GUNUNG · Swiss
Eiger
Eiger (Berner Oberland)
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Photo: source
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Source: Open-Meteo
Information
- Elevation
- 3.967 m
- Country
- Swiss (CH)
- Location / Range
- Bernese Alps — Jungfrau Group (Bernese Oberland)
- Mountain type
- Limestone and gneiss peak (non-volcanic, orogenic)
- Volcanic?
- No (non-volcanic)
- Coordinates
- 46.5776, 8.0053
- Difficulty
- Extremely strenuous and technical (Normal Route via the West Flank: PD+; Nordwand: ED, for experienced alpinists)
- Best Season
- Mid-July–September (normal route; the Nordwand is best in winter/spring for alpinists)
- Permits & Rules
- No formal permit; access via Eigergletscher station (Jungfraujoch railway); there is no hut on the normal route
- Hazards
- Rockfall on the Nordwand (especially in warm weather), extreme exposure, sudden storm onslaughts, white-out, hypothermia, and glacier crevasses on the approach
Description
The Eiger (3,967 m) is one of the most iconic peaks of the Bernese Alps, rising above the village of Grindelwald and the Lauterbrunnen valley in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. It forms the eastern end of a ridge running across the Mönch to the Jungfrau, and is best known for its nearly 1,800 m north face (Nordwand) — the biggest north wall in the Alps and long regarded as the range's 'last great problem'. The first ascent was made via the west flank on 11 August 1858 by Swiss guides Christian Almer and Peter Bohren with the Irishman Charles Barrington. The north face was not climbed until 24 July 1938, by the Austrian–German team of Anderl Heckmair, Ludwig Vörg, Heinrich Harrer and Fritz Kasparek, after a series of tragedies earned the wall the German nickname 'Mordwand' (murder wall). Today the summit is reached only by experienced mountaineers, but the Jungfrau Railway tunnel inside the mountain gives easy access to viewing windows carved into the rock face, and its reputation endures through films such as 'North Face' (2008).
Gallery
Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.
Routes
Eiger Trail — Trek Panorama di Bawah Nordwand
Mudah–Moderat (trek berbukit, tanpa teknis alpine)The most popular non-summit trail around the Eiger, traversing grassy slopes directly below the Nordwand from Eigergletscher Station to Alpiglen. It offers spectacular close-up views of the Eiger North Face without having to climb it. Suitable for all ability levels and families. Can be combined with the Jungfrau train from Grindelwald.
Route Segments
- 1
Eigergletscher Station (2320 m) → Lereng Tengah
Turun perlahan di jalur berumput di bawah dinding utara Eiger; sering ada rusa atau marmot
- 2
Lereng Tengah → Alpiglen (1616 m)
Jalur terus turun melewati padang subalpine; stasiun kereta api Alpiglen untuk kembali ke Grindelwald
West Flank — Jalur Normal (via Eigergletscher)
PD+ (Peu Difficile plus); pendakian alpine non-teknis-ekstrem namun eksposur tinggiEiger's normal route starts from Eigergletscher Station (2,320 m), reachable by Jungfrau Railway from Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen. From the station, the trail heads west over mixed snow-and-rock slopes, climbs the Eigerjoch (a col on the west ridge), then follows the summit ridge to the top. Most of the route can be managed by experienced alpine climbers without extreme technical gear, but high exposure and rapidly changing conditions make it dangerous for beginners. A certified UIAGM/IFMGA mountain guide is strongly recommended.
Route Segments
- 1
Eigergletscher Station (2320 m) → Lereng Barat Bawah
Jalur awal di atas salju/es atau batu bergantung musim; pemandangan langsung ke Nordwand
- 2
Lereng Barat → Eigerjoch (~3600 m)
Pendakian batu dan salju dengan seksi lebih curam; paparan angin meningkat signifikan
- 3
Eigerjoch → Puncak (3967 m)
Punggungan puncak dengan eksposur tinggi; pemandangan ke Nordwand dan seluruh Bernese Oberland
Safety Statistics
High riskAggregated for prevention and awareness — not a casualty list. Read alongside the safety tips below.
Period 1935–2023 · At least 64 climbers have died on the north face (Nordwand) since 1935 — a CUMULATIVE total, not a per-summit rate; no recorded denominator of attempts exists, so a fatality percentage cannot be derived. The lethal reputation is concentrated on the north face, not the far easier normal route (west flank).
Causes of death
- Exposure / hypothermia
💡 Limit time on the wall; parties stranded overnight high on the face are vulnerable to freezing, as historic cases show
Source - Fall
💡 Manage rope & protection on the highly exposed traverses; failed retreats are a recurring fatal pattern on the Eiger
Source - Severe weather
💡 Watch weather windows tightly; the north face traps storms — retreat early if the forecast deteriorates
Source - Avalanche
💡 Beware snow-loaded slopes after storms; avalanches sweep the north-face couloirs
Source - Rockfall
💡 Start very early & clear the exposed zones before the sun melts the ice that binds the rock; avoid the face during warm afternoons when stonefall peaks
Source
Notable incidents
- 1935 First attempt and first deaths on the north face
Two Bavarian climbers became the first to die on the north face while attempting it; snow and avalanches halted their progress until they perished at a spot later known as the 'Death Bivouac'. Lesson: the face punishes being stranded high when weather turns.
Source - 1936 The 1936 disaster — a famous failed retreat
A four-person team was trapped while retreating after one member was injured by rockfall; losing their rope at the Hinterstoisser Traverse and swept by an avalanche, three died and one clung on for hours within reach of rescuers before succumbing to exhaustion. It became a classic case study in retreat, rope management, and injury on exposed terrain.
Source - 1938 First successful ascent of the north face
On 24 July 1938 a joint German–Austrian team (Heckmair, Vörg, Harrer, Kasparek) completed the north face via the '1938'/Heckmair route — marking that the Alps' most feared wall could be climbed with the right technique, timing, and judgement, not bravado alone.
Source - 2006 ~700,000 m³ rockfall underscores the stonefall hazard
In July 2006 about 700,000 m³ of rock collapsed from the Eiger's east side into an uninhabited area with no casualties — a stark reminder that the mountain's rock mass is unstable and rockfall is a structural threat, not just an occasional risk.
Source
Climbing Experiences
The name Eiger is almost synonymous with its Nordwand — a near-vertical north face of roughly 1,800 m that became the greatest alpine challenge of the 20th century. Beyond the Nordwand, which is strictly for elite alpinists (the classic Heckmair route was first climbed in 1938), the Eiger also has a normal route via the West Flank from Eigergletscher station that is far more accessible technically, plus the legendary Mittellegi ridge. Climbers' vlogs and accounts describe the north face as a combination of loose rock, ice, rockfall, sudden storms and heavy psychological exposure — a full ascent of the Heckmair route can take from a dozen to over twenty hours. For non-alpinists, the Eiger Trail below the north face (from Eigergletscher to Alpiglen) offers close-up views of the wall with no technical risk.
References
The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.