Bernese Oberland 4000m Summits

The peaks of the Bernese Oberland form the northern rampart of the Swiss Alps. They have a wilder and more remote feel than the Swiss Valais, with more snowfall, bigger glaciers and fewer mountain huts. With the exception of accessible peaks like the Mönch, the high summits of the Oberland are major undertakings and hard-won, making them especially rewarding.

On this course, we attempt some of the finest Oberland summits, with the highest and best-known peaks in the range – the Finsteraarhorn (4274m) and the Jungfrau (4158m) as our principal objectives. Other classic summits in the heart of the range include the Grunegghorn, the Gross Fiescherhorn, the Hinter Fiescherhorn and the Gross Grünhorn, all of which give challenging ascents involving up to 1400m of height gain.

This is a strenuous week demanding good fitness and general mountaineering skills. Previous alpine mountaineering experience is essential (such as gained on Summits & Skills 4000m, Technical Alpinism or Classic courses). Our exact itinerary is finalised after taking into account conditions, weather and any peaks that participants may have climbed previously.

As we go high quickly on this course and stay high, some prior acclimatisation is definitely an advantage for this week. If you can climb with us the previous week that would be ideal, but we are happy to advise on ways for you to acclimatise on your own in safety over the previous few days.

Who the course will suit

Many of the climbs on this course are particularly long and/or remote, so a good level of stamina and aerobic fitness is essential. Participants must have previous alpine experience, preferably to 4000m. Competence with ice-axe and crampons is required, as well as the ability to climb to alpine grade III (American 5.4, UK V Diff) in mountain boots with a medium-sized rucksack. Participants should have completed an ISM Summits and Skills 4000m course or equivalent as a minimum. Routes climbed on this course are mostly PD+ to AD.

Peaks that can be climbed on this course

• Finsteraarhorn (4274m) PD. The Oberland’s highest peak, and one of the most remote, gained by a splendid and exposed mixed ridge climb. Commanding viewpoint for the whole of the Swiss Alps.
• Gross Fiescherhorn (4048m) AD. The traverse of this peak is a classic Oberland expedition. A long approach leads to a steep ice slope and then excellent rock climbing up the SE ridge.
• Hinter Fiescherhorn (4025m) PD+. A worthwhile ascent usually combined with the Gross Fiescherhorn.
• Grünegghorn (3860m) PD. A perfect first summit to acclimatise and get the feel for conditions on the high peaks. Given good weather and a fast ascent it is possible to continue to the summit of the Gross Grünhorn.
• Gross Grünhorn (4044m) PD. An important peak overlooking Konkordiaplatz, the ‘crossroads’ of the greatest glaciers in the Alps. Most easily climbed by traversing another excellent summit - the Grünegghorn - and continuing by the fine SW ridge.
• Trugberg (3932m) PD+. A jagged, pinnacled ridge surrounded by huge glaciers. The west flank offers a choice of ways on snow & ice to some rocky climbing on the summit crest.
• Jungfrau (4158m) PD+. A fantastic and famous summit towering some 3000m above the Lauterbrunnen valley. The ascent from Jungfraujoch involves some quite steep and exposed sections.
• Mönch (4099m) PD. A delightful and popular summit having excellent climbing throughout, partly on snow or ice (depending on conditions) and partly on perfectly sound gneiss. Climbed in 2½ - 3 hours from the Monschjoch hut.

Typical course programme

This is a sample programme as there are many different ways to combine these ascents. We adapt the program to make use of the best weather for our ascent of the Finsteraarhorn. In a week of poorer weather/conditions when the Finsteraarhorn may not be possible, we can have a great week's mountaineering based mainly at the Mönchsjoch hut.

Sunday evening.

The course starts with participants and guides meeting at 7.00pm at Le Grand Chalet hotel in Leysin. This is the chance for the guides to give a thorough briefing and discuss the detailed plan for the week with you - and for you to ask any questions that you may have!

Monday.

After sorting out any equipment requirements, we travel across to Grindlewald by minibus or private car. From Grindlewald we take the famous Jungfraujoch railway - up to Kleine Scheidegg under the North face of the Eiger, then continuing through the heart of the mountain to emerge at the Jungfraujoch. We are now at 3450m on the top of the massive Aletsch glacier – the biggest glacier system in continental Europe. We descend the massive snowfield of the Jungfraufirn then cross another glacier which comes in from the east (the Grüneggfirn) to reach the Konkordia hut at 2850m.

Tuesday.

Today we climb the Grünegghorn (3860m) and then, given good weather and conditions, our plan is to continue over the Gross Grünhorn and then to cross the massive Fieschergletscher to reach the Finsteraarhorn hut. We start by climbing the Grüneggfirn for 300m then we follow snow slopes northwards to gain the South West Ridge of the Grünegghorn at Pt 3475m. Steep snow slopes lead to a fore-summit at 3787m then a rocky ridge is climbed to the main summit of the Grunegghorn. From here we traverse to the Gross Grünhorn (4044m) from which we have the option of making an abseil descent to reach the glacier. Alternatively we traverse back over the Grunegghorn and descend the sharper SE Ridge, over the little summit of Grünhornli (3595m), to reach the snowy col of the Grünhornlücke (3286m) before striking eastwards across huge snowfields for 2 km to the newly refurbished Finsteraarhorn hut, which nowadays sits high above the glacier.

Wednesday.

Another early start is needed to climb the Finsteraarhorn. We head upwards on the glacier that flanks the SW ridge, eventually gaining the ridge itself before crossing it and following another snow slope up to the Hugisattel at 4088m (named after Joseph Hugi, who stopped here when trying to climb the peak in 1829!). From the saddle some quite exposed mixed climbing up the NW ridge eventually gains the summit. We reverse the same route back to the Finsteraarhorn hut and spend a second night here.

Thursday.

Our next objective is the Gross Fiescherhorn, the splendid snowy pyramid at the top of the Fieschergletscher. We start early again and ascend the glacier while it is still frozen hard, then make our ascent through an area of steep seracs, our route depending on the prevailing conditions, to snow slopes leading to the Fiescherjoch, the col between the Gross and the Hinter Fiescherhorn. From here a steep ridge leads to the 4048m main summit, an exposed spot with a vast wall (the 1100m Fiescherwand) dropping sheer on the north side. We descend back to the col, and if there is time we make an ascent of the Hinter Fiescherhorn (4025m) before crossing the pass and ascending the Ewigscheefäld to the Mönchsjoch hut.

Friday.

For our final ascent we aim for the Jungfrau (4158m), the famous peak which dominates the northern Oberland and towers above the Lauterbrunnen valley. After some technical climbing near the start the route follows a broad ridge until a steep ice pitch gains a saddle. From here an exposed traverse gains the summit crest, a fine mixed ridge.

If people are fatigued we can opt to climb the Mönch – the shortest and most accessible of the 4000ers in the region. The climbing is continually interesting, with scrambling and short pitches over rock or mixed ground, leading to a fine, narrow snow crest up to the summit. After either ascent we descend to the Jungfraujoch railway, which takes us back to Grindelwald and our transport back to Leysin.

Saturday morning.

Breakfast at the hotel is included before departure.

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