Zinalrothorn
4,221 m
Switzerland
Also known as Зиналротхорн, ცინალროტჰორნი, +1Also known as
Зиналротхорн · ცინალროტჰორნი · Цинальротхорн
- Elevation
- 4,221 m
- Prominence
- 491 m
- Difficulty
- 6/10
- Alpine climb
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 2
WorksReported 17 Aug 2024
The Rothornhütte was rebuilt in 2023–2024 and the new hut, with 54 places, was inaugurated on 17 August 2024.
thomascrauwels.ch
Routes
2Showing North ridge from the Cabane du Mountet: the ’s line is approximate.
The first-ascent line and the usual route from Zinal: glacier from the Cabane du Mountet to the col below the Blanc de Moming, a sharp snow arête to the shoulder (4,017 m), then an airy rock ridge on mostly good gneiss over the Rasoir, the Sphinx, the Bourrique and the Bosse (III) to the summit. Often combined with a descent of the normal route to Zermatt.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 15.1 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,682 m
- −117 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 4,221 m
- Time Up
- 11h 04m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 7h 38m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Day one: from Zinal (1,679 m) walk about 4.75 hours up the Val de Zinal on the west flank of the Besso, with a suspension bridge and ladders, to the Cabane du Mountet (2,886 m). Day two: from the hut follow the cairned path up the moraine to about 3,100 m and rope up on the Mountet glacier, crevassed especially low down. Climb north-north-east to the col between the Zinalrothorn and the Blanc de Moming (about 3,800 m), crossing a bergschrund; allow 2–3 hours. From the col follow the narrow snow ridge, steep at the end, then easy rock to the shoulder (Épaule, 4,017 m); the shoulder can also be reached more quickly up the face. Continue on the crest: traverse the Rasoir on the Mountet side (III), bypass the Sphinx on the same side (bolts), sit astride the Bourrique, then climb the Bosse, a broken slab first on the right then in the middle (III, bolts). Easy ground, awkward if snowy, leads to the summit; allow 2–3 hours from the col. From the col the summit looks closer than it is. Descend the same way, with equipped abseils on the Bosse (two of 25 m) and the Rasoir, or traverse by the normal route to the Rothornhütte and Zermatt.
Start
Zinal1,660 m
- Train to Sierre, PostBus via Vissoie to Zinal.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zinal → Cabane du Mountet | 11.2 | 1,346 | 117 | 6h 07m |
| 2 | Cabane du Mountet → Zinalrothorn | 3.9 | 1,336 | 0 | 4h 56m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Zinal1,660 m
- Hut: Cabane du Mountet2,886 m
- Shoulder: Épaule du Zinalrothorn4,013 m
- Summit: Zinalrothorn4,221 m
Key Passages
- Crevassed Mountet glacier and bergschrund
- Narrow snow arête to the shoulder
- Le Rasoir (III)
- Le Sphinx
- La Bourrique
- La Bosse (III)
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
A 4,221 m rock peak between Zermatt and Zinal, climbed mainly by ridges of good gneiss rather than glacier. Both standard routes are around AD with UIAA III steps, long and exposed, and among the finest mid-grade rock climbs on any Alpine 4,000er.
The Zinalrothorn stands on the ridge between the Mattertal and the Val d'Anniviers, north of the Ober Gabelhorn and south of the Weisshorn. From Zermatt it shows a steep, rocky pyramid; from Zinal a sharp north ridge rising over a snowy shoulder. The name comes from the village of Zinal on its north side and the German Rothorn, 'red peak'.
The Zermatt normal route from the Rothornhütte is more a face-and-ledge route than a true ridge: glacier, scree and ledges on the south side, a stonefall-prone couloir to the Gabel notch, then the bolted Binerplatte traverse and the exposed Kanzel just below the top. From Zinal, the north ridge from the Cabane du Mountet follows the first-ascent line along an airy crest with named pinnacles (Rasoir, Sphinx, Bourrique, Bosse). Both are around AD with moves of UIAA III; many parties traverse the mountain, up from one side and down the other.
The climbing is mostly on sound rock where the trodden line is followed, but the routes are long, the descent takes nearly as long as the ascent, and ice on the north-side traverses (Binerplatte) or snow on the ridge can make them much harder. Stonefall in the Gabel couloir is the main objective hazard on the normal route. The Rothornhütte was rebuilt and reopened in August 2024.
Climbing Notes
You should be able to move quickly and confidently, often unroped or on a short rope, on exposed UIAA II–III rock in mountaineering boots and occasionally crampons, and to belay, place quick protection and abseil efficiently. Expect 8–10 hours hut to hut. Acclimatise first with a lower 4,000er or nights above 3,000 m (the Breithorn, Allalinhorn or Pollux are common warm-ups).
Typical itinerary from Zermatt: about 4.5–5 hours to the Rothornhütte, an early start, 4–5 hours to the summit and about 4 hours back to the hut, then down to Zermatt the same day if you are fast. From Zinal, plan about 4.75 hours to the Cabane du Mountet and a similar summit day by the north ridge. Choose dry, cold conditions: avoid the Gabel couloir in the heat of the day and avoid the Binerplatte when it is iced. Guides from Zermatt and Zinal lead both routes; a guide is advisable if you are not used to long, exposed rock ridges at altitude. Book the Rothornhütte early, as it now has only 54 places.
History
First ascent on 22 August 1864 by Leslie Stephen and Florence Crauford Grove with the guides Melchior and Jakob Anderegg, from Zinal by the north ridge; Stephen called the ridge traverse 'the nastiest piece of climbing I have ever accomplished'. The south-east side, the basis of today's Zermatt normal route, was first climbed on 5 September 1872 by Clinton Thomas Dent with Alexander Burgener and George Augustus Passingham with Ferdinand Imseng and Franz Andermatten. Before the Rothornhütte was built in 1948, parties started from the Hotel du Trift and breakfasted at the Frühstücksplatz on the way up; the hut was replaced by a new building opened on 17 August 2024.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; huts unstaffed
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Winter; Mountet staffed for ski touring in some periods
- Apr
- Ski-touring season (shoulder only); rock ridges snowbound
- May
- Ridges still snowy
- Jun
- Rothornhütte opens late June (2026: 26 June); often snow on the ridges
- Jul
- Main season once the rock is dry
- Aug
- Main season; stonefall in the Gabel couloir in hot spells
- Sep
- Often dry and stable; Rothornhütte closes mid-September; iced traverses possible
- Oct
- Huts closed; early snow
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rothornhütte: via the hut website rothornhuette-sac.ch. Cabane du Mountet: +41 27 475 14 31, mountet@cas-diablerets.ch.
- Rules
- Zermatt is car-free: park in Täsch and take the shuttle train
- Rothornhütte: reservation strongly advised; small capacity since the 2024 rebuild
- Getting There
Zermatt (normal route); Zinal (north ridge)
Geneva (GVA) or Zurich (ZRH); Sion (SIO) has limited flights
- Zermatt: train via Visp, or park in Täsch and take the shuttle train; the hut path starts in the village (Zermatt–Alterhaupt–Trift–Rothornhütte, about 4 h 40 min)
- Zinal: train to Sierre, then PostBus up the Val d'Anniviers via Vissoie to Zinal; about 4 h 45 min on foot to the Cabane du Mountet
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Altitude
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
2- 2,886 m
Cabane du MountetHutStaffedBooking required
80 beds · Staffed April and July–September, partly March, May and June; emergency room always open
- 3,198 m
RothornhütteHutStaffedBooking required
54 beds · Summer; 2026 season 26 June – 12 September (fully staffed mid-July to mid-September)