Täschhorn

4,491 m

Switzerland

Also known as Τέσχορν, ტეშჰორნი, +1

Τέσχορν · ტეშჰორნი · Тешхорн

Elevation: 4,491 m
Prominence: 213 m
Difficulty: 6/10; Alpine climb
Best Season: Jul
Routes: 1

Routes

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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: Mischabeljochbiwak → Täschhorn: straight line 1222 m (limit 200 m)
danger scan: Mischabeljochbiwak → Täschhorn: straight line 1222 m above the last hut/bivouac
danger scan: Mischabeljochbiwak → Täschhorn: straight line: 64° over 25 m (> 60°, high-res DEM)
danger scan: Mischabeljochbiwak → Täschhorn: sustained 59° > 45° on a straight line
last routed vertex 1222 m from the summit (closed by straight)
100% approximate geometry
low confidence 0.36
Täschalp → Mischabeljoch: dem (snap_failed, 5.1 km)

AlpineADUIAAIIIMixedNormal route

Sources differ: AD+ (Bergwelten / 4000erLEBEN (ZS+))

The usual way up the Täschhorn: a long glacier approach from Täschalp to the unstaffed Mischabeljoch bivouac at 3,850 m, then 700 m of serious mixed ridge with loose rock low down, big cornices on the Saas side and solid gneiss to UIAA III near the top. Rarely in perfect condition and much less travelled than the neighbouring Dom.

Elevation Profile

approximate line

Distance: ≈ 6.3 km; one way
Ascent: ≈ +2,339 m; start → summit
High Point: 4,491 m
Time Up: ≈ 8h 40m; DIN 33466
Time Down: ≈ 5h 36m; DIN 33466 · same way back

Day one: from Täschalp (Ottavan, about 2,200 m) a steep, well-marked path climbs past the Weingartensee (about 3,060 m) to a polished rock barrier left of Point 3481, climbed on ledges and a chimney following cairns (two short abseils are possible on the way down). Above, the crevassed Weingartengletscher is followed, keeping to the middle to avoid rockfall from the Täschhorn and Alphubel flanks, to the Mischabeljoch (3,847 m) and the bivouac just above it on the Alphubel side. The SAC gives 5–6 hours and 1,650 m (AD-); the variant from the Täschhütte takes about 4½ hours. Parties also reach the bivouac from Saas-Fee via the Mittelallalin and the Alphubel. Day two: from the col, cairns lead up ledges and short steps on the Saas (east) side to the first tower. The long middle section alternates between the crest and the slopes on the Saas side, with sharp snow arêtes and large cornices; traverses on the flank cross loose ground. In the final 200 m the ridge steepens and turns to rock again: keep slightly right and climb steep steps and a rib of solid gneiss (UIAA up to III) to the summit blocks. The SAC gives 3–4 hours and 710 m from the bivouac; other sources allow 4–5. Descend the same way, which takes almost as long (3½–4 hours back to the bivouac), then down the glacier to Täschalp. Early in the season strong parties sometimes descend the steep Kin face (north-west) to the Kingletscher and the Dom or Kin huts, or continue along the ridge to the Dom (D, 10–14 hours from the bivouac).

Start

Täschalp2,191 m

None on the Täsch side; from Saas-Fee the Alpin Express and Metro Alpin to Mittelallalin give access via the Alphubel.
Train to Täsch (Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn), then the summer bus or a taxi to Täschalp.
Parking at the trailhead

Stages

Day	Stage	km	m ascent	m descent	Time
1	Täschalp → Mischabeljochbiwak	5.1	1,673	9	6h 14m
2	Mischabeljochbiwak → Täschhorn	1.2	666	35	2h 26m

Waypoints

Trailhead:
Täschalp2,191 m
Road from Täsch (car, bus or Alpentaxi, mid-June to mid-October)
Feature:
Weingartensee3,056 m
not on route line
Col:
Mischabeljoch3,844 m
Bivouac:
Mischabeljochbiwak3,859 m
Unstaffed SAC bivouac, 24 places, booking online
Summit:
Täschhorn4,491 m

Key Passages

Polished rock barrier below the Weingartengletscher (cairned ledges and chimney)
Crevasse zone on the Weingartengletscher up to about 3,600 m
Corniced snow arêtes on the middle ridge (Saas side)
Final 200 m: steep steps and rib of solid gneiss (UIAA III)

Equipment

0/9 packed

Technical

Crampons and ice axesnow arêtes and firm snow on the ridge, glacier approachRequired
A few cams, nuts and slingsUIAA III rock in the upper sectionRecommended

Glacier

Glacier kit: harness, 50–60 m half rope used doubled, crevasse-rescue gearWeingartengletscher is crevassedRequired

Safety

Helmetrockfall on the approach glacier and loose rock on the lower ridgeRequired
Headlampstart before dawn from the bivouacRequired
Sun protection (glacier glasses, cream)Required

Footwear

Crampon-compatible mountaineering bootsRequired

Clothing

Warm, windproof and waterproof layers, gloves and hatRequired

Hut & Camping

Food for the bivouac and a stove or cooking kitthe bivouac is unstaffed; mattresses and blankets are providedRequired

Downloads

Route confidence 36%

Overview

The second-highest summit of the Mischabel group (4,491 m), a steep pyramid between Täsch and Saas-Fee. Every route is long and committing; the normal route is a two-day AD mixed ridge from a bivouac hut at 3,850 m, with loose rock and big cornices.

The Täschhorn stands immediately south of the Dom on the long Mischabel ridge between the Mattertal and the Saastal, only 54 m lower than its neighbour but far less climbed. Seen from the Saas valley it is a sharp pyramid; on the Mattertal side it drops in the steep Kin face and the vast south-west face above Täsch.

There is no easy way up. The normal route, the Mischabelgrat (south-south-east ridge), starts from the Mischabeljoch bivouac and combines firm snow arêtes with large cornices, loose flanks and a final 200 m of solid gneiss to UIAA III. The approach alone is a glaciated AD- outing. Other classics are the Teufelsgrat (south-west ridge, D) and the traverse to the Dom, one of the great Valais ridge days.

Expect a quiet mountain: the ridge is climbed much less often than the Dom or the Weissmies, is rarely in perfect condition, and has seen fatal falls on its middle section. Plan for a long day at altitude after a night at 3,850 m.

Climbing Notes

You need to move confidently on exposed mixed ground: UIAA III rock, firm snow arêtes with crampons, loose traverses, and glacier travel with crevasse rescue. Acclimatise first with nights at 3,000 m or more and an easier 4,000 m peak such as the Allalinhorn or the Alphubel; the Alphubel can double as the approach to the bivouac from Saas-Fee.

Typical itinerary: day one Täsch – Täschalp by road, then 5–6 hours to the Mischabeljoch bivouac (book online; take food, the hut is unstaffed). Day two, start before dawn: 3–5 hours up the ridge, about as long back to the bivouac, then down to Täschalp, or a second night at the bivouac. Zermatt Tourism lists it as a guided objective ('Bergführer notwendig'), and most parties without long alpine experience go with an IFMGA guide. Prefer early-to-mid season, when good snow on the ridge binds the loose rock; late in a dry summer the flanks become loose and the Kin face descent is out.

History

First climbed on 30 July 1862 (some sources give 31 July) by the Reverends John Llewelyn Davies and J. W. Hayward with the guides Stephan and Johann Zumtaugwald and Peter-Josef Summermatter, by the north-west (Kin) face from Randa. The south-east ridge from the Mischabeljoch was first climbed on 15 August 1876 by James Jackson with Christian and Ulrich Almer, and the Teufelsgrat on 16 July 1887 by Albert and Mary Mummery with Alexander Burgener and Franz Andenmatten. On 11 August 1906 Geoffrey Winthrop Young, V. J. E. Ryan, Franz and Josef Lochmatter and Josef Knubel climbed the south-west face in an epic ascent that was not repeated for 37 years.

Season

Best Jul

January: Not advisable
February: Not advisable
March: Not advisable
April: Possible
May: Possible
June: Good
July: Best (best window)
August: Good
September: Good
October: Possible
November: Not advisable
December: Not advisable

Jan: Winter; bivouac open but approach serious
Feb: Winter
Mar: Ski-touring approach to the bivouac possible; ridge in winter condition
Apr: Ski mountaineering season; only for experienced parties
May: Ski access to the Mischabeljoch; ridge snowy
Jun: Täschalp road opens mid-June; good snow often binds the loose rock
Jul: Main season
Aug: Flanks drier and looser; more rockfall on the approach glacier in heat
Sep: Often stable weather; shorter days
Oct: Täschalp road service ends mid-October; early snow
Nov: Winter
Dec: Winter

Access & Permits

Hut Booking

Mischabeljochbiwak: online through the SAC/Alps Online reservation system (linked from mischabeljochbiwak.ch); hut keeper Gerold Bumann, +41 79 757 99 16.

Fees

Mischabeljochbiwak: CHF 25 per night for SAC members, CHF 40 for non-members (youth and children reduced)
Taxi or bus Täsch – Täschalp

Getting There

Täsch (Zermatt 5 km); Saas-Fee for the eastern approach

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

Train to Täsch on the Visp–Zermatt line; large car parks at the Matterhorn Terminal Täsch
Täsch – Täschalp (Ottavan, about 2,200 m): narrow road, by car or bus from mid-June to mid-October, Alpentaxi from late spring (about 20 minutes)
From Saas-Fee: Alpin Express and Metro Alpin to Mittelallalin, then over the Alphubel to the Mischabeljoch (4–5 hours, glaciated)

Hazards

Glacier
Crevasses
Rockfall
Altitude
Exposure
Cornices
Weather

Huts & Shelters

TäschhütteHut
Website of Täschhütte
2,701 m
MischabeljochbiwakBivouacUnstaffedBooking required
24 beds · Open year-round, unstaffed (mattresses and blankets provided)
Book Mischabeljochbiwak Website of Mischabeljochbiwak
3,855 m