Piz Segnas
3,098 m
Switzerland
- Elevation
- 3,098 m
- Prominence
- 607 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: T5 (Camptocamp; guidebook grade quoted in hikr.org reports (T4 in midsummer once the snow has gone)) · WS (PD) from Elm via the Segnespass (gipfelbuch.ch)
The present-day normal route: the Tschinglen cable car from Elm, a steep marked path to the Segnespass (2,627 m) on the Glarus–Graubünden border, then an unmarked, cairned scree and slab flank to the rubble dome of the summit. Easy alpine terrain of about T4 (SAC alpine grade PD), but loose and steep, and serious when snow lies in the upper gully.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 5.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,607 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,098 m
- Time Up
- 6h 03m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 56m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the top station of the Tschinglenbahn at the Tschinglenalp/Niderenalp (about 1,480–1,515 m) above Elm, follow the marked mountain path south-east, steep in places, to the Segnespass / Pass dil Segnas (2,627 m) and the small Segnespass Mountain Lodge, in a good 2 hours. Without the cable car, start at Elm and walk past the Tschinglen gorge (about 1 hour and 450 m more). From the pass the path ends. Traverse below the west ridge, then climb north-east up the broad south-west flank of loose, rock-studded scree, following traces and cairns. Higher up two parallel gullies form; at the upper rock band either climb the rubble-covered slabs directly (UIAA I) or, depending on snow, go right up a snowy gully to the saddle between Piz Segnas and its south top (point 3010), then follow the easy ridge to the cairn on the summit (3,098 m). Allow about 1 hour 15 minutes from the pass and 4 hours 30 minutes – 5 hours 30 minutes in total (SAC). Descend the same way (3–5 hours). The old route from the east over the Segnas glacier is now rarely used because the glacier has shrunk and the flank is often in poor condition. Piz Sardona (3,056 m) can be added along the broad rubble ridge to the north.
Start
Elm Tschinglenalp1,515 m
- Tschinglenbahn cable car, Elm – Tschinglenalp/Niderenalp
- Train to Schwanden GL, bus to Elm; the Tschinglenbahn starts at Elm Töniberg (bus stop Elm Tschinglenalp).
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elm Tschinglenalp → Piz Segnas | 5.2 | 1,607 | 24 | 6h 03m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Elm Tschinglenalp1,515 m
Top station of the Tschinglenbahn from Elm; SAC gives 1,481 m for Nideren
- Hut: Segnespass Mountain Lodge2,621 m
- Col: Segnespass / Pass dil Segnas2,619 m
- Summit: Piz Segnas3,098 m
Key Passages
- Steep marked path up to the Segnespass
- Pathless, loose south-west flank with cairns
- Upper rock band: rubble-covered slabs or the snow gully to the P. 3010 saddle
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
A 3,098 m rubble dome on the Glarus–Graubünden border above Elm and Flims, at the heart of the UNESCO Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona. The normal route is a long T4/PD day from the Tschinglen cable car over the Segnespass and up a pathless scree flank.
Piz Segnas rises between the Sernf valley of Glarus and the Flims plateau, on the main ridge that also carries Piz Sardona to the north and the Tschingelhörner with the Martinsloch to the west. Like its neighbours it is built of old Verrucano rock thrust over much younger strata along the Glarus thrust, the geological feature that earned the area its UNESCO World Heritage status; the thrust line is visible as a sharp band across the cliffs. Up high, the Verrucano has weathered into scree, so the summit is a cairned rubble dome with steep, loose walls to the north-west and east.
The usual approach today is from Elm: the Tschinglen cable car, a steep marked path to the Segnespass (2,627 m), an old crossing between Glarus and Graubünden with a small private lodge, and then an unmarked south-west flank of scree and slabs. The former normal route from the east over the Segnas glacier has fallen out of use as the glacier has shrunk. The broad crest north to Piz Sardona makes an easy extension.
In winter and spring Piz Segnas is a ski objective from the Flims–Laax side, often combined with Piz Sardona and Piz Dolf.
Climbing Notes
You need fitness for about 1,600 m of ascent from the cable car (or 2,100 m from Elm), sure footing on loose, pathless scree and slabs, and some route-finding; there is no glacier on the normal route in summer. In early summer or after fresh snow the upper gully and flank hold steep snow, which turns the route into a PD alpine tour for which an ice axe and crampons are needed. Most parties do it in a long day (4.5–5.5 hours up, 3–5 hours down, per SAC), checking the Tschinglenbahn timetable for the last descent; a night at the Segnespass Mountain Lodge or the Tschinglen hut splits the effort and allows an early start.
History
The first recorded ascent was made on 23 July 1861 by Georg Sand-Frank with the Elm guide Heinrich Elmer, coming from Piz Sardona.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Good
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Ski tours from the Flims–Laax side in stable snow only
- Feb
- Ski tours in stable snow; cornices on the summit ridge
- Mar
- Good ski-touring month in stable conditions
- Apr
- Spring ski tours
- May
- Transition; deep wet snow on the flank
- Jun
- Snow on the upper flank; ice axe and crampons; lodge opens in late June
- Jul
- Best season once the snowfields have melted
- Aug
- Best season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Sep
- Often stable; lodge closes for the season in autumn
- Oct
- Possible in dry weather before the first snow; lodge closed
- Nov
- Early winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Segnespass Mountain Lodge (private, basic, cash or TWINT): +41 78 308 27 74 in season, email preferred via segnespass.ch. Tschinglenhütte: tschinglen-wirtschaft.ch.
- Fees
- Tschinglenbahn cable car ticket
- Rules
- Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona; observe local wildlife and nature protection signage
- Getting There
Elm (Flims on the Graubünden side)
Zurich (ZRH)
- Train to Schwanden GL, then bus up the Sernftal to Elm; the Tschinglenbahn leaves from Elm Töniberg
- By car to Elm (parking in the village and at the Tschinglenbahn valley station)
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Weather
- Avalanche
- Cornices
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,627 m
Segnespass Mountain LodgeHutStaffed
12 beds · Summer only (2026 season phone line from 27 June; closed by early October)