Schinhorn
3,796 m
Switzerland
Also known as Счинхорн, შინჰორნიAlso known as
Счинхорн · შინჰორნი
- Elevation
- 3,796 m
- Prominence
- 422 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul
- Routes
- 1
AdvisoryReported 1 May 2025
After the Blatten landslide in the Lötschental (May 2025; exact day not taken from the cited source), the Oberaletschhütte reports that the crossing over the Beichpass down to the Lötschental is no longer possible and the bridge between Blatten and Wiler is closed. Use the Belalp side for approach and exit.
oberaletsch.ch
Routes
1Approximate 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: Oberaletschhütte → Unterer Torberg: straight line 1401 m (limit 200 m)
- danger scan: Oberaletschhütte → Unterer Torberg: straight line 1401 m above the last hut/bivouac
- danger scan: Oberaletschhütte → Unterer Torberg: straight line: 69° over 25 m (> 55°, high-res DEM)
- danger scan: Oberaletschhütte → Unterer Torberg: sustained 61° > 40° on a straight line
- danger scan: Unterer Torberg → Schinhorn: straight line 2669 m (limit 200 m)
- danger scan: Unterer Torberg → Schinhorn: straight line 2669 m above the last hut/bivouac
- danger scan: Unterer Torberg → Schinhorn: straight line: 70° over 25 m (> 55°, high-res DEM)
- danger scan: Unterer Torberg → Schinhorn: sustained 64° > 40° on a straight line
Sources differ: WS (SAC) (gipfelbuch.ch, de.wikipedia)
A long, lonely glacier tour from the Oberaletschhütte: up the Beichgletscher, through the crevassed south-face glacier close under the south-east ridge, a 45° firn slope to the south ridge and short II scrambling to the summit. About 5 hours from the hut; the bergschrund can be a serious obstacle in late summer.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- ≈ 14.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- ≈ +2,639 m
- −936 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,823 m
- Time Up
- ≈ 12h 25m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- ≈ 10h 09m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Reach the Oberaletschhütte (2,640 m) from the Belalp gondola in about 5 hours (see the hut approach: panoramic path, a marked crossing of the Oberaletschgletscher and 150 m of ladders and cables up to the hut). From the hut, climb down the ladders to the glacier plain where the Oberaletsch and Beich glaciers meet. Pass the Unterer Torberg and go up the eastern edge of the Beichgletscher until it bends sharply left; keep straight on up moraine slopes to point 2804. Follow a stream north up a scree gully, then cross glacier-polished slabs to the right (north-east) onto the glacier of the south face. To avoid large crevasse zones, stay close under the south-east ridge and climb to a small firn crest above point 3388. Traverse the south face in a wide arc to the right to below the rock point 3513, then climb a steep 45° firn slope to the south ridge. Short climbing steps (II) along the ridge lead to the snowy fore-summit and an easy scramble (I) to the rocky main summit. Gipfelbuch.ch gives 1,350 m of ascent and about 5 hours from the hut. Descend the same way. In late summer the bergschrund below the summit slope is often large and the slope can be bare ice, requiring ice protection. The same line is a ski tour in spring (ski grade WS+ up to the summit slope; the last 48° slope is usually climbed on foot).
Start
Belalp2,093 m
- Blatten–Belalp gondola
- Train to Brig, PostBus to Blatten bei Naters, gondola to Belalp
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belalp → Oberaletschhütte | 9.9 | 924 | 379 | 5h 05m |
| 2 | Oberaletschhütte → Schinhorn | 4.1 | 1,714 | 556 | 7h 20m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Belalp2,093 m
- Hut: Oberaletschhütte2,640 m
- Feature: Unterer Torberg3,022 m
- Summit: Schinhorn3,796 m
Key Passages
- Ladders and cables between the hut and the glacier
- Crevasse zones on the south-face glacier (stay near the south-east ridge)
- Bergschrund and 45° firn slope to the south ridge
- Short II steps on the south ridge
Equipment
0/10 packedDownloads
Route confidence 55%Overview
A seldom-climbed 3,796 m glacier peak between the upper Lötschental and the Oberaletsch glacier, third-highest of the Aletschhorn group. The south-flank normal route (WS/PD) is a long, crevassed day from the Oberaletschhütte.
The Schinhorn rises in the Valais part of the Bernese Alps, inside the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage area. To the north it drops to the head of the Lötschental; its east flank feeds the Oberaletschgletscher and its south-west flank the Beichgletscher. A ridge runs south-west over the Beichgrat to the Breithorn and another north-east over the Distlighorn and Sattelhorn towards the Aletschhorn.
Despite a wide view over the Bernese and Valais Alps, the Schinhorn sees few ascents: it is remote, and lower than its better-known neighbours. The easiest line is the glaciated south flank from the Oberaletschhütte, finishing up a 42–45° firn slope and a short rocky ridge. Expect to have the mountain to yourself.
The climb is as much about the approach as the summit: a five-hour walk to the hut from Belalp, then a night start down the hut ladders onto the glacier and a long, gently rising plod up the Beichgletscher before the real climbing begins.
Climbing Notes
You need solid glacier skills (roped travel, crevasse rescue), confident cramponing on 45° firn that can be bare ice in late summer, and the ability to protect on ice at the bergschrund. Allow about 5 hours from the hut to the summit and a similar time back, after a day's approach of about 5 hours from Belalp; a third day or a late return to the valley is common. Hire a guide if you lack this experience.
The best conditions are usually in early summer, when the bergschrund is filled and the firn is good; later in the season the summit slope can turn icy and the schrund awkward. In spring the south flank is a demanding ski tour, though wet snow often thwarts attempts from April onwards. Check the Belalp gondola timetable, which has seasonal breaks, and ask the Oberaletschhütte warden about current glacier conditions.
History
First ascended on 30 August 1869 by Ernst Justus Häberlin with the guides Johann and Andreas von Weissenfluh, up the south-east ridge and down the south flank. Christian Almer father and son with W. A. B. Coolidge made the second ascent by the south flank on 11 August 1882. The north ridge was first climbed on 26 July 1900.
Season
Best Jul- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Possible
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Hut unstaffed; winter room only
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Ski-touring season at the Oberaletschhütte starts around mid-March
- Apr
- Ski tour for experienced ski-mountaineers; wet-snow avalanche risk on warm days
- May
- Late ski tours; slow going in soft snow on the Beichgletscher
- Jun
- Hut reopens late June; good snow cover, filled bergschrund
- Jul
- Best firn conditions
- Aug
- Bergschrund opens and summit slope may become icy
- Sep
- Often bare ice and large bergschrund; hut closes mid-September
- Oct
- Hut closed
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Book the Oberaletschhütte online via alpsonline.org (free cancellation until 12:00 the day before); no mobile reception at the hut, so do not rely on calling on the day.
- Fees
- Blatten–Belalp gondola fare
- Hut overnight fees, with discounts for SAC and reciprocal alpine club members
- Rules
- Inside the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage area
- Getting There
Brig
Geneva (GVA) or Zurich (ZRH)
- Train to Brig, PostBus to Blatten bei Naters, gondola to Belalp; paid parking in Blatten
- When the gondola is not running, start from Egga (about 1 hour more) or Blatten
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Remoteness
- Weather
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,640 m
OberaletschhütteHutStaffedBooking required
64 beds · Staffed for ski touring from about mid-March to late May and in summer from late June to mid-September; winter room open all year