'White moss' in Walser-German — mies is the Walser dialect word for 'moss' (compare standard German Moos). The peak takes its name from the high pastures below its west flank, on the Saas valley side, which are unusually pale and lichen-covered.
Highest peak of the Weissmies group on the eastern side of the Saastal, opposite the Mischabel chain. The standard route ascends the north-west flank from the Hohsaas lift; the south-east ridge is also a popular classic.
Climbed on 12 September 1855 by the Zürich geologist Jakob Heusser with the Saas guide Peter Josef Zurbriggen — uncle of the more famous Matthias Zurbriggen, the first guide to climb Aconcagua. The voie normale on the north-west ridge from the Hohsaas lift is now one of the most popular training 4000ers in the Saas valley.
Route lines are approximate — drawn from guidebook waypoints, not GPS tracks. Don't navigate by them.
