Altels

Altels - north-west face, as seen from the Upper Tatelishorn

Altels from west

The 3,629 m above sea level. M. high Altels is a pyramid-shaped peaks south of Gasterntals at the end of the Kander Valley in the Bernese Alps. With slightly higher Balmhorn it is connected via a narrow ice ridge. A special feature of the mountain is the northwestern flank, which presents itself as a huge smooth surface.

The approximately 44 ° inclined hanging glacier on the northwestern flank of the mountain, of which only residues in the summit region and the Altels page glaciers are left today has showered at least twice the Spittelmatte on Gemmiweg with ice. Here, people and livestock were harmed:

• When glacial termination on August 18, 1792, four people and about 100 animals lost their lives.
• On September 11, 1895 fell about 4 million cubic meters of ice on the side of the mountain on the Spittelmatte. Among the ice six people, including Joseph Red, the Vice - President of Leukerbad, and 158 cattle, nine pigs, a mule and a dog died. A plaque on the Spittelmatte reminiscent of the disaster.

Rise

The summit ascent ( climbing / path meshing by debris, boulders, above 3,400 m above sea level. M. simple slabs of rock with bars that serve in rain, ice and snow to the fuse) is often combined with a visit to the Balmhorns ( Firn, rock I UIAA ) connected. About the Summit, the cantonal border between Bern and Valais runs.