The 82/Pennine/Allalinhorn
74 / 82Mont DolentHinter Fiescherhorn
The peak · CH · Pennine Alps

Allalinhorn

4,027 m

The Allalin element is a pre-Germanic toponym of disputed origin. One reading derives it from the Saracen raids on Valais in the 10th century (Arabic 'allah-'); another sees a Celtic or pre-Indo-European water-name on the same root as the river Aar. The peak takes its name from the Allalin glacier and the alp of the same name on its south-west side.

Card
Coordinates46.0556° N · 7.8950° E
UIAA rank№ 74 / 82
CountriesSwitzerland
Normal gradeF · facile
First ascent1856 · Edward Levi Ames with Franz-Josef Andenmatten & Johann Josef Imseng
Typical seasonJune to October
Sign in to log
Photo of Allalinhorn
Photo: Michal Jurosz · CC BY-SA 3.0

Snow-domed peak between Zermatt and Saas-Fee, made accessible by the Metro Alpin funicular to Mittelallalin. The normal route via the Feejoch and west-northwest ridge is one of the easiest 4000ers in the Alps.

History

Climbed on 28 August 1856 by the English clergyman E. L. Ames with the Saas guide Andenmatten. Today the Allalinhorn is by some distance the easiest 4000er in the Saas valley: the Metro Alpin funicular climbs to 3500 m at the Mittel-Allalin station, and the standard ascent of the Hohlaubgrat from there is a three-hour glacier walk and snow ridge that is the standard introduction to glaciated terrain for hundreds of beginners every summer.

Location

Summit · huts that serve as bases for routes on this peak

Major routes
WNW flank from Mittelallalin (Normal route)
F · facileTopo ↗
Vertical / summit day527 m gain · 2h 30m
The most accessible 4000er in the Alps. The Metro Alpin underground funicular from Saas-Fee deposits climbers at Mittelallalin (3500 m); from there a short glacier walk leads to the Feejoch and then the easy snow flank to the summit. Popular as a half-day acclimatisation tour and for guided introduction trips.
Sections
Mittelallalin (3500 m)Feejoch (3826 m)+326 m1h 15m
FeejochSummit (4027 m)+201 m1h 15m
Hohlaubgrat (SE ridge)
PD · peu difficile
Vertical / summit day700 m gain · 4h
A more sporting alternative from Mittelallalin — an aesthetic snow ridge with a few short steeper sections. Same starting point and similar logistics as the normal route, but quieter and more interesting.
Nearby huts
Britannia HütteSAC · mid-March to mid-September3,030 mBerghaus LängfluePrivate · mid-June to mid-September2,870 m