Stecknadelhorn
4,240 m
Switzerland
Also known as შტეკნადელჰორნი, ШтеккнадельхорнAlso known as
შტეკნადელჰორნი · Штеккнадельхорн
- Elevation
- 4,240 m
- Prominence
- 27 m
- Difficulty
- 6/10
- Alpine climb
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: PD+ to AD depending on conditions (Thomas Crauwels / Camptocamp remarks)
A subsidiary 4,000er of the Nadelhorn, usually climbed as an extension of the Nadelhorn normal route from the Mischabelhütte above Saas-Fee: glacier to the Windjoch, the NE ridge to about 4,200 m, then a 45° traverse under a rock gendarme to the snow ridge and the short summit block. The traverse is the crux and can be icy.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 7.7 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,078 m
- −175 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 4,324 m
- Time Up
- 8h 14m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 42m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Day one: from Saas-Fee take the Hannig gondola (2,336 m) and walk about 3 hours to the Mischabelhütte (3,340 m); the last part follows a rocky ridge equipped with cables, iron pegs and ladders. From Saas-Fee on foot allow about 4 hours. Day two: leave around 04:00 and follow the Nadelhorn normal route: the rocky ridge above the hut towards the Schwarzhorn, then across the Hohbalmgletscher, whose crevasses run along the line of travel, and up a snow slope, often icy, to the Windjoch (3,845 m), about 2.5 hours from the hut. Climb the NE ridge of the Nadelhorn, snowy then rocky, watching for cornices, to about 4,200–4,250 m, where the normal route goes up the last gully to the Nadelhorn summit. Here the Stecknadelhorn route traverses left (west) under the rock gendarme that blocks the crest between the two peaks, on a north-facing slope of up to 45° that is often icy in dry seasons; protect it with ice screws (from two 30 m pitches to the whole 150 m, depending on conditions), or instead go to the Nadelhorn summit and downclimb the gendarme on the ridge (III). Regain the snowy crest as it turns west, follow a flat section of about 200 m (cornices) to the summit block, and climb it on easy rock in a few minutes. From the Nadelhorn it is 20 minutes to 1 hour. Return the same way to the NE ridge and down to the Windjoch and the hut, or continue along the Nadelgrat to the Hohberghorn.
Start
Hannig2,338 m
- Saas-Fee–Hannig gondola (summer)
- Train to Visp, PostBus to Saas-Fee, then the Hannig gondola.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hannig → Mischabelhütte | 4.2 | 1,045 | 54 | 4h 07m |
| 2 | Mischabelhütte → Stecknadelhorn | 3.5 | 1,030 | 121 | 4h 07m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Hannig2,338 m
Top station of the Saas-Fee–Hannig gondola
- Hut: Mischabelhütte3,336 m
- Col: Windjoch3,848 m
- Crux: Nadelhorn NE ridge traverse4,328 m
Leave the NE ridge at about 4,200–4,250 m and traverse west under the gendarme (45°)
- Summit: Stecknadelhorn4,240 m
Key Passages
- Cabled ridge to the Mischabelhütte
- Crevassed Hohbalmgletscher
- Snow slope to the Windjoch
- Corniced NE ridge of the Nadelhorn
- 45° traverse under the gendarme between Nadelhorn and Stecknadelhorn
- Summit rock block
Equipment
0/10 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
A 4,240 m rocky point on the Nadelgrat above Saas-Fee, only 27 m above its col with the Nadelhorn. Most people tick it as a short extension of the Nadelhorn normal route from the Mischabelhütte, with an exposed 45° traverse as the crux, or in passing on the Nadelgrat traverse.
The Stecknadelhorn ('pin peak') is the least conspicuous of the four summits of the Nadelgrat, the high north–south ridge of the Mischabel group between the Mattertal and the Saas valley. It stands between the Nadelhorn (4,327 m) and the Hohberghorn (4,219 m), with the Ried and Hohberg glaciers below its flanks and a glaciated north face. With only about 27 m of prominence it is not a mountain in its own right, but it is one of the official Alpine 4,000 m summits and is collected by most people working through that list.
The usual way up is from the Mischabelhütte (3,340 m) above Saas-Fee: across the Hohbalmgletscher to the Windjoch, up the corniced NE ridge of the Nadelhorn to about 4,200 m, then a traverse west under a rock gendarme on a north-facing slope of up to 45°. That traverse decides the grade, PD+ in good snow and AD or harder when it is bare ice, and often needs ice screws. The summit is a small block of easy rock reached along a short snow ridge.
The other classic option is the Nadelgrat traverse from the Bordierhütte, which links the Dirruhorn, Hohberghorn, Stecknadelhorn and Nadelhorn in one long day on typically loose Valais rock and snow ridges. Either way, the route is high, cold and committing for its grade, and the descent is long.
Climbing Notes
You should be competent on crevassed glaciers, on corniced snow ridges and on 45° snow or ice with crampons, and be able to place ice screws efficiently. Acclimatise first: a night at the Mischabelhütte at 3,340 m is itself a big step up, so climb a lower peak or spend nights at altitude beforehand (the Allalin or Weissmies areas are close by).
Typical itinerary: Hannig gondola from Saas-Fee and about 3 hours on a cabled ridge path to the Mischabelhütte; next day leave around 04:00, climb to the Windjoch and up the Nadelhorn ridge, add the Stecknadelhorn (and usually the Nadelhorn) and return to the hut and valley. Strong parties continue along the Nadelgrat to the Hohberghorn and Dirruhorn. Many people go with a guide, and a guide is strongly advisable if you lack experience on icy traverses at altitude. Book the hut in advance.
History
First ascent on 8 August 1887 by Oscar Eckenstein with the guide Matthias Zurbriggen.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; huts unstaffed
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Ski-touring season; serious winter conditions on the ridge
- Apr
- Spring ski mountaineering only; huts mostly unstaffed
- May
- Spring snow conditions; hut access path may be snowbound
- Jun
- Mischabelhütte opens early June (2026: 5 June); good snow cover on the traverse
- Jul
- Main season
- Aug
- Main season; traverse more often icy late in summer
- Sep
- Huts close mid-September; icier, colder conditions
- Oct
- Huts closed; early winter
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Mischabelhütte: online via hut-reservation.org (until 18:00 the day before), +41 27 957 13 17, mischabelhuette@gmx.ch. Bordierhütte: online via alpsonline.org.
- Fees
- Mischabelhütte: overnight CHF 43–55 (SAC member/non-member), half board extra
- Saas-Fee–Hannig gondola ticket (included in the Saas-Fee guest card offer in summer)
- Bordierhütte: CHF 50 per person per night charged for cancellations less than 48 hours ahead
- Rules
- Bordierhütte: reservation required; no overnight stays without a booking; bring a hut sleeping bag
- The access path to the Mischabelhütte has exposed sections with cables and iron pegs; not suitable for dogs
- Getting There
Saas-Fee
Geneva (GVA), Zurich (ZRH) or Milan Malpensa (MXP)
- Train to Visp, then PostBus to Saas-Fee (car-free village; car park at the entrance)
- Saas-Fee–Hannig gondola (2,336 m), then about 3 hours to the Mischabelhütte; about 4 hours on foot from Saas-Fee
- For the Nadelgrat: train to St. Niklaus and PostBus to Gasenried, then about 3.75 hours to the Bordierhütte
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Altitude
- Exposure
- Cornices
- Weather
- Rockfall
Huts & Shelters
2- 2,886 m
BordierhütteHutStaffedBooking required
44 beds · Mid-June to mid-September (2026: 12 June – 11 September)
- 3,340 m
MischabelhütteHutStaffedBooking required
100 beds · Summer; 2026 season 5 June – 13 September