Eiger - Mittelegi ridge
Legendary mountain above a butique village of Grindelwald.
Mittelegi
most classic ascent of the Eiger
1500 € | guide:client ratio is strictly 1:1
Price includes guiding. Additional costs (for both the client and the guide) – accommodation in the valley, accommodation in the hut, train and gondola passes – are not included in the price and are charged separately. Estamated costs are approximately 700 €.
On the first day, around midday, we take the Jungfraubahn railway to the Eismeer station. The station is located inside the mountain, and it feels quite unusual that you can be sitting on a train for half an hour and end up in the middle of the mighty Eiger wall. At this point, we leave the crowds of tourists and descend on a rope to the glacier on the southern side of the mountain. We navigate the glacier between crevasses and meltwater streams, clearly seeing the goal of the first day ahead of us – the Mittelegi Hut (3355 m), which we reach after some easier scrambling. The hut is located on a very exposed ridge with a magnificent view, and it accommodates only 24 people.
On the second day, the route from the hut first leads across easier terrain, but the difficulty gradually increases. Across the most challenging parts of the ridge, thick ropes are installed, which make the passage significantly easier. After several exposed sections, a rapell and some scrambling, we reach the summit of the Eiger (3967 m). The descent follows the western ridge: first to the Eigerjoch (3600 m), the lowest point of the descent route, and then over several rocky towers to the glacier and onward to the Mönchsjoch Hut (3657 m). The descent is long and strenuous, as it includes rope descents, down-scrambling, about 400 meters of ascent, and glacier travel. A magnificent tour!
| Grade | Altitude difference | Duration | Best time |
| III+ /AD-D | 1300 m | 2 days | from begining of July to mid September |
Additional tour options:
- A very popular combination is climbing all the major peaks of the crown above Grindelwald – the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau – with an overnight stay at the Mönchsjoch Hut. In this case, the tour lasts 4 days, and the guiding fee is 2700 € + expenses.
Mittelegi Integral
traversing the entire ridge, from the pastures to the summit of the Eiger
2200 € | guide:client ratio is strictly 1:1
Price includes guiding. Additional costs (for both the client and the guide) – accommodation in the valley, accommodation in the hut, train and gondola pass – are not included in the price and are charged separately. Estamated costs are approximately 500 €.
On the first day, after lunch, we board the Jungfraubahn railway in Grindelwald. After 15 minutes we get off at the Alpiglen station (1616 m), from where we can already see our goal for the day – the spacious Ostegg bivouac (2317 m) on a grassy ledge marking the beginning of the Mittelegi Integral ridge. The approach from the station to the bivouac takes about 3 hours, with some sections of scrambling and via ferrata. The bivouac offers 15 sleeping places, a fully equipped kitchen, a wood-burning stove, and even a self-service drinks cabinet. You could say it’s a hut without a warden.
On the second day, early in the morning, we begin by finding the passages through the north face that lead us up to the ridge. From the ridge, we have our first 360° view of the surroundings and, together with the sunrise, the atmosphere is incredible – glaciers and peaks on one side, Grindelwald on the other, and ahead of us the Eiger with its mighty north face. The ridge is very exposed in places, and we often climb right along the knife-edge. The crux is a 35-meter high smooth wall, very well equipped but rated at VI/5c if free climbed. Thanks to the solid protection, the wall can be climbed almost entirely using aid, significantly reducing the difficulty. A few easier rock towers still separate us from the Mittelegi Hut (3355 m), which marks the end of our day.
The third day of the Mittelegi Integral tour is identical to the second day of the classic Mittelegi ridge (see above). Given the terrain already climbed up to the hut, this day is more or less relaxation and enjoyment with exceptional views. Of course, there is still some climbing.
| Grade | Altitude difference | Duration | Best time |
| IV+/One section 5c/D | 2300 m | 3 days | from begining of July to mid September |
Additional tour options:
- A very popular combination is climbing all the major peaks of the crown above Grindelwald – the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau – with an overnight stay at the Mönchsjoch Hut. In this case, the tour lasts 5 days, and the guiding fee is 3400 € + expenses. For the ascent of the Mönch and Jungfrau, the guide:client ratio is 1:2, which means an additional person can join.
... this is not the only interesting mountain in the Alps.
There are a lot of other interesing mountains and climbing routes in the Alps. I listed some of them here and I invite you to contact me with your ideas.