Allalinhorn

Allalinhorn from the northeast, from Mittelallalin

The Allalinhorn (or simply Allalin ) is a 4,027 m high peaks in the Pennine Alps. It is one of the lightest and most climbed own four-thousanders in the Alps, not least because the Metro Alpin approach leads to the summit to about 570 meters and this from the mountain station of the lift can be reached in about two hours. The summit rises in the mixing Abel ridge between the Saas Valley in the east and in the west and the Matter is one of the named after him Allalingruppe, which belong to three more, all with the higher four-thousand Alphubel, beam and Rimpfischhorn.

Location

The Allalinhorn is located 7 kilometers southwest of Saas -Fee, surrounded by four large glaciers: the north is the Fee Glacier, east of Hohlaubgletscher, in the southeastern and southwestern Allalingletscher the Mellichgletscher. To the Summit aspire four ridges, which, however, with the exception of the East Ridge - also called Hohlaubgrat ridge - in the summit area under a thick ice cap to lose.

To the west are Feekopf ( 3'888 m) and Alphubel ( 4,206 m), through Feejoch ( 3'826 m) and Alphubeljoch ( 3'772 m) separately. To the south separates the Allalin ( 3'564 m) the Rimpfischhorn ( 4'199 m) from Allalinhorn.

Origin of the name

The name refers Allalin next to the mountain on the east Situated beneath the summit area including some Alps. The Endbetonung can infer a vordeutsche origin. Allalin was also one of those names that Christian Moritz Engelhardt in 1840 " Sarazenenhypothese " tempted, when he turned, the Saas Valley was settled in the 10th century by people of Arab origin. Engelhardt is as the name of the form Alalain and returns them in Arabic ala ain ( at the source ').

Another interpretation comes from the year 1976 by Jules Guex, relying on a letter Johann Ulrich Hubschmieds. He leads Allalin back to the Celtic * akarnos (, maple '). A diminutive * agarinus have walked to Agalin is that for smaller maple existed in the Valle Verzasca '. Im not even Germanized Saas Valley would later become ayalin fact it Hubschmied constructed a hybrid form all'ayalin, which was made ​​later by the invading Alemanni to Allalin. Also, this interpretation has not found widespread acceptance, given the lack of historical evidence, there is no better explanation.

Climbing history

In 1828 Heinrich Michaelis crossed with a guide to Allalin and thus opened up the route to the southwest. But only 28 years later, the first ascent of the Allalinhorn succeeded over this ridge on August 28, 1856 led the pastor Johann Josef Imseng and his servant Franz Josef Andenmatten, both from Saas Grund, the Englishman Edward Levi Ames to the summit. The northwest ridge, the normal route today, was first celebrated on August 1, 1860, again Franz Josef Andenmatten was one of the party, except him, Sir Leslie Stephen, FW Short, Frederick William Jacomb, C. Fisher, Moritz Anthamatten, Peter Taugwalder and Johann Kronig.

The first traverse of the summit succeeded on July 27, 1882 the Bernese high school teacher and historian Heinrich Dübi with the leaders of Alphons and Peter Supersaxo. They came here about the difficult northeast ridge to the summit, the descent was over the Hohlaubgrat ridge. Both ridges were first climbed in the course of this remarkable company. The rise of the Hohlaubgrat ridge was only five years later mastered on July 12, 1887 by the Englishman Harold Ward Topham, CH Redall with the leader Aloys Supersaxo. A year earlier had Aloys Supersaxo and Briton CAC Bowlker climbed first the south wall, has the climbing difficulties of IV degree.

The first winter ascent of the Swiss succeeded R. Bracken in 1907 alone. On April 17 of that year, the Zurich A. Hurter and Max Stahel accomplished with Othmar and Oskar Supersaxo the first Skibesteigung.

As early as 1912 was facilitated by the construction of the Britannia hut climbing the Allalinhorn, 1938 came as a further base add the Berghaus Längfluh. Today, the Allalinhorn is next to the Breithorn the most developed through mountain paths Four peaks in the Alps.

The many built primarily for the Skitourimus systems are limited to the north-east side of the mountain. There, in 1954 started the construction of a cable car to the ground game after Längfluh ( 2'869 m) was extended in 1959, the area between the two tongues of the Fee glacier. Even closer drew the mountain railways in 1969 with the construction of the cable car to zoom Felskinn area ( 2'989 m ) to the summit. In the 1970s, it was planned to further extend this train to Feekopf ( 3'888 m). This project was denied a license by the Swiss Federal Council, something landscape was acceptable as an alternative to the Metro Alpin Mittelallalin ( 3'456 m) built what is now a summer ski area. In January 2011, the company that operates the cable cars were known to seek an extension to the Feejoch would be from where the summit in 45 minutes to reach.

Routes

West edge ( Normal )

The shortest rise on the house begins at the station Mittelallalin the Metro Alpin ( 3,454 m). By using the train to climb this is possible as a day trip. From the station you first crosses the ski area to the west. The increase then continues on the track almost always significant among the seracs of the Allalinhorn north face through it, some columns in gaps immediately to Feejoch. From the pass we continue in an easterly direction over the moderately steep snow slope on the ridge, located just south of the summit. From there, you take a few minutes to the summit ridge and consisting of some rocky summit with cross. This route takes about two hours to complete, the difficulty level is L.

A means of access to this route consists of Längfluh ( 2,870 m). This alternative provides for overnight stays in mountain house Längfluh the opportunity to avoid the biggest crowds during the operating hours of the mountain railways in time.

Hohlaubgrat ridge ( East Ridge )

Starting point for an ascent over the Hohlaubgrat ridge is the Britannia Hut. This ridge separates the Allalin and Hohlaubgletscher. The ridge is cut quite sharp in the upper part and is there mainly from firn, with the exception of an approximately 20 -meter-high rock step just below the summit, the crux of the route.

From the Britannia Hut first performs a clear path down in a southwesterly direction to Hohlaubgletscher. In this first, keep right at the northern edge of the glacier, to bypass the column zone of the glacier. Later, you have to turn in a southerly direction towards the first significant dip of Hohlaubgrats. The ridge is entered at about 3100 m. Next you get either block work directly on the ridge, or in the right, northern glacier edge to a Gratgipfel ( 3'597 m). After a short but striking down the ascent route now leads a long, steep slope to the eastern shoulder ( 3,837 m), zoom of this three shorter Steilaufschwünge to the summit area. The following, partly brittle rock step is provided with bolts and has difficulty climbing the II degree on. About two pitches to get to the Gipfelfirn and in only a few minutes to the summit.

In total there are to be estimated for this route four hours, the difficulty is rated on WS. Another means of access to the upper part of the ridge is from the middle station of the Metro Alpin at 3300 meters, the station Hohlaub which is operated only with the first morning ascent. With a tube you get there on the Hohlaubgletscher and via this to Hohlaubgrat ridge.

South-west from Allalin

This way the first climbers today marks far less common than the west flank, or Hohlaubgrat ridge. The Allalin can be reached in about three hours from both the Britannia and from the Täschhütte. Initially, the path crosses Firn, later on rock to the shoulder ( 3'752 m ), a rock needle is bypassed on the left. Continue through the ice ridge to the rocky summit upswing. The following difficult ridge section is bypassed via belts in the south-eastern flank, then returns to the ridge. Another rock boom can be climbed or bypassed directly on corn snow in the southeast side. Then you get to the Gipfelfirn and via this to the summit. From Allalin you need 1 ½ hours, sometimes climbing difficulty of the II level is manageable, the overall difficulty is rated on WS.

Further increases

On the house there are the following more rewarding, difficult and rare committed rise options:

Geology

In the area of ​​Allalinhorn the zone of Zermatt -Saas Fee is pending. This unit forms with the Tsaté blanket the Bünderschiefer - ophiolite ceiling, which is above the Monte Rosa ceiling. It represents a powerful mass of oceanic sediments containing places very many ophiolites. There you will find Shale and green rocks such as serpentinite, gabbro and basalt.

Very famous is a native of the area and the Allalinhorn Saas Fee Allalin gabbro. This is a Leitgestein. The durable Allalin gabbro was brought down over the Saas and the Rhone Glacier and indeed, as the Saasergletscher last approach gave at least 14000-16000 years ago up to the Rhone Glacier. Boulders were found in the catchment area of the Rhone Glacier, for example, a head large specimen, which was found in a gravel pit in Ins in the canton of Bern and is now on display at the Saas Museum. The most striking mineral that also called Swiss jade stone is the bright green omphacite next to the jadeähnlichen saussurite.

Literature and Maps

• Helmut Dumler, Willi P. Burkhardt: Four peaks in the Alps. Bergverlag Rother, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-7633-7427-2
• Michael Waeber: Valais Alps. Field guide for hikers, climbers, backcountry skiers, climbers. 13th Edition, Berg Publisher Rudolf Rother, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-7633-2416- X
• Richard Goedeke: 4000. J. Berg at Bruckmann, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-7654-3401-9
• Map of Switzerland 1:50,000, sheet 5006, Matterhorn - Mischabelblick
• Map of Switzerland 1:25,000, sheet 1329, Saas
• Map of Switzerland 1:25,000, sheet 1329, Randa