Rinderhorn
3,449 m
Switzerland
Also known as რინდერჰორნიAlso known as
რინდერჰორნი
- Elevation
- 3,449 m
- Prominence
- 414 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Mar–Apr
- Routes
- 1
NoticeReported 5 Oct 2026
Berghotel Schwarenbach and its restaurant are closed for renovation from 5 October 2026 until the start of the winter season in late December 2026 (exact reopening date not given).
schwarenbach.ch
Routes
1Sources differ: WS (ski ascent 3.2, overall AD for the ski descent) (Camptocamp)
From the Berghotel Schwarenbach (2,060 m) on the Gemmi pass route, up a side valley to the Rindersattel (2,909 m), along the broad north ridge to P. 3197, then up the 300 m NW flank of snow and scree to the summit. No real technical difficulty, but the final slope is steep and can be icy. About 4–4½ hours and 1,400 m from the hotel.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 9.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,590 m
- −74 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,449 m
- Time Up
- 6h 37m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 36m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Most parties start at the Berghotel Schwarenbach, reached in about 1¼ hours on the old Gemmi mule track from the Sunnbüel top station of the Kandersteg cable car (T2), or from the Gemmipass cable car above Leukerbad along the Daubensee. From Schwarenbach follow the broad Gemmi path south to just before the Daubensee (P. 2229), where faint tracks with a few cairns branch off east into the small valley between the Chli Rinderhorn and the Rinderhorn. The tracks run up the middle of the valley over pasture and scree and steepen towards the Rindersattel (2,908 m). Just before the saddle, bear right to gain the ridge slightly south of it at about 2,930 m and follow the broad, stony north ridge to the fore-summit P. 3197. From there move south-west onto the large NW flank, about 300 m high, and climb it along its left (northern) edge; near the top trend left (west) to the summit over a final steep snow slope that is sometimes icy. The SAC gives 4–4½ hours and 1,400 m from Schwarenbach. Descend the same way, taking particular care on the NW flank. The summit icefield has largely melted (SAC, 2017 update); once the snow has gone, late in summer, the flank becomes bare scree and ice and harder, so early summer, with good snow cover, is usually easier. In winter and spring the same line is a popular ski tour from Schwarenbach or the Gemmi.
Start
Sunnbüel1,932 m
- Kandersteg–Sunnbüel cable car (summer and winter); alternatively Leukerbad–Gemmipass cable car
- Train to Kandersteg (Lötschberg line), Kandersteg–Sunnbüel cable car; or bus to Leukerbad and the Gemmi cable car to the Gemmipass.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunnbüel → Berghotel Schwarenbach | 4.1 | 198 | 68 | 1h 25m |
| 2 | Berghotel Schwarenbach → Rinderhorn | 5.3 | 1,394 | 6 | 5h 19m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Sunnbüel1,932 m
- Hut: Berghotel Schwarenbach2,062 m
- Col: Rindersattel2,907 m
- Summit: Rinderhorn3,449 m
Key Passages
- Turn-off east before the Daubensee onto faint tracks
- Steep scree below the Rindersattel
- 300 m NW flank above P. 3197
- Final steep, sometimes icy snow slope
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
A 3,449 m summit above the Gemmi pass between Kandersteg and Leukerbad, climbed by a short PD route from the old Berghotel Schwarenbach: scree to the Rindersattel, a broad ridge and a steep final snow slope. A popular ski tour in spring.
The Rinderhorn rises east of the Gemmi pass and the Daubensee, on the watershed between the Bernese Oberland and the Valais, with the Balmhorn and Altels group to its north-east. Its broad NW flank faces the old Gemmi mule track, and the summit looks south over the Rhône valley to the Valais 4,000ers.
The normal route is a straightforward alpine climb (PD): about 1,400 m from Schwarenbach up a side valley to the Rindersattel, along the stony north ridge to P. 3197 and up the 300 m NW flank. There are no rock pitches, but the last slope is steep snow or firn that can be icy, and you need confident crampon technique, especially on the descent. The small summit icefield has largely melted, and late in a dry summer the flank turns to bare scree and ice, so the route is often easier in early summer.
Access is easy by Swiss standards: cable cars from Kandersteg (Sunnbüel) and Leukerbad (Gemmipass) bring you within 1–1¼ hours of the Berghotel Schwarenbach, so fit parties climb it in a day. In winter and spring the same line is a classic ski tour.
Climbing Notes
Requirements: fitness for about 1,400 m of ascent from Schwarenbach (1,850 m from Sunnbüel if done in a day), sure-footedness on loose scree and basic crampon and ice-axe technique for a steep snow slope. No glacier travel or rope work is normally needed, but less experienced parties may want a rope or a guide for the final slope when it is icy.
Typical itinerary: cable car from Kandersteg to Sunnbüel and 1¼ hours to Schwarenbach for the night, then 4–4½ hours to the summit and back the same way. Alternatively start from the first Sunnbüel or Gemmi cable car and do the whole climb in a long day; check the last cable car times for the return.
Best in early to mid summer, while the NW flank is still snow-covered. As a ski tour it is usually done from February to May from Schwarenbach, where a winter room is always open.
History
The first ascent was made on 6 September 1854 by Gottlieb Studer with the guides Anton and Joseph Grichting (father and son), by the north-north-west ridge. Studer described it in 'Die Gemmi und das grosse Rinderhorn' (1859). The Berghotel Schwarenbach was built in 1742 as a customs house on the Gemmi mule track.
Season
Best Mar–Apr- January: Possible
- February: Good
- March: Best (best window)
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Good
- June: Good
- July: Best
- August: Good
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Ski tour; short days, avalanche risk on the NW flank
- Feb
- Ski tour from Schwarenbach (hotel open in winter)
- Mar
- Classic ski-touring season
- Apr
- Spring snow; good ski-touring conditions
- May
- Late ski tours; cable cars reopen late May
- Jun
- Good snow cover on the NW flank makes the summer route easier
- Jul
- Main summer season
- Aug
- Flank may be bare scree and ice late in a dry summer
- Sep
- Often stable; possible icy summit slope
- Oct
- Early snow; Schwarenbach closes early October
- Nov
- Cable cars closed or limited; early winter
- Dec
- Early winter ski tours once snow allows
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Berghotel Schwarenbach: +41 33 675 12 72, info@schwarenbach.ch, or online at schwarenbach.ch. Rooms and dormitory places; a self-service winter room is always open when the hotel is closed.
- Fees
- Cable car tickets Kandersteg–Sunnbüel or Leukerbad–Gemmipass
- Getting There
Kandersteg
Bern (BRN); Zurich (ZRH) or Geneva (GVA) by train
- Train to Kandersteg on the Lötschberg line, then the Kandersteg–Sunnbüel cable car from its valley station south of the village; about 1¼ hours on foot to Schwarenbach
- From the Valais: train to Leuk, bus to Leukerbad, Gemmi cable car to the Gemmipass, then along the Daubensee towards Schwarenbach
- By car: park at the Sunnbüel cable car (Kandersteg) or the Gemmibahnen car park in Leukerbad
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Avalanche
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,060 m
Berghotel SchwarenbachHotelStaffed
Summer 2026: 30 May–5 October; winter season from late December; winter room always open
Book Berghotel SchwarenbachWebsite of Berghotel Schwarenbach