Portjengrat
3,654 m
Switzerland, Italy
Also known as Pizzo d’Andolla, Punta d'Andolla, +1Also known as
Pizzo d’Andolla · Punta d'Andolla · Pizzo d'Andolla
- Elevation
- 3,654 m
- Prominence
- 367 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 2
AdvisoryReported 27 Sep 2026
The Almagellerhütte has closed for the 2026 summer season; only the emergency shelter (no cooking facilities) is open.
almagellerhuette.ch
Routes
2Sources differ: AD (SummitPost (II–III)) · IV (thehighrisepages.de: III with a 20 m step of IV just below the summit) · WS/3a (SAC Walliser Alpen 4/5 (2009))
The easiest way up from the Saas side, and the usual descent of the Portjengrat traverse: from the Almagellerhütte (2,894 m) over rock slabs and a firn ramp below the Portjenhorn to a broad saddle on the main ridge, then a short, gendarmed rock ridge with moves of III and a final steep step to the summit. About 760 m from the hut.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 10.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,037 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,654 m
- Time Up
- 8h 08m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 28m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Saas-Almagell (1,670 m) the marked path climbs through the Spisswald to Chüelbrunnji and the Almagelleralp (2,192 m), then up the Wysstal to the Almagellerhütte (2,894 m): T2, about 3½ hours (SAC). The Furggstalden chairlift and the Almageller Erlebnisweg (T3) or the high path from Kreuzboden are alternatives. From the hut go south-east without a path over boulders and ice-polished slabs to the spur descending from the Portjenhorn, cross it at its lowest obvious notch and climb a moderately steep firn ramp below the south walls of the Portjenhorn. The ramp swings south-east below P. 3584 to a broad scree saddle on the main ridge, about 3 hours from the hut. Turn right (south-east) onto the steepening rock ridge: jammed blocks lead to a large split double tower at about 3,615 m, passed on the left (III) between the tower and an overhanging chockstone. The second half of the tower, a slab, a ledge on the left, another tower and a last notch follow, with a near-vertical 20 m step to the summit; parties descending this way abseil it (15–20 m, cemented ring). Descend the same way, roping down the summit step and taking care with route-finding between the gendarmes, then steep snowfields (crampons) north-north-west to the hut. The SAC gives 1½–2 hours from the summit to the hut, Camptocamp 2–2½ hours. Fog often rises from the Valle Antrona on the Italian side; navigation on the ridge and the snow ramp is then difficult.
Start
Saas-Almagell1,658 m
- Train to Visp, PostBus to Saas-Almagell.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saas-Almagell → Almagellerhütte | 6.5 | 1,238 | 6 | 4h 57m |
| 2 | Almagellerhütte → Portjengrat | 3.5 | 799 | 35 | 3h 10m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Saas-Almagell1,658 m
Dorfplatz; PostBus terminus
- Feature: Almagelleralp2,195 m
- Hut: Almagellerhütte2,892 m
- Feature: Portjenhorn3,459 m
The firn ramp runs below its south walls
- Summit: Portjengrat3,654 m
Key Passages
- Firn ramp below the Portjenhorn
- Double tower at about 3,615 m (III)
- Gendarmes and ledge before the last notch
- Final 20 m summit step (abseil in descent)
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 60%Overview
A 3,654 m granite-gneiss summit on the Swiss–Italian border above Saas-Almagell, known in Italy as Pizzo d'Andolla. Its S ridge traverse from the Almagellerhütte (AD+, IV) is one of the finest ridge climbs in the Saas valley; the NW ridge is the easier way up.
The Portjengrat stands at the junction of the Saas valley, the Zwischbergental and the Valle Antrona, the highest point of the frontier ridge between the Monte Moro pass and the Zwischbergen pass. From the Saas side it appears as a long, jagged crest above the Almagellerhütte; from Italy it is a steep pyramid. Three rock ridges meet at the top: the S ridge from the Port notch, the E ridge on the Italian side, and the NW ridge falling towards the Zwischbergen pass.
Most climbers come for the Portjengrat traverse, nearly 1 km of sound golden gneiss over gendarmes, climbed up the S ridge and down the NW ridge in a long day from the Almagellerhütte. Despite its quality it is not crowded. The NW ridge on its own is the easiest route but still involves rock climbing to about III, a steep final step and an abseil in descent. There is no significant glacier on the Swiss routes, only snowfields and firn ramps.
From the summit the view reaches south across the Valle Antrona to Lago Maggiore and the Po plain, when the frequent afternoon clouds from Italy allow it.
Climbing Notes
This is a rock climber's mountain: be comfortable leading or moving together on exposed III–IV terrain with your own protection, placing slings over spikes, and abseiling. The traverse is long (6¼–8 hours from the hut to the summit plus the descent) and route-finding among the gendarmes takes time; topo times are often exceeded. Crampons and an ice axe are needed for the approach snowfields and descent.
Typical itinerary: Saas-Almagell to the Almagellerhütte (about 3½ hours; the Furggstalden chairlift shortens it), then the traverse or the NW ridge the next day and back to the hut or the valley. Local guides in Saas-Fee and Saas-Almagell offer the traverse. The first pitches are in the shade in the morning, so very early starts gain little.
Watch the weather: clouds and fog commonly build from the Valle Antrona and make the NW-ridge descent hard to find. The hut has no winter room, only an emergency shelter without cooking facilities.
History
The first ascent was made on 7 September 1871 by Clinton Thomas Dent with the guides Alexander and Franz Burgener, by the S ridge while avoiding its lower part; the complete S ridge from the Port was climbed in 1884 by Henry Seymour King with Aloys Anthamatten and Ambros Supersaxo. The E ridge (Italian normal route) was climbed in July 1890. The Almagellerhütte below the west side was opened in 1984.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; hut closed, emergency shelter only
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Winter conditions; ridge snowbound
- Apr
- Snowbound rock; hut closed
- May
- Snowbound rock; hut closed
- Jun
- Hut opens in late June; snow on the ridges and approach
- Jul
- Main season
- Aug
- Main season; dry rock
- Sep
- Hut closes in late September (27 September in 2026); cold, short days
- Oct
- Hut closed; possible on dry autumn days for experienced parties
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Almagellerhütte SAC (SAC Niesen section): online via the reservation link on almagellerhuette.ch (alpsonline, hut 208); phone +41 27 957 11 79, info@almagellerhuette.ch.
- Fees
- Almagellerhütte: standard SAC overnight rates
- Paid car parks in Saas-Almagell
- Rules
- The Almagellerhütte has no winter room; the shelter is for emergencies only, has no cooking facilities and should be booked in advance
- Getting There
Saas-Almagell (Saas valley)
Sion (SIR) for limited flights; Geneva (GVA), Zurich (ZRH) or Milan Malpensa (MXP)
- Train to Visp, then PostBus up the Saas valley to Saas-Almagell
- Saas-Almagell–Furggstalden chairlift shortens the approach (Erlebnisweg, T3)
- Saas-Grund–Kreuzboden gondola and the Almageller Höhenweg (T3, about 4½ h to the hut)
- Italian side: road up the Valle Antrona to Antronapiana and Cheggio for the Rifugio Andolla and the E ridge
Hazards
- Exposure
- Weather
- Rockfall
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,894 m
AlmagellerhütteHutStaffedBooking required
120 beds · Late June to late September; no winter room, emergency shelter only