Liskamm — Eastern summit

4,527 m

'Crest of the Lys' — Kamm in German means a comb or ridge, and Lis is from the Lys (Italian Lys, German Lyster), the river that drains the southern side of the massif into the Val di Gressoney.

Card

Coordinates45.9183° N · 7.8347° E

UIAA rank№ 08 / 82

CountriesSwitzerland · Italy

Normal gradeAD · assez difficile

First ascent1861 · J.F. Hardy's 14-strong British–Swiss party via the Lisjoch

Typical seasonJuly to August

Photo of Liskamm — Eastern summit — Photo: 4000er · Public domain

Higher of the two Liskamm summits; a long, heavily corniced snow-ice ridge known historically as the 'Menschenfresser' (man-eater).

History

The eastern, higher summit of the Liskamm was reached on 19 August 1858 by J. F. Hardy and a party of seven with the guides Christian and Ulrich Lauener, Stephen and Peter Perren and Karl Herr. The traverse from west to east summit along the celebrated corniced ridge is one of the great snow climbs of the Alps — and one of the deadliest. The Liskamm's reputation as 'der Menschenfresser' (the man-eater) comes from the long, heavily corniced summit ridge between Felikjoch and Lysjoch, which has broken under climbers more often than any other ridge of comparable popularity in the Alps.

Location

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

Major routes

SE ridge from Capanna Gnifetti

AD · assez difficile

Vertical / summit day1,200 m gain · 6h

Ascent of the east summit alone, climbed via the Lysjoch and the corniced east ridge. Sustained snow ridge with sections of mixed III; the cornices on the north side are large and a frequent cause of accidents — stay well off the lip.

Huts on this route

Rifugio Capanna Gnifetti3,647 m

Lyskamm W→E traverse (finishing on the east summit)

D · difficileTopo ↗

Vertical / summit day1,100 m gain · 7h

The classic traverse — one of the great snow-ridge routes of the Alps. From the Felikjoch over the Naso del Lyskamm, the western summit (4479 m), the connecting ridge and the eastern summit (4527 m). 2 km of corniced ridge with sections of mixed IV; objectively serious because of the cornices.

Huts on this route

Rifugio Quintino Sella al Felik3,585 m
Rifugio Capanna Gnifetti3,647 m

Featured in tours

Liskamm Traverse1-2 daysAD

Nearby huts

Rifugio Quintino Sella al FelikCAI · late June to mid-September3,585 m Rifugio Capanna GnifettiCAI · late June to mid-September3,647 m Rifugio Città di MantovaCAI · late June to mid-September3,498 m Rifugio Giovanni GnifettiCAI · mid-March to late September3,647 m

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