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GUNUNG · Switzerland

Alphubel

Alphubel (DE)

Source
Alphubel

Photo: source

Information

Elevation
4.206 m
Country
Switzerland (CH)
Location / Range
Alpen Pennine / Mischabel, Kanton Valais — di antara Lembah Saas dan Lembah Zermatt (Täsch)
Mountain type
Puncak batuan non-vulkanik dengan kubah puncak bersalju lebar — Alpen Pennine (Walliser Alpen)
Volcanic?
No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates
46.0629, 7.8639
Difficulty
Berat (rute normal Alpine PD lewat Feejoch–Alphubeljoch dari Mittelallalin; Rotgrat sisi barat jauh lebih menuntut, AD/III+). Wajib crampon, piolet, tali, dan teknik gletser
Best Season
Akhir Juni–September untuk hochtour musim panas; Maret–Mei populer sebagai tur ski
Permits & Rules
Tanpa izin puncak; bermalam umum di Täschhütte (2.701 m) atau memanfaatkan Metro Alpin/Mittelallalin (3.456 m) dari Saas-Fee sebagai titik awal tinggi
Hazards
Gletser bercelah (Feegletscher) di rute normal; 'Eisnase' — hidung es curam pada varian dari Längfluh; punggung batu terpapar di Rotgrat; risiko cuaca cepat berubah dan whiteout di plateau puncak yang datar-luas

Description

The Alphubel (4,206 m) is a broad, snow-domed peak in the Mischabel chain of the Pennine Alps in Switzerland, forming the divide between the Saas valley to the east and the Zermatt valley (Täsch) to the west. Its flat snow-plateau summit sets it apart from sharp neighbours such as the Täschhorn and the Dom. Its first ascent was made on 9 August 1860 by the English alpinists Leslie Stephen and Thomas Woodbine Hinchliff with guides Melchior Anderegg and Peter Perren. Thanks to the Metro Alpin underground railway, which carries climbers up to Mittelallalin (3,456 m) above Saas-Fee, the Alphubel is often described as one of the more approachable Alpine 4000ers by its normal route — crossing the Fee Glacier over the Feejoch, Feechopf and Alphubeljoch, then following the south-east ridge to the summit. Yet 'approachable' is only relative: glacier crevasses, high snow terrain and the fast-changing Valais weather still demand full ski/glacier-mountaineering skills. For experienced climbers, the Rotgrat (west ridge) from the Täschhütte offers a far more demanding mixed rock-and-ice tour (AD, III+), while the 'Eisnase' variant from Längfluh adds a distinctive steep ice pitch.

Routes

Rotgrat (punggung barat) dari Täschhütte

Alpine AD, batu hingga III+ — tur campuran batu-es yang menuntut pengalaman
Puncak ~6 jam dari Täschhütte (2.701 m); beda tinggi ~1.500 m

A route for experienced alpinists from the Zermatt-valley side (Täsch). From the Täschhütte (2,701 m), the Rotgrat — Alphubel's west ridge — gives a long mixed rock-and-ice tour with rock difficulties up to III+ and about 1,500 m of ascent. It is far more demanding than the normal route: it needs sure movement on exposed rock, rope management on mixed ground, and full-day stamina. The 'Eisnase' variant from the Längfluh side adds a distinctive steep ice pitch.

Route Segments

  1. 1

    Täschhütte (2.701 m) → awal Rotgrat

    ⏱ 2–2,5 jam 3.300 mdpl

    Pendekatan menuju punggung barat; sebagian bermedan gletser/batu

  2. 2

    Rotgrat → puncak (4.206 m)

    ⏱ 3–4 jam 4.206 mdpl

    Punggung batu-es hingga III+, terpapar; wajib pengalaman panjat alpin

Source

Rute normal via Feejoch–Feechopf–Alphubeljoch (dari Mittelallalin)

Alpine PD — hochtour gletser dengan punggung tenggara bersalju, butuh crampon, piolet & teknik bertali
Puncak ~3–4 jam dari Mittelallalin (3.456 m); total sehari dengan bantuan Metro Alpin

The most popular route and the reason the Alphubel is called a 'friendly' 4000er. From Saas-Fee the Metro Alpin underground railway carries climbers up to Mittelallalin (3,456 m) as a high starting point. From there climbers cross the Fee Glacier, pass the Feejoch and Feechopf, then the Alphubeljoch, and climb the south-east ridge to the broad summit plateau at 4,206 m. The technical difficulty is moderate, but the crevassed glacier, the altitude, and a summit plateau prone to whiteout demand solid glacier skills and good weather judgement.

Route Segments

  1. 1

    Mittelallalin (3.456 m) → Feejoch → Feechopf

    ⏱ 1,5–2 jam 3.888 mdpl

    Penyeberangan Feegletscher bercelah; bertali & crampon sejak awal

  2. 2

    Alphubeljoch → punggung tenggara → plateau puncak (4.206 m)

    ⏱ 1,5–2 jam 4.206 mdpl

    Tanjakan salju ke plateau puncak lebar; waspada whiteout dan orientasi

Source

Climbing Experiences

The Alphubel is one of the Valais 4000ers often chosen as an 'introductory' peak, yet the real accounts below show it still demands respect: from the Eisnase route splitting the steep ice nose, to the normal Feejoch–Alphubeljoch traverse, to a freezing day on the summit plateau. Every source is a first-hand, verified-live climber experience.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.

  1. 1 Wikipedia Alphubel en.wikipedia.org · EN
  2. 2 Wikipedia Alphubel de.wikipedia.org · DE
  3. 3 Wikidata Alphubel (Q15130) wikidata.org · EN