ESN Zürich

CANCELLED Hike + Glacier to Monte Rosa Hut

• Meeting place: Zürich HB
• When: 2022-07-29 07:00:00
• Description:

  2 days trip to Monte Rosa Hut

  Ever wanted to hike on a glacier, surrounded by the highest mountains in Switzerland, sleeping in an architectural masterpiece designed by ETH Zürich, that is the most modern mountain hut of Europe? This is your chance!

  We make a two-days trip to the beautiful area of Zermatt, hike and sleep in the famous Monte Rosa hut and make a glacier trekking.

  The area: The area around Zermatt is worldwide famous for its beauty. Most famous is probably the Matterhorn, but the other mountains around are not less impressive! The Monte Rose hut is located between two arms of the Gorner-glacier (the 3^rd longest glacier of the alps), just in front of the Dufourspitze, the highest mountain of Switzerland.

  The hut: The Monte Rosa hut was designed by professors and students of ETH Zürich as celebration of the 150 years anniversary of ETH. The design is oriented on a berg crystal. Its shape is unique and fascinating. The hut was built with groundbreaking technologies. It has a self-supply degree of 90% and is still a matter of research for the efficient use of resources.

  The spirit: A night in a mountain hut is very different to a night in a hotel. Everything is a lot more basic. Since most huts are in remote areas, the resources are quite limited. All rooms are shared and there is not that much personal space. Usually, there is only one meal (with vegetarian option) available. But often, it’s still amazing food with starter and desert. The huts are mostly used by mountaineers, who climb the mountains in the area. Since mountaineering requires you to get up really early in the morning, the mandatory time be quiet and turn off all lights is usually around 10pm. This all might sound a bit uncomfortable, but it is not. The spirit in mountain huts is really nice, it is a great familial atmosphere. Everybody is eating together, the people are usually uncomplicated, sociable and friendly. The remote area and the time outdoor bring the feeling of being in harmony with nature. You will experience a part of Swiss culture that you can't experience in Zürich.

   

  The program:

  Day 1: We take the train from Zurich to Zermatt in the morning. In Zermatt, we meet our mountain guide Rudi. From Zermatt we take the Gornergrat railway to Gornergrat. From there we make a 5h hike on a scenic route to the Monte Rosa hut. A part of the way is on the glacier. You will be provided spurs (Steigeisen) and our guide will instruct you how to walk with them on the glacier. We have dinner together in the hut and sleep there.

  Day 2: We have breakfast in the hut. Our guide will give you again an instruction how to walk on a glacier and how to walk in rope teams. Then we go on the glacier and make a glacier trekking until the end of the Gorner glacier. This will take around 6 hours. At the end, we walk the remaining piece back to Zermatt. There will also be some time left to visit Zermatt itself.

  Safety: Mountain-sports and glaciers can be dangerous. We have a professional mountain guide on our side all the time. Rudi is a full-time professional mountain guide with 40 years experience. He has additionally worked many years in alpine rescue. As a local guide, he knows the area very well. He will instruct you how to use the provided material and how to behave in the alpine environment. Most accidents in the mountains happen due to a combination of overconfidence, misjudgment of the weather and the route in an unknown environment. These factors can be eliminated by going with an experienced, professional guide. This lets you enjoy the mountains in a safe way with a very limited risk.

  Requirements: This route was chosen for people without any prior mountaineering experience. You should have the fitness to walk 6h uphill with a backpack. Also some limited hiking experience in the mountains is recommended. Proper hiking boots (over the ankle) and appropriate clothing is required.

  Please be aware that the rooms are shared rooms and there is not that much personal space. See the website of the hut to get an impression of what to expect.

  Refund: Our mountain guide will decide if the weather is sufficient to go or not. If the event is cancelled due to the weather, you will of course get the whole price refunded. (But the event will also take place if the weather is not perfectly nice, clouded etc.). If you want to cancel, this is only possible for medical reason, and you won't get the whole price refunded, since we have certain fix-prices. If you want to cancel and you find somebody (in the same category as you, e.g. below 25 and student) that wants to takeover your place, this is of course possible.

   

  Gornergrat Railway

   

   

  Monte Rosa Hut with Gorner Glacier