Tschingelhorn
3,555 m
Switzerland
Also known as Цчингелхорн, Tschingelhoren, +2Also known as
Цчингелхорн · Tschingelhoren · ჩინგელჰორნი · гора Чингельхорн
- Elevation
- 3,555 m
- Prominence
- 389 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jun
- Routes
- 1
AdvisoryReported 13 Jun 2026
The new Mutthornhütte (2,788 m, 60 places, 18 emergency places) opened for summer 2026 at the western foot of the Mutthorn, replacing the hut closed in March 2022 for rockfall danger. Staffed season 2026: 13 June – 27 September (not guaranteed). The Stechelberg approach is no longer recommended because of rockfall from the Chanzel.
sac-cas.ch
Routes
1Sources differ: ZS- (AD-) (SAC route portal; SAC guides 2010 and 2013) · PD (Camptocamp (rock 2, free 3a); SAC Alpes bernoises (2002))
A fairly short glacier tour from the new Mutthornhütte: across the Petersgrat glacier plateau to the foot of the south face, then either a steep snow couloir or loose, easy rock to the south-west ridge and the summit. Best in spring or early summer with good snow cover; stonefall-prone and unpleasant once the snow has gone.
About 56% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 4 check notes
- 55% approximate geometry
- DIN time down 6.51 h vs published 2.0 h (+226%)
- Heimritz → Neue Mutthornhütte: glacier (detour, 8.2 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Kanderfirn, South face couloir
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 14.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,125 m
- −122 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,555 m
- Time Up
- 9h 11m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 6h 31m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Day 1: from Selden in the Gasterntal (bus from Kandersteg) walk past Heimritz and up the Kanderfirn to the new Mutthornhütte (2,788 m) at the western foot of the Mutthorn (SAC: F, 4.5–5.5 hours, 1,260 m). Other approaches: from the Fafleralp in the Lötschental via the Uisters Tal and the Petersgrat (F, 5.5–6 hours) or from the Kiental via the Gamchilücke (PD). The approach from Stechelberg is no longer recommended because of rockfall from the Chanzel. Day 2: from the hut climb the névé south onto the Petersgrat, skirting the hollow to the right of point 3163, then follow the foot of the Tschingelhorn's south-west ridge across snowfields to a large snow couloir in the south face. Either climb the couloir (left; 40–45° in its upper part, a narrowing halfway, possibly avalanche debris) or the rocks to its right, which are easy but sometimes loose, with snow patches; crampons are often useful from halfway up. On the south-west ridge, easy rocks and snow lead to the summit. Allow 3–4 hours from the hut (SAC: 850 m of ascent from the new hut). Descend the same way in about 2 hours, preferably by the snow couloir if the snow is stable. The south face is exposed to stonefall in the couloir. The traverse from the Kleines Tschingelhorn is a recommended variant.
Start
Selden1,552 m
- Train to Kandersteg, then the Kandersteg–Gasterntal bus to Selden (summer).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Selden → Neue Mutthornhütte | 9.3 | 1,287 | 79 | 5h 37m |
| 2 | Neue Mutthornhütte → Tschingelhorn | 5.5 | 833 | 43 | 3h 33m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Selden1,552 m
- Feature: Heimritz1,633 m
- Hut: Neue Mutthornhütte2,783 m
- Feature: Petersgrat3,111 m
Glacier plateau; skirt the hollow right of point 3163
- Summit: Tschingelhorn3,555 m
Key Passages
- Kanderfirn glacier approach to the hut
- Petersgrat glacier plateau
- South-face snow couloir (40–45°) or loose rocks to its right
- Easy south-west ridge to the summit
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The Tschingelhorn (about 3,555–3,562 m) rises from the Petersgrat glacier plateau between the Lötschental and the head of the Lauterbrunnen valley. From the new Mutthornhütte its south face gives a short PD+/AD- tour by a snow couloir, best done in spring or early summer.
The Tschingelhorn stands on the Bern–Valais border between the Lauterbrunnen Breithorn to the east and the broad, glaciated Petersgrat to the west. To the north its steep faces drop to the Tschingelfirn and the remote upper Lauterbrunnen valley; to the south it falls to the Inners and Uisters Tal side valleys of the Lötschental. Its smaller neighbour, the Kleines Tschingelhorn (3,494 m), lies just to the west.
The SAC describes it as an interesting summit: a long high-alpine tour from the Fafleralp, but a fairly short one from the Mutthornhütte. The normal route crosses the Petersgrat to the south face and climbs a snow couloir or the loose rocks beside it to the south-west ridge (SAC ZS-, Camptocamp PD). It is best while snow and firn cover the face; once it melts out, the couloir becomes stonefall-prone and the route is not recommended.
The new solar-powered Mutthornhütte, opened in 2026 at the western foot of the Mutthorn, replaced the old hut closed in 2022 because of rockfall danger. In spring the Tschingelhorn is also climbed on ski tours across the Petersgrat.
Climbing Notes
You need glacier-travel and crevasse-rescue skills, good navigation for the wide Petersgrat plateau, and confident cramponing on a 40–45° couloir and loose, easy rock. Plan two days: Selden to the Mutthornhütte (4.5–5.5 hours), then 3–4 hours to the summit and about 2 hours back to the hut, followed by the descent to the valley (or a third day). The Tschingelhorn combines well with the Lauterbrunnen Breithorn or the Mutthorn from the same hut. Go in June or early July while snow covers the face, start early to beat stonefall, and avoid it after the snow has gone.
History
W. H. Hawker with Ulrich and Christian Lauener and Heinrich Feuz made the first ascent on 6 September 1865.
Season
Best Jun- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Possible
- September: Possible
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; hut closed
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Ski tours across the Petersgrat for experienced ski-mountaineers
- Apr
- Spring ski tours; good snow cover
- May
- Good snow cover; hut not yet staffed
- Jun
- Best: snow on the face; hut opens mid-June
- Jul
- Good early in the month; couloir melts out later
- Aug
- Often snow-free and stonefall-prone; not recommended once melted out
- Sep
- Usually dry and loose; hut staffed until late September
- Oct
- Hut closed
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Mutthornhütte SAC (new): hut-reservation.org (hut 14), +41 33 853 13 44, info@mutthornhuette.ch.
- Fees
- Kandersteg–Gasterntal bus fare; hut overnight fees
- Rules
- The old Mutthornhütte and its surroundings remain closed by the authorities because of rockfall danger; use the new hut at 2,788 m
- The Stechelberg approach is no longer recommended because of rockfall from the Chanzel
- Blatten (Lötschental): exclusion zone around the May 2025 Kleines Nesthorn rockslide debris; relevant for Fafleralp approaches
- Getting There
Kandersteg (Blatten/Lötschental and Lauterbrunnen for other approaches)
Bern (BRN); Zurich (ZRH) or Geneva (GVA) by train
- Train to Kandersteg, then the Kander Reisen bus into the Gasterntal to Selden
- From the Lötschental: Fafleralp (minibus from Lauchernalp in 2026, reservation required) and the Uisters Tal to the Petersgrat
- From the Kiental: Griesalp and the Gamchilücke
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Avalanche
- Weather
- Remoteness
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,788 m
Neue MutthornhütteHutStaffed
60 beds · Staffed mid-June to late September (fully July–August; 2026: 13 June – 27 September, not guaranteed); closed October–May