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Rimpfischhorn

4,199 m

Switzerland

Also known as Римпфисчхорн, რიმპფიშჰორნი, +1

Римпфисчхорн · რიმპფიშჰორნი · Римпфишхорн

Elevation
4,199 m
Prominence
647 m
Difficulty
5/10
Easy alpine
Best Season
Jul–Aug
Routes
2

  • AdvisoryReported 6 Aug 2026

    The Britannia Hut no longer recommends the summer approach from the Felskinn top station via the Egginerjoch; use the path from the Morenia mid-station (about 1 h 40 min) or the Glacier Trail from Mattmark.

    britannia.ch

Routes

2
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Approximate line — not for navigation

An automated check found that parts of this line could not be matched to mapped trails, so it may stray far from the real route. Use it for planning only, with a map and a guidebook.

Why? 8 check notes
  • danger scan: Rimpfischsattel → Rimpfischhorn: straight line 269 m (limit 200 m)
  • danger scan: Rimpfischsattel → Rimpfischhorn: straight line 269 m above the last hut/bivouac
  • danger scan: Rimpfischsattel → Rimpfischhorn: straight line: 65° over 25 m (> 55°, high-res DEM)
  • danger scan: Rimpfischsattel → Rimpfischhorn: sustained 52° > 40° on a straight line
  • last routed vertex 270 m from the summit (closed by straight)
  • ascent 2811 m is 1.6× the net gain 1782 m: the line probably detours down and back up (not a traverse)
  • DIN time up 13.47 h vs published 8.2 h (+64%)
  • Hohlaubgletscher → Allalinpass: dem (snap_failed, 4.7 km)
AlpinePDSources differ: PD+ (Labande, Haut-Valais (as quoted on Camptocamp, ski ascent)) · SAC rock 2a (SAC route portal)UIAAIIGlacierNormal route

Sources differ: PD+ (Labande, Haut-Valais (as quoted on Camptocamp, ski ascent)) · SAC rock 2a (SAC route portal)

The most popular route, from Saas-Fee: a long glacier walk from the Britannia Hut over the Allalinpass and the Mellichgletscher to the Rimpfischsattel (3,989 m), then about 200 m of snow gully and exposed rock ridge (II) to the narrow summit. 6–7 hours from the hut; the glacier is crevassed around the Allalinpass and the summit gully is prone to rockfall.

Elevation Profile

approximate line
2,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5000 km2.557.51012.515MoreniaEgginerjochAllalinpass
Distance
≈ 16.3 km
one way
Ascent
≈ +2,811 m
−1,029 m lost on the way up
High Point
4,199 m
Time Up
≈ 13h 28m
DIN 33466
Time Down
≈ 11h 05m
DIN 33466 · same way back

Day one: take the Alpin Express from Saas-Fee to the Morenia mid-station and walk via the Egginerjoch to the Britannia Hut (3,030 m) in about 1 h 40 min. The hut warden no longer recommends the shorter path from the Felskinn top station in summer. A marked T4 'Glacier Trail' also reaches the hut from the Mattmark reservoir in about 4 hours. Day two: descend from the hut onto the Hohlaubgletscher, cross a band of unstable moraine to the Allalingletscher and follow its north-west edge to a plateau at about 3,240 m below the south wall of the Allalinhorn (the Strahlhorn route branches off here). Climb past point 3,469 m to the Allalinpass (3,556 m, about 3 hours). Traverse south-west across the upper Mellichgletscher, passing below two rock ribs coming down from the north ridge (point 3,662 m); this section is the most crevassed. A rising traverse, first south-east then south, leads to the Rimpfischsattel (3,989 m, about 2 hours). In spring the snow dome just west of the saddle (about 4,000 m) serves as the 'winter summit' for ski tourers. Summit block: climb the snow or ice couloir on the right for about 50 m, then leave it to the left onto the rock (staying in the couloir is a classic mistake and a rockfall trap), make a rising traverse of about 50 m to the ridge and follow it, mostly UIAA II with some fixed pegs and slings, past two steep steps to the fore-summit saddle. A short, airy horizontal crest leads to the main summit (about 1 hour from the saddle). Descent is by the same route, with re-ascents to the Allalinpass and to the hut; some parties descend to Mattmark instead. Several abseil anchors exist on the summit block, but most parties downclimb.

Start

Morenia2,417 m

  • Alpin Express gondola Saas-Fee–Morenia (summer); last descent around 16:00
  • Train to Visp or Brig, PostBus to Saas-Fee, then the Alpin Express gondola to Morenia. Alternatively PostBus to the Mattmark reservoir for the Glacier Trail.

Stages

DayStagekmm ascentm descentTime
1Morenia → Britanniahütte4.87451343h 21m
2Britanniahütte → Rimpfischhorn11.52,06689510h 07m

Waypoints

  1. Lift:
    Morenia2,417 m

    Mid-station of the Alpin Express gondola Saas-Fee–Felskinn

  2. Col:
    Egginerjoch2,989 m
  3. Hut:
    Britanniahütte3,029 m
  4. Feature:
    Hohlaubgletscher3,370 m

    Crossed just below the hut

  5. Col:
    Allalinpass3,547 m
  6. Col:
    Rimpfischsattel3,990 m

    Ski depot in spring; start of the summit gully

  7. Summit:
    Rimpfischhorn4,199 m

Key Passages

  • Moraine between the Hohlaubgletscher and the Allalingletscher (unstable blocks, cairned)
  • Crevassed upper Mellichgletscher below the north-ridge rock ribs (point 3,662 m)
  • Bergschrund and summit couloir above the Rimpfischsattel
  • Exposed rock ridge (UIAA II) to the fore-summit
  • Short airy crest from the fore-summit to the main summit

Equipment

0/11 packed
Technical
Glacier
Safety
Footwear
Clothing
Navigation
Hut & Camping

Downloads

Route confidence 69%

Overview

A 4,199 m rock-crowned peak between Zermatt and Saas-Fee. The normal routes are long glacier approaches to the Rimpfischsattel, followed by about 200 m of snow gully and exposed UIAA II rock to a summit barely big enough for one rope team.

The Rimpfischhorn stands on the ridge that links the Monte Rosa massif with the Mischabel group, between the Allalinpass to the north and the Adlerpass to the south. From the Zermatt side it shows a long, jagged crest of gendarmes, including the Grosser Gendarm (4,108 m) on the north ridge. The SAC compares it to the armoured back of a dinosaur and says the name comes from a dialect word for 'wrinkled'. The summit itself is a narrow rock tower.

There are three standard ways up, all converging on the Rimpfischsattel (3,989 m) below the summit rocks: from the Britannia Hut above Saas-Fee via the Allalinpass (the most popular), from the Täsch Hut via the Mellichgletscher, and from the Fluhalp inn above Zermatt via the Pfulwe and the Rimpfischwänge (the line of the first ascent). All are graded PD. The glacier walking is long rather than steep, but the last 200 m are real climbing: a snow or ice couloir that funnels rockfall from parties above, then an exposed ridge of UIAA II with a few fixed pegs.

In spring it is a classic ski tour, with skis left at the saddle; the snow dome just west of it (about 4,000 m) is often treated as the 'winter summit'. In summer, glacier retreat has made the approaches rougher: recent reports describe dry ice to about 3,500 m, moraine and scree between the Britannia Hut and the Allalingletscher, and a large crevasse to skirt near 3,600 m.

Climbing Notes

You need to be fit enough for a 10–12 hour day above 3,000 m (about 1,300–1,600 m of ascent plus the re-ascents on the way back) and comfortable climbing exposed UIAA II rock and a 45° snow or ice couloir in crampons. Glacier travel and crevasse-rescue skills are essential, and parties without alpine experience should hire a guide. Acclimatise first: the Allalinhorn (4,027 m) from Saas-Fee or a night at the Britannia Hut combined with the Strahlhorn are common warm-ups.

The usual itinerary from Saas-Fee is lift to Morenia and walk to the Britannia Hut on day one, then leave at about 03:00 to reach the summit by mid-morning and be back over the Allalinpass before the snow softens. From Zermatt, stay at Fluhalp and expect rougher, less frequented terrain. Time the summit couloir so that you are not below other parties: climber-triggered rockfall there is the most frequent complaint in recent reports. In spring, assess avalanche conditions on the steep slopes around the summit block carefully.

History

First climbed on 9 September 1859 by Leslie Stephen and Robert Liveing with the guides Melchior Anderegg and Johann Zumtaugwald, from the Fluhalp above Zermatt by the Rimpfischwänge, which is still the Zermatt normal route. The Britannia Hut above Saas-Fee, the base for today's most popular route, was first built in 1912 with money from the Association of British Members of the SAC. On 24 May 2025 five ski mountaineers who had set out from the Britannia Hut died in an avalanche below the summit rocks.

Season

Best Jul–Aug
  1. January: Not advisable
  2. February: Not advisable
  3. March: Possible
  4. April: Good
  5. May: Good
  6. June: Good
  7. July: Best (best window)
  8. August: Best (best window)
  9. September: Good
  10. October: Possible
  11. November: Not advisable
  12. December: Not advisable
Jan
Winter; huts closed
Feb
Winter
Mar
Early ski-touring season for experienced parties
Apr
Ski tour to the Rimpfischsattel; glaciers well covered
May
Ski season; assess avalanche risk on the slopes below the summit rocks
Jun
Britannia Hut opens about mid-June; good snow cover
Jul
Main summer season; Fluhalp opens early July
Aug
Main season; in hot spells glaciers are dry and the summit couloir icy and stonefall-prone
Sep
Britannia Hut closes about mid-September; quieter, colder
Oct
Huts closed; early snow
Nov
Winter
Dec
Winter

Access & Permits

Hut Booking
Britannia Hut: online via the SAC hut reservation system linked from britannia.ch, or +41 27 957 22 88 / hello@britannia.ch; 2027 bookings open in November 2026; free cancellation until 18:00 two days before. Fluhalp: via fluhalp.swiss, +41 27 967 25 97.
Fees
  • Britannia Hut 2026: CHF 84 (SAC members) or CHF 98 (non-members) per night with half board, plus tourist tax; no-show fee CHF 84
  • Lift tickets: Saas-Fee Alpin Express, or Zermatt Sunnegga–Blauherd
Rules
  • Saas-Fee and Zermatt are car-free: leave cars at the car parks at the village entrance (Saas-Fee) or in Täsch (Zermatt)
  • Britannia Hut: sleeping-bag liner obligatory; no drinking water at the hut (water is sold); no dogs overnight
Getting There

Saas-Fee (Britannia route); Zermatt (Fluhalp route)

Geneva (GVA), Zurich (ZRH) or Milan Malpensa (MXP)

  • Saas-Fee: train to Visp or Brig, then PostBus to Saas-Fee; Alpin Express gondola to Morenia, then about 1 h 40 min via the Egginerjoch to the Britannia Hut
  • Alternative hut access: PostBus to the Mattmark reservoir, then the marked T4 Glacier Trail to the Britannia Hut (about 4 h)
  • Zermatt: train via Visp, or drive to Täsch and take the shuttle train; Sunnegga funicular and Blauherd gondola, then 30 minutes on foot to Fluhalp

Hazards

  • Glacier
  • Crevasses
  • Rockfall
  • Altitude
  • Exposure
  • Avalanche
  • Weather

Huts & Shelters

2

  • FluhalpHotelStaffed

    Overnight stays in summer only (2027: 3 July – 26 September); restaurant also open in winter

    Website of Fluhalp

    2,616 m

  • BritanniahütteHutStaffedBooking required

    101 beds · Summer 2026: 19 June – 19 September; winter/spring access routes are published but spring dates were not; 8-place emergency shelter

    Book BritanniahütteWebsite of Britanniahütte

    3,030 m