Weissmies
4,017 m
Switzerland
Also known as ვაისმისი, ВайсмисAlso known as
ვაისმისი · Вайсмис
- Elevation
- 4,017 m
- Prominence
- 1,183 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul
- Routes
- 2
AdvisoryReported 27 Sep 2026 · until 19 Dec 2026
The Hohsaashütte ended its summer season on 27 September 2026 and reopens for the winter on 19 December 2026. The Almagellerhütte has also closed for the 2026 season (emergency shelter only).
hohsaashuette.chAdvisoryReported 31 Aug 2026
Almagellerhütte conditions update: the south ridge was in perfect condition and the Rotgrat good (ice screws needed on the glacier), but the traverse or descent to Hohsaas was no longer possible.
almagellerhuette.chAdvisoryReported 19 Aug 2026
The Weissmieshütte advised against the Hohsaas normal route: very icy and steep, ice screws needed, solid alpine experience essential. The north ridge was in good condition (descent by the south ridge).
weissmieshuette.chWorksReported 16 Aug 2026
The Weissmieshütte (2,726 m) is closed for refurbishment and extension from 16 August 2026 at 13:00; no overnight stays and no shelter room during the works. Reopening is planned for winter 2026/27. Building work started in May 2026 (month only given).
cdn.saas-fee.ch
Routes
2Sources differ: PD- (Camptocamp) · WS (snow/firn sections), T2–T3 approach (DAV Panorama (2024))
The shortest way up a Swiss 4,000er: from the Hohsaas lift station at 3,100 m, about 920 m of glacier through the crevasses and seracs of the Trift glacier to a saddle at about 3,780 m, then a firn ridge that steepens to the summit. Often done in a day from the first lift, but the glacier has become hard and icy late in summer and was not recommended in August 2026.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 3.1 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +922 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 4,017 m
- Time Up
- 3h 33m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 23m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Take the first gondola from Saas-Grund via Kreuzboden to Hohsaas (3,100 m), or sleep at the Hohsaashütte (3,140 m) next to the top station for an earlier start. A wide scree track crosses the south flank of the Geissrück to the northern edge of the Trift glacier at about 3,100–3,200 m. Rope up and cross the glacier southwards through a heavily crevassed zone with seracs, then turn west at about 3,400 m onto a broad firn shoulder. Follow it left (south-east) to a saddle at about 3,780–3,800 m between point 3,815 m and the summit. The firn ridge above is gentle at first and steepens near the top; it is awkward or dangerous when icy and can be corniced. The SAC route portal gives 3½ hours from Hohsaas for 917 m of ascent. Descend the same way, watching the time for the last lift down from Hohsaas, or, when the glacier is in good shape, traverse over the summit to the south-south-east ridge and the Almagellerhütte. In winter and spring the flank is a classic ski ascent; skiers sometimes descend a 300 m, 35–45° couloir below point 3,307 m to avoid the serac zone. The route has changed a lot with glacier retreat. The SAC warns of crevasses and icefall from the seracs on the WNW flank, especially in late summer and hot weather, and says the route can be largely free of snow by mid-season. In 2014 the municipality closed the Trift glacier for a time because of the risk of a large ice collapse. On 19 August 2026 the Weissmieshütte advised against the normal route because it was very icy and steep and needed ice screws, and on 31 August 2026 the Almagellerhütte reported that the traverse or descent to Hohsaas was no longer possible. Check with the huts before planning it for late summer.
Start
Hohsaas3,141 m
- Saas-Grund–Kreuzboden–Hohsaas gondola (summer and winter)
- Train to Visp, PostBus to Saas-Grund, then the Bergbahnen Hohsaas gondola via Kreuzboden to Hohsaas.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hohsaas → Weissmies | 3.1 | 922 | 45 | 3h 33m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Hohsaas3,141 m
Top station of the Saas-Grund–Kreuzboden–Hohsaas gondola
- Hut: Hohsaashütte3,136 m
- Feature: Triftgletscher3,214 m
Crevasse and serac zone
- Summit: Weissmies4,017 m
Key Passages
- Crevasse and serac zone on the Trift glacier (about 3,200–3,400 m)
- Firn shoulder to the saddle at about 3,780 m
- Steepening, sometimes icy and corniced summit ridge
Equipment
0/11 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
A broad, snow-capped 4,013 m peak above the Saas valley and one of the most popular first 4,000ers in Switzerland. Two easy-to-moderate routes reach it: a short glacier climb from the Hohsaas lift and a rock-and-snow ridge from the Almagellerhütte, which has become the more reliable choice as the Trift glacier deteriorates.
The Weissmies is the highest summit of the Weissmies–Lagginhorn–Fletschhorn chain on the east side of the Saas valley, close to the Italian border. With nearly 1,200 m of prominence it is a significant mountain in its own right, and its white north-west face is a landmark from Saas-Fee and Saas-Grund. The Saas valley lifts bring the start unusually high: the Hohsaas gondola station sits at 3,100 m, only about 900 m below the summit.
The classic outing is a traverse: up the south-south-east ridge from the Almagellerhütte, an easy but long rock ridge (UIAA II) leading to a narrow snow crest, and down the north-west flank and the Trift glacier to Hohsaas. The glacier route from Hohsaas is technically the easiest line and is often climbed in a day from the first lift, but it crosses a crevasse and serac zone that has become much more broken with glacier retreat. By late summer it can be bare, icy and steep enough to need ice screws, and in August 2026 the huts on both sides advised against it.
The ridge from the south avoids the glacier altogether and is very busy on fine summer days. Either way the summit gives one of the widest views in the Valais, across the Mischabel group to the Monte Rosa, Matterhorn and the Bernese Alps.
Climbing Notes
Either route suits fit walkers with basic alpine skills: walking in crampons on firm snow and ice, moving roped on a glacier (for the Hohsaas route) or moving together on easy rock (for the ridge), and the judgement to turn round. A guide is a good idea for a first 4,000er; Saas-Fee and Saas-Grund guiding offices run both routes. Acclimatise first: a night at a hut and an easier peak such as the Jegihorn or the Allalinhorn from Saas-Fee are common warm-ups.
From Hohsaas, many parties go up and down in a day using the first and last lifts; check the timetable, and with only 3½ hours up there is little margin. A night at the Hohsaashütte next to the top station allows an earlier start. For the ridge, plan two days: Saas-Almagell to the Almagellerhütte (3–4 hours), then about 4–4½ hours to the summit, 2½–3 hours back to the hut and 2 more to the valley.
Ask the huts about the Trift glacier before choosing the Hohsaas route or the traverse; in hot summers the glacier becomes icy and broken from about August, and the descent to Hohsaas may not be possible at all. The Weissmieshütte below Hohsaas is closed for rebuilding from 16 August 2026 until winter 2026/27.
History
The first ascent was made in late August 1855 by Jakob Christian Heusser with the guide Peter Josef Zurbriggen, from Saas. The south-south-east ridge was first descended in 1873 by J. O. Maund, H. N. Malan and J. H. Peebles with guides including Johann Jaun, after climbing the ridge from the Weissmiessattel; the first winter ascent was made in February 1912. In October 2014 the municipality of Saas-Grund closed the Trift glacier and the Hohsaas normal route for a time because a large ice tongue threatened to collapse.
Season
Best Jul- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Good
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter ski ascents from Hohsaas when the lift runs; cold and short days
- Feb
- Ski-mountaineering season; check avalanche conditions
- Mar
- Popular ski ascent of the north-west flank
- Apr
- Good spring ski conditions
- May
- Lifts and huts may be closed between seasons; spring snow
- Jun
- Huts open in June; glacier well covered, ridge may still be snowy
- Jul
- Main season for both routes
- Aug
- Ridge in good condition; Trift glacier often icy and broken (not recommended in August 2026)
- Sep
- Ridge usually dry and good; glacier route often out of condition; huts close in late September
- Oct
- Huts closed; possible in settled weather before the first heavy snow
- Nov
- Early winter; lifts closed
- Dec
- Hohsaas lift and hut reopen before Christmas; ski ascents possible
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Almagellerhütte SAC: online via alpsonline.org (linked from almagellerhuette.ch), +41 27 957 11 79. Hohsaashütte: info@hohsaashuette.ch. Weissmieshütte SAC (when reopened): online via weissmieshuette.ch, +41 27 957 25 54.
- Fees
- Hohsaashütte: CHF 83 half board (CHF 75 for SAC members), CHF 45 bed only
- Almagellerhütte: CHF 88 half board for non-members, CHF 73 for SAC members and reciprocal-rights club members; tourist tax CHF 2; late cancellation or no-show CHF 75 per person per night
- Bergbahnen Hohsaas gondola ticket (included from the first night with the SaastalCard)
- Parking in Saas-Almagell: CHF 5 per day
- Rules
- Almagellerhütte: cancellations free until 18:00 the day before; no winter room (an emergency shelter only, without cooking facilities)
- Weissmieshütte: closed for refurbishment from 16 August 2026, with no shelter room during the works; reopening planned for winter 2026/27
- Getting There
Saas-Grund; Saas-Almagell for the south ridge
Geneva (GVA), Zurich (ZRH) or Milan Malpensa (MXP)
- Train to Visp, then PostBus up the Saas valley to Saas-Grund or Saas-Almagell
- Saas-Grund: Bergbahnen Hohsaas gondola via Kreuzboden (2,397 m) to Hohsaas (3,100 m)
- Saas-Almagell: paid car parks in the village; Furggstalden chairlift shortens the walk to the Almagellerhütte
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Altitude
- Exposure
- Cornices
- Weather
- Rockfall
Huts & Shelters
2- 2,894 m
AlmagellerhütteHutStaffedBooking required
120 beds · Late June to late September; no winter room, emergency shelter only
- 3,140 m
HohsaashütteHutStaffed
Summer and winter, following the Hohsaas gondola timetable (2026: summer season to 27 September; winter from 19 December)