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Strahlhorn

4,190 m

Switzerland

Also known as შტრალჰორნი, Штральхорн

შტრალჰორნი · Штральхорн

Elevation
4,190 m
Prominence
404 m
Difficulty
5/10
Easy alpine
Best Season
Apr–Jul
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 or the Glacier Trail from Mattmark.

    britannia.ch

Routes

2
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AlpinePDSources differ: F (Camptocamp) · PD+ (Labande (ski ascent, via Camptocamp))UIAAIGlacierNormal route

Sources differ: F (Camptocamp) · PD+ (Labande (ski ascent, via Camptocamp))

One of the easiest 4000ers technically but a long one: 7 km of gently rising, crevassed glacier from the Britannia Hut up the Allalingletscher to the Adlerpass (3,789 m), then a broad snow ridge and a final steeper slope to the summit cross. 5–6 hours up from the hut, with about 1,320 m of ascent.

Elevation Profile

approximate line
2,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5000 km2.557.51012.515MoreniaEgginerjochAdlerpass
Distance
16.5 km
one way
Ascent
+2,651 m
−878 m lost on the way up
High Point
4,190 m
Time Up
12h 40m
DIN 33466
Time Down
10h 18m
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 no longer recommends the shorter summer path from the Felskinn top station. Day two: descend about 100 m south-west from the hut onto the Hohlaubgletscher (about 2,950 m), cross it and a band of moraine to the Allalingletscher and follow its right-hand (north-west) side to a plateau at about 3,240 m below the Allalinpass, where the Rimpfischhorn route branches off. Turn south-west and climb the long, gently angled glacier through crevassed zones to the Adlerpass (3,785–3,789 m, about 3.5 hours), keeping a safe distance from the east face of the Rimpfischhorn because of rockfall. From the pass, follow the broad WNW ridge, or the shallow depression to its left (north) if the ridge is icy, to flatter ground at about 3,940 m, then go up the final steeper north-west slope to the summit (about 1.5 hours from the pass). Descent is by the same route, with about 100 m of re-ascent to the hut at the end. In soft afternoon snow the descent of the glacier is slow and the snow bridges weaken; in summer 2026 reports mention open crevasses at about 3,600 m and threatening snow bridges at 3,600 and 3,850 m. A shorter variant crosses the Hohlaubgrat moraine at point 3,108 m to avoid the crevasses below point 3,144 m.

Start

Morenia2,417 m

  • Alpin Express gondola Saas-Fee–Morenia (summer)
  • 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 to the hut.

Stages

DayStagekmm ascentm descentTime
1Morenia → Britanniahütte4.87431313h 20m
2Britanniahütte → Strahlhorn11.81,9087469h 19m

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

    Reached about 100 m below the hut

  5. Feature:
    Allalingletscher3,315 m

    Followed along its right-hand side to the plateau at about 3,240 m (not on route line)

  6. Col:
    Adlerpass3,777 m
  7. Summit:
    Strahlhorn4,190 m

Key Passages

  • Moraine between the Hohlaubgletscher and the Allalingletscher
  • Crevassed glacier between the 3,240 m plateau and the Adlerpass
  • Rockfall zone below the east face of the Rimpfischhorn
  • Final north-west slope above 3,940 m

Equipment

0/10 packed
Technical
Glacier
Safety
Footwear
Clothing
Navigation
Hut & Camping
Other

Downloads

Route confidence 77%
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Overview

A broad, glaciated 4,190 m summit at the head of the Allalin Glacier above Saas-Fee. Technically one of the easiest 4000ers, it is a long day of gently rising, crevassed glacier from the Britannia Hut, popular in summer and as a ski tour.

The Strahlhorn is the southernmost 4000er of the Saas valley, on the main ridge between the Rimpfischhorn and the Monte Rosa massif, with the Adlerpass to the north-west and the Schwarzberg-Weisstor to the south. Its rounded snow summit feeds the Allalin Glacier on the Saas side and the Adler Glacier on the Zermatt side. The name is said to come from the quartz crystals (Strahlen) once found on it.

The normal route from the Britannia Hut is graded PD (F on Camptocamp) and has no real climbing: about 7 km of glacier rising 800 m to the Adlerpass, then a broad ridge and a short steeper slope to the cross. What makes it serious is length, altitude and crevasses, especially later in summer when snow bridges weaken. It is frequently combined with the Rimpfischhorn from the same hut, or climbed from Zermatt via the Fluhalp and the Adler Glacier.

Glacier retreat is visible everywhere: Saas-Fee tourism notes that the snout of the Allalin Glacier has retreated about 500 m since 1973, and approaches to the ice now cross more moraine. In spring, with the glaciers well covered, the Strahlhorn is one of the most popular ski 4000ers in Switzerland.

Climbing Notes

Suitable as a first or second 4000er for fit hikers who have done a glacier course, but you need to be roped, able to hold and rescue a partner from a crevasse, and fit for 10–12 hours above 3,000 m (about 1,300 m of ascent, plus the long return and 100 m re-ascent to the hut). Without glacier experience, go with a guide; Saas-Fee guiding offices run it regularly, often after an acclimatisation day on the Allalinhorn.

Typical plan: lift to Morenia and walk to the Britannia Hut, sleep, leave at about 03:00 and aim to be back across the lower glacier before the snow softens. Altitude sickness is common because many parties come straight from the valley; spend a night or two above 2,500 m first if you can. Bring water or buy it at the hut, which has no drinking-water supply.

History

First climbed on 15 August 1854 by the brothers Christopher, Edmund and James Grenville Smyth with the guides Ulrich Lauener and Franz-Josef Andenmatten. The Adlerpass, crossed by the normal route, has long been a glacier pass between Saas and Zermatt.

Season

Best Apr–Jul
  1. January: Not advisable
  2. February: Possible
  3. March: Good
  4. April: Best (best window)
  5. May: Best (best window)
  6. June: Best (best window)
  7. July: Best (best window)
  8. August: Good
  9. September: Good
  10. October: Possible
  11. November: Not advisable
  12. December: Not advisable
Jan
Winter
Feb
Ski ascents possible in stable conditions
Mar
Ski-touring season
Apr
Classic ski tour; glacier well covered
May
Ski season continues
Jun
Britannia Hut opens about mid-June; good snow cover
Jul
Main summer season; crevasses opening
Aug
Soft snow and weak snow bridges in hot spells
Sep
Hut closes about mid-September; bare, open glacier
Oct
Hut closed; early snow
Nov
Winter
Dec
Winter

Access & Permits

Hut Booking
Britannia Hut: online via britannia.ch or +41 27 957 22 88 / hello@britannia.ch; 2027 bookings open in November 2026. Fluhalp: 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
  • Saas-Fee Alpin Express lift ticket
Rules
  • Saas-Fee and Zermatt are car-free: leave cars at the village-entrance car parks (Saas-Fee) or in Täsch (Zermatt)
  • Britannia Hut: sleeping-bag liner obligatory; no drinking water at the hut
Getting There

Saas-Fee

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

  • Train to Visp or Brig, PostBus to Saas-Fee, Alpin Express gondola to Morenia, then about 1 h 40 min via the Egginerjoch to the Britannia Hut
  • PostBus to the Mattmark reservoir, then the T4 Glacier Trail to the Britannia Hut (about 4 hours)
  • From Zermatt: Sunnegga funicular and Blauherd gondola, then 45 minutes to Fluhalp

Hazards

  • Glacier
  • Crevasses
  • Altitude
  • Weather
  • Rockfall

Huts & Shelters

2