Ludwigshöhe
4,341 m
Italy, Switzerland
Also known as ლუდვიგსჰეე, ЛюдвигсхёэAlso known as
ლუდვიგსჰეე · Людвигсхёэ
- Elevation
- 4,341 m
- Prominence
- 57 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: PD (Camptocamp (as part of the Gnifetti-hut traverse with Schwarzhorn and Parrotspitze))
One of the easiest 4,000 m summits in the Alps: from the Indren lift and the Gnifetti hut up the crevassed Lys Glacier, past the Balmenhorn, to the Zurbriggenjoch and a short 30° snow slope and ridge to the top. About 700 m of ascent from the hut; usually combined with the Schwarzhorn, Balmenhorn or Pyramide Vincent.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 5.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,110 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 4,341 m
- Time Up
- 4h 24m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 58m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Day one: from Staffal (Gressoney) or Alagna, lifts via Passo dei Salati reach Punta Indren (3,275 m). Cross the lower Indren glacier (usually a deep trench of a track), climb a rock band with fixed ropes above the Rifugio Città di Mantova (3,498 m), then cross the Garstelet glacier to the Capanna Gnifetti (3,647 m); the last 50 m have fixed ropes and steps. Allow about 1½ hours from Indren. Day two: leave the hut around 04:00, roped. Head north up the Lys Glacier below the south-west face of the Pyramide Vincent; the section above the hut is heavily crevassed and bridges are often hidden in early summer. After a level section and a steeper rise, leave the track to the Lisjoch at the Balmenhorn basin, pass the Balmenhorn rock (with the Bivacco Felice Giordano and the Cristo delle Vette statue) and turn right to the Zurbriggenjoch (4,272 m) between the Schwarzhorn and the Ludwigshöhe. A short south-facing snow slope of about 30° and the gentle north-west ridge lead to the summit, 2–3 hours from the hut. Descend the same way (1½–2 hours to the hut). Fit, acclimatised parties do it in one day from the first Indren lift, but must be back before the last cable car in the afternoon. The summit is the tripoint of Valais, Aosta Valley and Piedmont; the east side drops about 700 m into the Valsesia, so keep away from the edge in poor visibility.
Start
Punta Indren3,269 m
- Staffal–Gabiet–Passo dei Salati gondolas and Passo dei Salati–Punta Indren funifor (summer 2026: 30 May – 23 August for the Staffal lifts, Indren until 13 September)
- Train to Pont-Saint-Martin, then bus up the Gressoney valley to Staffal; or train to Varallo and bus to Alagna Valsesia. Lifts from Staffal (via Gabiet) or Alagna to Passo dei Salati and Punta Indren.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punta Indren → Capanna Gnifetti | 2.2 | 363 | 18 | 1h 31m |
| 2 | Capanna Gnifetti → Ludwigshöhe | 2.8 | 747 | 20 | 2h 53m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Punta Indren3,269 m
Top station of the Passo dei Salati – Punta Indren funifor
- Hut: Rifugio Città di Mantova3,448 m
- Hut: Capanna Gnifetti3,616 m
- Bivouac: Bivacco Felice Giordano4,177 m
On the Balmenhorn; route passes just below it
- Col: Zurbriggenjoch4,283 m
- Summit: Ludwigshöhe4,341 m
Key Passages
- Fixed ropes on the rock band between Indren and the Mantova/Gnifetti huts
- Crevassed Lys Glacier above the Gnifetti hut
- Zurbriggenjoch
- Final 30° snow slope and NW ridge
Equipment
0/11 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
A 4,341 m snow summit on the Monte Rosa watershed where Valais, Aosta Valley and Piedmont meet. From the Gnifetti hut it is a straightforward F-grade glacier climb of about 700 m, which makes it one of the most accessible 4,000 m peaks in the Alps.
The Ludwigshöhe is one of the small summits on the south side of Monte Rosa, between the Parrotspitze to the north and the Schwarzhorn (Corno Nero) to the south. With only about 57 m of prominence it barely rises above the Lisjoch plateau, but it is on the UIAA list of 4,000 m peaks and is the southernmost 4,000 m summit in Switzerland. Its west side is a gentle snow slope above the Lys Glacier; its east side falls about 700 m to the Piode glacier and the Valsesia.
The normal route starts from the Punta Indren lift (3,275 m) above Gressoney and Alagna, so climbers can reach 4,000 m with relatively little walking. That convenience is also the main trap: people arrive at 3,600 m unacclimatised and then cross a heavily crevassed glacier at over 4,000 m. The climbing itself is short and easy — a 30° snow slope from the Zurbriggenjoch — and it is often linked in one day with the Balmenhorn, Schwarzhorn, Pyramide Vincent or Parrotspitze.
Expect a busy track in July and August, cold pre-dawn starts, and rapid changes in the weather on the broad Lys Glacier, where navigation in cloud is difficult.
Climbing Notes
You need basic glacier skills: roped travel, crampon technique on 30° snow and crevasse rescue. Fitness for 1,000 m of ascent at 3,300–4,300 m is enough, but acclimatisation is the limiting factor: spend a night at the Gnifetti or Mantova hut (or higher on the Monte Rosa huts) before going above 4,000 m, rather than climbing straight from the lift. Guides in Gressoney and Alagna regularly lead it as a first 4,000 m peak.
A typical itinerary is a first lift to Punta Indren and walk to the Gnifetti hut (about 1½ hours), a 04:00 start the next morning, summit in 2–3 hours, and back to the lift in the early afternoon. Combining several summits (Pyramide Vincent, Balmenhorn, Schwarzhorn, Ludwigshöhe) takes 6–7 hours from the hut. Check the lift calendar: in 2026 the Staffal lifts stopped on 23 August while the Indren funifor ran until 13 September.
History
The first ascent was made on 25 August 1822 by the Austrian military surveyor Ludwig von Welden and companions, who climbed it for surveying purposes. The peak was later named after him, although some sources say Welden named it after Saint Louis (Louis IX of France), whose feast day is 25 August.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; lifts serve the ski area only and the huts are closed
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Ski-mountaineering season begins; Gnifetti hut opens for spring in some years
- Apr
- Ski-mountaineering ascents from the Gnifetti hut
- May
- Late ski season; summer lifts from late May
- Jun
- Huts open; crevasses often hidden under snow bridges
- Jul
- Main season
- Aug
- Main season; Staffal lifts close in late August
- Sep
- Huts and Indren lift close in mid-September; open crevasses
- Oct
- No lifts or staffed huts
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Capanna Gnifetti: online at booking.rifugimonterosa.it, +39 348 1415490 or info@rifugimonterosa.it. Rifugio Città di Mantova: booking.rifugiomantova.it, +39 351 459 4158 or info@rifugiomantova.it.
- Fees
- Lift ticket Staffal or Alagna to Punta Indren
- Hut fees at the Capanna Gnifetti or Rifugio Città di Mantova (half board)
- Rules
- The Bivacco Felice Giordano on the Balmenhorn is unstaffed and recommended mainly as an emergency shelter
- Getting There
Gressoney-La-Trinité (Staffal), Aosta Valley; Alagna Valsesia, Piedmont
Turin (TRN) or Milan Malpensa (MXP)
- Train to Pont-Saint-Martin, then bus up the Gressoney valley to Staffal (about 1 h 10 min)
- Car: A5 Turin–Aosta motorway, exit Pont-Saint-Martin, road to Gressoney-La-Trinité and Staffal (car park at the lift station)
- From Piedmont: A26 to Romagnano Sesia, road via Varallo to Alagna Valsesia
- Lifts from Staffal via Gabiet, or from Alagna, to Passo dei Salati, then the funifor to Punta Indren (3,275 m)
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Altitude
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
3- 3,498 m
- 3,647 m
Capanna GnifettiRefugeStaffed
176 beds · Summer (roughly June to mid-September, tied to the lift season) and spring ski-touring season; 4-place winter room
- 4,167 m
Bivacco Felice GiordanoBivouacUnstaffed
6 beds · Year-round, unstaffed; mainly for emergencies