alpine Club, founded in 1863: on 12 August 1863 Leonhard Fininger climbed it with the guides Josef Maria Tresch-Exer and Ambrosius Z'graggen by the partly icy south-east flank, finding a bottle and note left by Hoffmann on the first ascent. The day after, Eugène Rambert climbed the neighbouring Clariden, reportedly believing it to be the Schärhorn.
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; Klausenpass road closed
- Feb
- Winter; Klausenpass road closed
- Mar
- Ski tours from the Glarus side or via huts
- Apr
- Spring ski tours
- May
- Spring ski tours once the pass road opens
- Jun
- Good snow cover on the glaciers; pass road usually open
- Jul
- Best summer conditions
- Aug
- Crevasses open; more rockfall at the Chammlilücke
- Sep
- Stable weather but icy slopes and open crevasses
- Oct
- Early snow; pass road may close
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Planurahütte SAC (2,947 m): book via the hut (+41 41 885 16 65, planurahuette.ch).
- Rules
- Klausenpass road and PostBus are seasonal (closed in winter)
- Getting There
Altdorf (Uri); Linthal (Glarus)
Zurich (ZRH)
- Train to Flüelen/Altdorf or Linthal, then the seasonal PostBus over the Klausenpass to Klausen Passhöhe
- Planurahütte from the Glarus side: train to Linthal and alpine taxi to Alp Hinter Sand (book early), then 5½ hours on foot
- By car: Klausenpass road (summer only); parking at the pass
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,947 m
PlanurahütteHutStaffedBooking required