![Breithorn Mountain Tour, Climbing, Zermatt, Rock Formation](https://contentapi-swissactivities.imgix.net/contentapi.swissactivities/Breithorn_Zermatters_Bergtour_4000er_Alpen_c71af704d7.jpg?auto=format,compress&fit=crop&crop=edges&w=600&h=300)
Breithorn mountain tour from Zermatt Guided: Private or group
Validity: All day
5 Activities
Validity: All day
Validity: All day
Validity: All day
Validity: All day
Validity: All day
Tour
booked 81 times
Tour
Tour
Tour
Tour
The Breithorn is a four-thousand-meter peak for beginners. By taking the cable cars to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise you save about 2200 vertical meters. This reduces the time needed including the way back to about 3.5 hours. The mountain is quite easy to climb, but you should not underestimate the ascent. There are crevasses and other dangers lurking along the way. The guidance of an experienced and local mountain guide is absolutely necessary.
This high alpine mountain tour is considered a medium difficulty tour, but it leads along crevasses that must be avoided. The Breithorn ascent should only be undertaken by absolutely sure-footed and experienced mountain hikers. The high altitude air at 4000 meters makes many people uncomfortable. The trail starts at the Klein Matterhorn at 3821 meters above sea level. The destination Breithorn is at the highest peak 4164 meters high.
The Breithorn is a mountain massif near Zermatt, which consists of five peaks. The westernmost one is the highest and at the same time the best to climb of the summit ridge.
summit name | altitude (m a.s.l.) |
---|---|
West summit Breithorn Occidentale | 4164 |
middle summit Breithorn Centrale | 4159 |
Breithorn twin east summit (western twin) | 4139 |
Breithorn twin Gendarme (eastern twin) | 4106 |
Schwarzfluh Roccia Nera | 4075 |
Between the Breithorn and Klein Matterhorn lie the Breithorn Plateau (3795 m a.s.l.) and the Breithorn Pass (3814 m a.s.l.).
For this high alpine tour you need the appropriate equipment and should already be an experienced mountain hiker. Under the guidance of a local mountain guide, you will be led safely to the summit of the Breithorn and back.
You will go on the Breithorn Ascent with the mountain guide over the Breithorn Plateau and the Breithorn Pass. They connect the Klein Matterhorn with the Breithorn. Starting point is the mountain station of the 3S cable car Matterhorn Glacier Ride at 3821 m above sea level. At the plateau, you first descend slightly.
The most common route leads initially over the firn of the Breithorn plateau. In doing so, you walk over a glacier with crevasses. The group of climbers is safely guided by rope. Later you will go up a 35 degree steep slope. In total you will overcome 415 meters of altitude. The route (outward and return) is about 5.4 km long. The mountain tour lasts up to 3.5 hours.
Individual stages: Start at the mountain station Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (Klein Matterhorn) Traversing (crossing) the glacier over the Breithorn Pass and the Breithorn Plateau Ascent to the Breithorn summit (west summit) over firn slopes (35 degrees steep)
In summer the way leads you back the same way. In winter the descent over the Schwarztor is very popular. The mountain guide will also accompany you down.
The ascent of the Breithorn is possible all year round. In the winter half-year this is done with snowshoes or via guided ski tours. Are you a skilled and safe freerider? Skiers and snowboarders like to take the descent from the Breithorn summit at its easternmost end. There, between Schwarzfluh and Pollux, lies the Schwarztor (3734 m above sea level). Between crevasses and séracs you ski safely and enjoyably with the mountain guide all the way to Zermatt. Séracs are towers of glacial ice that form at crevasses and break-off edges.
The ski area below the Breithorn is home to the highest ski slope in Europe. On the Theodul glacier you can ski wonderfully.
On the heavily glaciated Breithorn, as well as on the Breithorn Plateau, crevasses form again and again. As long as you are with a local mountain guide, you don't have to worry. He leads all participants in the group on the rope and takes care to carefully avoid the crevasses.
You don't need any high alpine experience, but you should be free from giddiness and already a safe alpine mountaineer. The right equipment is also important. It differs depending on the seasons.
Because of the thin high altitude air, an ascent of the Breithorn is not suitable for children. Adults also have to reckon with health impairments if they undertake a high alpine hike or ski tour for the first time.
Already from 3000 m altitude there are less oxygen molecules in the air. This causes the vessels to constrict and can lead to high-altitude edema in the lungs or brain. Mountain sickness or altitude sickness develops at altitudes as low as 2000 meters. It starts with headache and nausea and reaches its peak with confusion and severe shortness of breath. Therefore, we advise you to seek medical advice before climbing.
The necessary equipment differs according to the seasons.
In summer it is important to have:
In winter you need:
You can rent the mountain equipment in Zermatt in one of four sport stores.
From Zermatt you take the 8-seater gondola Matterhorn Express in four sections to Klein Matterhorn. Afterwards you take the 3S-Bahn (three-cable gondola). You have heated seats in the cable car and are at the highest mountain station in Europe in only nine minutes.
Between Zermatt and Klein Matterhorn, these trains cover about 2200 meters in altitude. The trip takes up to 45 minutes in total, including transfers. This means that you have already comfortably completed most of the ascent and can concentrate on the last meters of altitude.
Valley station | Height (m a.s.l.) | Mountain station | Height (m a.s.l.) | Train type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Zermatt | 1638 | Furi | 1871 | 8-seater gondola lift Matterhorn-Express 1 |
Furi | 1871 | Schwarzsee | 2583 | 8-seater gondola Matterhorn Express 2 |
Schwarzsee | 2583 | Furgg | 2432 | 8-seater gondola lift Matterhorn Express 3.1 |
Furgg | 2432 | Trockener Steg | 2939 | 8-seater gondola lift Matterhorn-Express 3.2 |
Trockener Steg | 2923 | Matterhorn Glacier Paradise | 3821 | 3S Bahn Matterhorn Glacier Ride |
Dry Footbridge | 2920 | Matterhorn Glacier Paradise | 3820 | 100-seater aerial tramway |
Do you, like thousands of other people every year, also have the dream of climbing a four-thousand-meter peak one day? As you can see, this is very well possible on the Breithorn without any high alpine experience.