Eggishorn Klettersteig, Wallis, Schweiz, (C/D, 600 m), 2011
Airy, exposed sections Start at the Fiescheralp cable car mountain station. The via ferrata is well marked. Parking at the Fiescheralp cable car valley station.
Key Facts
| Location: | Wallis, Switzerland |
| Difficulty: | C/D |
| Exposure: | South/West |
| Walking time: | 3.5 hours, summit: 30 min., 2.5 hours |
| Climbing length: | 400 m |
| Elevation gain: | 270 m |
| Descent: | Mairalm or Hans-Hernlersteig |
| Summit: | 1.691 m |
Links
via-ferrata.de
bergsteigen.com
klettersteig.de
Report
The Eggishorn via ferrata is located on the summit of the same name in the Aletsch region (Valais, Switzerland) and is accessible from the village of Fiesch. The Eggishorn offers a magnificent view of the Aletsch Glacier, the Aletschhorn, the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, and on a clear day you can see the Matterhorn and even Mont Blanc – that alone is worth a visit!
Those wanting to warm up before the via ferrata should take the cable car to the Fiescheralp and walk to the entry from there. We, however, since we were travelling with the whole family, bought an Aletsch Family Hiking Pass in the valley and rode directly to the summit. From there you walk downhill westward for about 15 minutes to the entry point.
The via ferrata features several challenges: a 30-metre ladder bridge, a 40-metre three-rope bridge (which can be bypassed) and a Tyrolean traverse usable only with a mountain guide. Less appealing is the fact that you are constantly traversing until the emergency exit begins – only then does the route go steeply upward over the pillar. The exit becomes quite flat again; the final section involves some block scrambling. Difficulty is rated K2–3 (intermediate), which we can confirm. The steep passages were well protected with ironwork and manageable without problems. After roughly an hour we had completed the 300 vertical metres and were back at the summit.
Photos
