September 22, 2024, 6:58 am | Read time: 5 minutes
An alpine tour takes ambitious hikers over glaciers and snow-covered ridges to the summit. With a mountain guide, this can be done on accessible routes even without much experience. There are plenty of access mountains in the Alps – some lead really high up. Here are 7 route suggestions for beginners.
A high-altitude tour is a unique experience: one enters the world of eternal ice, glaciers, and firn ridges, a snow-covered dream landscape, even in summer. A tour to a high alpine three-thousand-metre or even four-thousand-metre peak is not just for professional mountaineers. Even those who are typically hikers can undertake a high-altitude tour with a mountain guide. The following peaks in the Alps are particularly worthwhile tours for beginners:
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Schwarzenstein (3369 meters): The gentle glacier mountain in the Zillertal is not technically difficult: the ascent is tame, you hike to the summit. “The crevasses on the normal route are narrow, so you can hardly fall in,” says Stefan and Winter from the German Alpine Association (DAV). Nevertheless, mountaineers should rope up for safety – this is mandatory on every glacier to protect themselves from falling into crevasses.
The Schwarzenstein is typically ascended after an overnight stay at the venerable Berliner Hütte in the Zemmgrund, often as a summit detour on a circuit via the Berliner Höhenweg. From the south, the mountain can even be scaled ice-free. However, this means that the tour loses much of its high alpine character.
Similaun (3599 meters*): There are plenty of three-thousand-meter peaks in the Ötztal Alps. The Similaun offers a considerable height without requiring great technical skills – a good combination for beginner tours in the Alps. From the Similaun hut on the Niederjoch, there are also only around 600 meters of altitude to climb to the summit. The path primarily traverses the glacier. Beware of crevasses; always rope up! The mountain guide will find the best route.
The summit ridge at the very end is unsuitable for those who fear heights, as the wall to the left of the path drops several hundred meters. But climbers just have to keep their distance and put one foot in front of the other. “It’s not tragic if you stay behind,” says Stefan Winter. “You’re as good as at the top.” The summit offers a magnificent, almost surreal landscape panorama.
Großvenediger (3657 meters*): The majestic giant in the Hohe Tauern is a technically easy yet challenging summit. After all, the “Venediger” is the fourth-highest mountain entirely in Austrian territory. The glaciation is impressive, with correspondingly deep crevasses crossing the path.
However, Winter sees the greatest danger in the mountain’s vastness. “You should only make the summit when visibility is good,” advises the expert. If fog rolls in, mountaineers quickly lose their bearings on the glacier and put themselves in danger. Various routes lead to the summit from different huts. The views from the summit are unparalleled in the Eastern Alps.
Allalinhorn (4027 meters): If you want to stand on a four-thousand-meter peak without much experience, the Allalinhorn in the Valais Alps is the right place for you. “The mountain draws many,” says Bruno Hasler from the Swiss Alpine Club SAC. This is mainly due to the Metro Alpin mountain railroad, which transports tourists comfortably up to 3544 meters. From there, it is just 570 meters up to the summit. Unlike most other high alpine peaks, the mountain is, therefore, even suitable for a day tour. However, you should not underestimate the altitude! At 4,000 meters, the lungs take in significantly less oxygen.
Breithorn (4164 meters): The heavily glaciated mountain in the Valais Alps leads to lofty heights and is nevertheless easy to climb under professional guidance. Alpinist Bruno Hasler calls the summit a “classic” among alpine tours.
The advantage: here, too, the mountain railroad takes aspiring summit climbers up to 3870 meters. It takes just over two hours to climb the 300 meters to the top. Even if the mountain is well developed, the Breithorn can also be tricky on the regular route in bad weather.
Gran Paradiso (4061 meters): The glacier mountain in the Graian Alps in Italy not only has an auspicious name, but it is also an extremely popular four-thousander because it is easy. “It’s right at the top of the popularity scale,” says Stefan Winter. Although the standard routes on the west side are mere footpaths through easy terrain, the glacier certainly has “crevasses one could fall into.” Roping up is mandatory. The standard routes start from Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele II or Rifugio Chabod. The ascent to the summit is long and requires a good level of fitness.
Monte Cevedale (3769 meters*): The southern side of the Alps is less rainy. However, there are still many impressive glaciers in the Ortler Alps, including Monte Cevedale. The starting point for a high-altitude tour is the Casati Hut, situated at an elevation of 3269 meters. This means you can take it easy on the summit day.
If one summit is not enough, one can also tackle the Zufallspitze, which is connected to the Cevedale by a ridge. The panoramic view from the summit briefly makes one wonder whether it truly is summer – the surrounding peaks appear so snowy and wintry.
*The altitude measurements of the mountains vary depending on the source. For the Similaun, for example, the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying indicates 3599 meters and the Alpine Club map 3606 meters.
Also interesting: 13 hiking routes in Germany
The original of this article was published in 2015.