Wildhorn

3,250 m

Switzerland

Also known as ვილდჰორნი

ვილდჰორნი

Elevation: 3,250 m
Prominence: 981 m
Difficulty: 4/10; Alpine hike
Best Season: Mar–Apr
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? 4 check notes

danger scan: Chilchligletscher → Wildhorn: connector line 172 m above the last hut/bivouac
last routed vertex 172 m from the summit (closed by connector)
unresolved waypoints: Point 2814, Glacier de Téné
waypoints not on the route line: Chilchligletscher (274 m off the trail)

AlpineFSACT4GlacierNormal route

Sources differ: L (SAC route portal and Wildhornhütte (L = F))

The most frequented route on the Wildhorn, summer and winter: a T2 walk from the Iffigenalp above Lenk to the Wildhornhütte (2,303 m), then moraine paths and two small, rapidly shrinking glaciers, the Chilchligletscher and the Glacier de Téné, via the rocky pass at point 2,814 to the twin summits. Grade F, about 1,650 m of ascent over two days.

Elevation Profile

approximate line

Distance: ≈ 10.1 km; one way
Ascent: ≈ +1,717 m; −54 m lost on the way up
High Point: 3,250 m
Time Up: ≈ 7h 05m; DIN 33466
Time Down: ≈ 4h 53m; DIN 33466 · same way back

From the Iffigenalp (1,584 m, bus from Lenk in summer) follow the farm road to the Groppi alp and the mountain path past the Iffigsee and the Stiereiffige alp to the Wildhornhütte (2,303 m), about 2½ hours and 700 m of ascent on a good, unexposed T2 path. From the hut take the white-red-white path towards the Schnidejoch along the moraine crest and below the Chilchli. Slightly west of point 2,676 leave the path to the right and step onto the Chilchligletscher at its lowest point; a glacial lake has formed at the tongue and is best passed on the right. Climb the left side of the glacier south-west, then a steeper slope with crevasses leads to the indistinct pass at point 2,814 on the Bern–Valais border. A July 2022 conditions report on gipfelbuch.ch said the old transition between the glaciers had degraded (rockfall, debris) and advised climbing the new scree directly to the lowest point of the rock barrier at point 2,814; crampons help here. Cross about 250 m of limestone pavement south-west to the Glacier de Téné, which is no longer continuous, and follow it gently south-west past some rocks and below a prominent rock spur. Cross the stonefall area at about 3,160 m quickly, then climb more steeply to the west summit (3,250 m). The east summit, with the cross and summit register, is 2 m lower and is reached by an easy connecting ridge, or in poor conditions by a short 25–30° gully onto its north-east ridge. Descend the same way. The SAC gives 3–3½ hours and 950 m from the hut to the summit. In winter and spring this is a popular ski tour (PD-), with one short slope of 30–35°.

Start

Iffigenalp1,587 m

Train to Lenk im Simmental, then the summer bus to the Iffigenalp.
Parking at the trailhead

Stages

Day	Stage	km	m ascent	m descent	Time
1	Iffigenalp → Wildhornhütte	5.6	764	54	3h 21m
2	Wildhornhütte → Wildhorn	4.5	952	0	3h 44m

Waypoints

Trailhead:
Iffigenalp1,587 m
Feature:
Groppi1,744 m
Feature:
Iffigsee2,062 m
Hut:
Wildhornhütte2,301 m
Feature:
Chilchligletscher2,760 m
Joined at its lowest point slightly west of point 2,676; glacial lake at the tongue (not on route line)
Summit:
Wildhorn3,250 m

Key Passages

Glacial lake at the tongue of the Chilchligletscher
Crevassed slope and rock barrier at point 2,814
Stonefall zone at about 3,160 m
Connecting ridge between the west and east summits

Equipment

0/11 packed

Downloads

Route confidence 85%

Overview

The highest summit of the western Bernese Alps between the Sanetsch and the Rawil (3,250 m), a twin-topped limestone peak on the Bern–Valais border above Lenk. Its normal route from the Wildhornhütte is an easy glacier climb (F), popular in summer and as a ski tour.

The Wildhorn rises at the head of the Iffigtal above Lenk and the Lauenen valley, on the watershed between the Simme and the Rhône. It is the culminating point of the Wildhorn group, a broad limestone massif of karst plateaux, small glaciers and lakes that spans the cantons of Bern and Valais, and its two summits, 2 m apart in height, are linked by a short ridge; the lower east top carries the cross.

The north side lies in the Gelten-Iffigen protected area. The normal route from the Wildhornhütte crosses two small glaciers, the Chilchligletscher and the Glacier de Téné, that are shrinking fast: a lake has formed at the tongue of the Chilchli and the Téné is no longer continuous. Difficulties are modest, but crevasses remain and the rock barrier at point 2,814 has become loose. From the top the view runs from the Diablerets to the Bernese Oberland 4,000-metre peaks and across the Rhône valley to the Pennine Alps.

Harder routes include the north ridge (Wildgrat, PD+/AD-) and the Germannrippe on the north-east pillar (D-). From the south, routes from the Lac de Tseuzier and the Cabane des Audannes are mainly ski tours. The Wildhorn is a stage on the multi-day Tour du Wildhorn.

Climbing Notes

A good first glacier summit for walkers with basic crampon and rope skills, or with a guide. Most parties take two days: about 2½ hours from the Iffigenalp to the Wildhornhütte, then 3–3½ hours and 950 m to the summit next morning. Bring full glacier kit and know how to use it: crevasses remain on the Chilchligletscher below point 2,814. Start early to cross the stonefall zone at about 3,160 m before the sun loosens it, and check current conditions with the hut, as the glaciers are changing year by year. The hut is staffed from mid-June to early October; in late winter and spring the route is a classic ski tour.

History

First ascent on 10 September 1843 by Gottlieb Studer with M. Schäppi and the herdsman of the Iffigenalp. The nearby Schnidejoch (2,756 m), an old crossing between Bern and Valais, is known for prehistoric finds exposed by the melting ice.

Season

Best Mar–Apr

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

Jan: Ski tour; hut not staffed until February
Feb: Ski-touring season; hut staffed in late winter
Mar: Classic ski tour
Apr: Spring ski touring
May: Spring snow; hut closed
Jun: Hut opens mid-June; snow still covers the crevasses
Aug: Bare ice and more stonefall in late summer
Sep: Bare glacier; crevasses open
Oct: Hut closes early October; new snow

Access & Permits

Hut Booking

Wildhornhütte SAC: book online via Alpsonline, by phone (+41 33 733 23 82) or email (info@wildhornhuette.ch).

Rules

Gelten-Iffigen protected area on the Bern side
The last section of the road from Lenk to the Iffigenalp is one-way with timed slots: uphill from xx:30 to xx:45, downhill from xx:00 to xx:15
Unexploded shells have been reported in the Audannes sector on the Valais side; do not touch them

Getting There

Lenk im Simmental

Bern (BRN); Zurich (ZRH); Geneva (GVA)

Train to Lenk im Simmental via Zweisimmen, then the summer bus to the Iffigenalp
By car from Lenk to the Iffigenalp on the timed one-way road
From the Valais side, road from Sion via Ayent to the Lac de Tseuzier

Hazards

Glacier
Crevasses
Rockfall
Avalanche
Weather

Huts & Shelters

WildhornhütteHutStaffedBooking required
79 beds · Staffed in summer (13 June–4 October in 2026) and in late winter; winter room with 10 places
Book Wildhornhütte Website of Wildhornhütte
2,303 m