Via the Rhonegletscher and the West Flank | Alpinism

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Via the Rhonegletscher and the West Flank

Via the Rhonegletscher and the West Flank (Normal route) Dammastock 3630 m

Difficulty

F
Ascent

5–6 h, 1410 m
Descent

3–4 h, 1410 m

The chain of wintery mountains that dominates the entire Göschenen valley is home to the Dammastock, the highest peak in Central Switzerland. This range is popularly called the Dammakette, or Damma-chain. On their eastern side the walls drop steeply to the crumbling Dammagletscher, to the west they merge softly into the broad expanse of the Rhonegletscher. A simple but very long glacier hike, the normal route to the Dammastock leads across this. The first crux is early on: the bypassing of the souvenir shop at the Hotel Belvédère. This shop, which provides access to the Rhone glacier with its ice grotto, is closed early in the morning, so the building has to be circumvented somewhat awkwardly. After this however, the way is largely open to the highest point of Central Switzerland!

The route over the Rhonegletscher, avoiding the crevasse zone on the right. (06/2015) © Müller Bruno

Route description

Belvédère Hotel - Rhonegletscher

From the Belvédère Hotel (2271 m) bypass the souvenir shop on the right (east) and descend over the footbridge to the ice grotto. Here gain the glacier.

Lower Rhonegletscher to P. 2769

Pass the covering sheets of the ice grotto on the left and continue over the Rhone glacier, which you follow to the elevation 2520 m. Here, leave the glacier on its eastern edge (as for the route to the Galenstock) to avoid the heavily crevassed zone at 2700 m. Following faints tracks and cairns, climb up to P. 2769, before joining the glacier once more.