Breithorn Ski Ascent

Picnic on the Breithorn

As a fitting finale to the Haute Route we made a ski ascent of the 4000m Breithorn which sits above the end of the Zermatt valley. The extensive ski lifts get you to within 300m of the summit leaving an easy couple of hours of skinning. It was a very cold and windy start and the visibility kept coming and going. We were able to ski directly on to the summit before locking our heels down and beginning the 2500m descent. The wind had died away but the cloud had also dropped giving white out conditions at times.

We opted for the technical glacier descent. With minimal tracks to follow we navigated to the col and down through a maze of crevasses and seracs. The whole valley funnels into a narrow gorge with some stunning ice formations but also an active river underneath the snow pack. With several gaping holes we opted to walk this part of the descent before joining the piste for the final descent to Zermatt.

Summit of the Breithorn readying ourselves for a 2500m descent in a white out!

Tiptoeing through a maze of crevasses and seracs

Final few turns below the seracs

Ice cave at the snout of the glacier

Ice cave at the snout of the glacier

Walkways & fixed lines above the river in the final gorge.

The Matterhorn dominating the view from Zermatt