Swiss Alps: Eiger

0 ft

Elevation

Switzerland

Country

Days

3B

Difficulty

Early July

Start

Early Sept

End

About the Mountain

WHY CLIMB IT?

The Eiger (13,025 ft) is an iconic alpine peak overlooking the villages of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. The mountain is best known for its north face, which stands 5,900 feet high and presents a formidable challenge to mountaineers. Since 1935, more than 60 climbers have died attempting it, earning it the nickname ‘Mordwand’ or ‘Murderous Wall.’ A key risk is rockfall from the crumbling face, which is not something that can be fully mitigated with experience and training. Fortunately, there are other routes up the mountain for those looking for a technical challenge without so much exposure.

“The Eiger is made of extremely bad, rotten rock, so unless it is cold and things are frozen in place it becomes quite a dangerous place.”

- Marcos Costa

The Mittellegi Route is the most popular way to ascend the Eiger. It starts – like all routes – with a rappel from the Eismeer Station tunnel down to Kallifirn Glacier, a moment mountaineers dream of. After crossing the glacier, the climb starts up to Mittellegi Hutte on the east ridge crest, the namesake of the route. From there, you can look down on the famed north face, vast glaciers, and rolling fields in the distance, a beautiful contrast of adventure and serenity. While the Mittellegi Route is not as dangerous as the north face, it still requires climbers to have prior mountaineering and rock climbing experience in boots. Those who attempt it should be comfortable using crampons to ascend steep snow and ice. Mountains like Rainier and Denali are considered good training for snow and ice travel, while mountains like the Matterhorn provide good technical training for the rock climbing portions.