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SouthWest Spur

SouthWest Spur (Normal route) Aletschhorn 4193 m

Difficulty

AD-, 2a
Ascent

6–7 h, 1700 m

The normal route from the Oberaletsch hut. A long, but very rewarding, high-altitude tour that is often done. A traverse of the Aletschhorn, ascending the SW-Spur and descending the NE-Ridge into the Mittelaletsch basin is extra long but thouroughly recommended. In winter, the SW-Spur is often done as a ski tour, with the skis being deposited beneath the spur itself. In bad visibility, the upper part of the spur is poorly pronounced and difficult to find. Since 2001, metal posts have been in place along the upper part of the spur, in order to facilitate orientation and increase the safety margin. Transition onto the firn ridge at p. 3396 can be difficult in the case of heavy snow melt.

Route Aletschhorn SW-Flanke mit neuer Routenführung bei P. 2706. (06/2022) © Irene Aeberhard

Neue Routenführung Aletschhorn bei P. 2706 im Detail. (06/2022) © Dario Schmid

Route to the summit via the SW Spur. © Bernhard Senn-Erismann

Neue Installationen auf der Route zum Aletschhorn. (06/2022) © Irene Aeberhard

View back onto the snowy Oberaletsch glacier at sunrise. (04/2007) © Senn-Erismann Bernhard

The obvious Southwest Spur leads directly to the Summit. (08/2014) © Senn-Erismann Bernhard

On the Southwest Spur (upper third). The transition from the lower spur onto the glacier is visible in the right edge of the picture. (04/2007) © Senn-Erismann Bernhard

Route description

Oberaletschhütte - Glacier

From the Oberatletschhütte (2640 m) descend the winter hut approach northwards onto the Oberaletschgletscher.

Galcier - P. 3396

Follow the Oberaletsch Glacier on its eastern lateral moraine northeastwards to below P. 2706 (marker poles). Here you leave the glacier and climb leftwards up the moraine on tracks to the rocks above. (In July 2019, stakes and chains were mounted in the lower part of the moraine) Cross a deep brook from right to left, then continue on tracks to gain a broad trough east of P. 2838. Markings and reflectors show the way. Follow tracks up the trough/gully to join the SW-Spur. Climb mostly along on the E side of this coarse blocky ridge from P. 3101 to reach the glacier at P. 3396, 3½ hrs.

P. 3396 - Summit

The transition from the rock ridge at P. 3396 can be tricky. Once on the glacier head East at first, then slowly arc north through northeast to reach the crest of the upper SW rib, just south of P. 3736 over an easily identified scree/ snow slope. From here, continue up a broad slope towards the middle of three rocky ridges. The ridge is climbed via quite solid rock to a blocky tower at its upper end. Cross to the right of this and onto the following rib which in turn leads into another scree snow field. Finally the summit is reached over indistinct and rubble-covered rock (between 3900 m and the summit, in order to aid navigation there are metal posts placed at a distance of 30-35 m apart)

Additional information

Departure point

Oberaletschhütte SAC (2640 m)

Difficulty: In July 2019, stakes and chains were mounted in the lower part of the moraine near P. 2706

The stakes in the uppermost part of the route facilitate orientation in poor visibility.