Hausstock
3,158 m
Switzerland
- Elevation
- 3,158 m
- Prominence
- 655 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Aug–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Hut closedReported 7 Oct 2026
The La Sportiva Basecamp Panixerpass tent camp (bookable overnight option on the pass since 2024) is closed until further notice to protect the sensitive natural environment, according to its website (checked October 2026). The unstaffed cantonal shelter remains the only accommodation on the pass.
basecamp-panixerpass.ch
Routes
1Sources differ: WS, 3b (SAC route portal) · II+ (hikr.org (alpinos, 2012)) · T5- (hikr.org (2013 traverse report))
The SAC normal route: a long walk from Wichlen above Elm over the Panixerpass (2,404 m), across the stony Mer Sura basin to the foot of the east ridge, then scree, rock steps and short scrambling pitches along the ridge, equipped with iron stakes for belaying since 2011. About 1,860 m of ascent; 6–7 hours up.
About 41% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 4 check notes
- danger scan: Panixerpasshütte → Glatscher da Mer: DEM line 823 m off the straight axis
- DIN time down 6.32 h vs published 3.5 h (+81%)
- Panixerpasshütte → Glatscher da Mer: dem (snap_failed, 3.9 km)
- Glatscher da Mer → Hausstock: dem (snap_failed, 0.6 km)
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 10.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,094 m
- −232 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,158 m
- Time Up
- 8h 48m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 6h 19m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at Walenbrugg in the Wichlen area (1,291 m), 10 minutes beyond the Elm, Büelstafel bus stop. The marked Panixerpass trail crosses the Wichlen military training ground, climbs the Jetzbach valley past Ober Stafel and Walenboden and the Häxenseeli (2,224 m) to the Panixerpass (2,404 m) and its unstaffed cantonal shelter, about 3 hours. From the pass descend a little on the Graubünden side to the flat ground of the Mer Sura, then follow the streams and later low hummocks (occasional cairns) up to the moraine of the small Glatscher da Mer. Cross the scree to the lowest point of the east ridge. Since 2011 the ridge carries iron stakes placed by the Glarus mountain guides' association for belaying; they do not change the difficulty, but allow the ridge to be followed in full without setting foot on the glacier. The ridge is mostly scree and rock steps with a few short pitches of II–III (one near-vertical step of about 2.5 m), a short snow crest early in the season, and a loose gully onto the summit block; near the top keep slightly to the south side. Panixerpass to summit is 3–4 hours. Descend the same way (3–4 hours to Wichlen). A night in the Panixerpass shelter splits the tour into two roughly equal halves. Experienced parties also traverse the mountain from the Muttsee hut over the Ruchi and the Drahtseilfurggeli (WS) and descend the east ridge.
Start
Walenbrugg1,295 m
- Train to Schwanden GL, bus to Elm; in the summer half of the year the Sernftal bus continues to Elm, Büelstafel, 10 minutes from the start at Walenbrugg.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walenbrugg → Hausstock | 10.9 | 2,094 | 232 | 8h 48m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Walenbrugg1,295 m
Start at Wichlen; 800 m from the Elm, Büelstafel bus stop
- Feature: Häxenseeli2,216 m
- Col: Panixerpass2,405 m
- Hut: Panixerpasshütte2,406 m
- Feature: Glatscher da Mer2,853 m
Glacier centroid; the route reaches the moraine and the lowest point of the east ridge, then follows the ridge
- Summit: Hausstock3,158 m
Key Passages
- Panixerpass (2,404 m)
- Pathless Mer Sura basin to the Glatscher da Mer moraine
- East ridge with iron belay stakes
- Short rock step of about II+–III on the ridge
- Loose gully onto the summit block
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The highest peak between the Bifertenstock and the Ringelspitz on the Glarus–Graubünden divide, and the house mountain of Elm. The normal route is a long day over the Panixerpass and up a scree-and-rock east ridge equipped with iron belay stakes.
The Hausstock (3,158 m) stands on the main crest of the Glarus Alps, a few metres south of the cantonal border in Graubünden. To the north it sends out the ridge that separates the Glarus Grosstal from the Sernftal; its neighbours are the Ruchi to the south-west, the Mättlenstöcke to the north, the Chalchhorn to the east and Piz Fluaz to the south-east. It overlooks Elm, Linthal and Pigniu in the Vorderrhein valley.
The mountain lies within the Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Glarus thrust, where 250–300 million-year-old Verrucano rock lies on top of much younger limestone and flysch, is visible on its flanks. Under the summit the Glatscher da Mer is now a small, shrinking glacier.
In summer the normal route from Elm is mostly a long, quiet walk over the Panixerpass and through the stony Mer Sura basin, finished by a straightforward but loose east ridge with a few short scrambling steps. It needs fitness more than technique: about 1,860 m of ascent and 10 hours or so for the round trip. In winter and spring the Hausstock is a well-known ski tour from Elm.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for a 9–10 hour day with about 1,900 m of ascent and descent is the main requirement, or split the tour with a night in the unstaffed Panixerpass shelter. Expect T3 walking to the pass, pathless scree and moraine afterwards, and easy but loose scrambling on the east ridge (short steps of II–III). A helmet is advisable; a short rope and a few slings let a confident leader belay others from the iron stakes. Crampons and an ice axe are useful in early summer or after snowfall, but in a dry late summer the route is close to a hard mountain walk.
The classic traverse for experienced alpinists goes from the Muttsee hut over the Ruchi and the Drahtseilfurggeli and descends the east ridge to Elm. Mountain guides in Glarus offer the tour over two days.
History
In October 1799 the Russian army under General Alexander Suvorov withdrew from Glarus over the Panixerpass, at the foot of the Hausstock, losing many men and animals in early snow. The mountain was already a known destination for British and American climbers in the 19th century. In summer 2011 the Glarus mountain guides' association equipped the east ridge with iron stakes for belaying.
Season
Best Aug–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Good
- May: Possible
- June: Possible
- July: Good
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Ski tour from Elm for experienced ski-mountaineers; check avalanche bulletin
- Feb
- Ski tour season
- Mar
- Popular ski tour via Panixerpass and Glatscher da Mer
- Apr
- Spring ski touring
- May
- Late ski tours; awkward mixed snow on foot
- Jun
- Snow lingers on the east flank and ridge; crampons needed
- Jul
- Summer season; seasonal bus to Büelstafel runs
- Aug
- East flank usually free of snow
- Sep
- Often the best conditions; quiet
- Oct
- Possible until the first snow; short days
- Nov
- Early winter; little snow for skiing
- Dec
- Ski tour once enough snow has fallen
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- The Panixerpasshütte (2,407 m) is an always-open, unstaffed shelter maintained by the Canton of Glarus with cooking facilities and bunks; it cannot be booked. The tented La Sportiva Basecamp Panixerpass (staffed, bookable, from 2024) was closed until further notice when checked in October 2026.
- Rules
- The approach crosses the Wichlen military training ground; check Swiss Armed Forces firing notices for the Elm area before going
- Wild camping on the Panixerpass is not permitted
- No reservations are possible at the Panixerpass shelter; it can be full at weekends and in holidays and groups are discouraged
- Getting There
Elm (Glarus Süd)
Zurich Airport (ZRH)
- Train to Schwanden GL, then bus up the Sernftal to Elm
- In the summer half of the year a bus runs from Elm to Elm, Büelstafel; the start at Walenbrugg is 800 m beyond
- By car: drive to Elm and up to Wichlen/Walenbrugg; parking is limited
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Glacier
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,407 m