Monte Rosa massif: Spaghetti tour

Climb over ten 4000+ meters peaks in the truly unforgettable realm of Monte Rosa massif. This long and notorious adventure will remain deeply engraved in your memory

Italy
6 days
Advanced / Expert
Summer

The Spaghetti Tour – a hut to hut traverse over all main 4000m peaks of the second highest massif in the entire Alps – Monte Rosa. The traverse is as demanding as legendary – more than 55km of ever shifting dreamscapes, involving mixed climbing that never gets too hard and stunning exposure on razor-sharp ridges and crevassed glaciers. The tour builds up slowly, starting with the Breithorns, then moving over Pollux and Castor to reach the mind bending Lyskamms and finish on the jewel of the Monte Rosa crown – Dufourspitze - the second highest peak on continental Europe. Along the route there are many lesser peaks to be climbed or avoided depending on our route choice.

* The itinerary depends on your skill level, speed and overall endurance. It may vary between 3 and 6 days and is severely determined by current weather and snow conditions. Below we propose the classical and more relaxed itinerary of the traverse:

Day 1

We ascend to Plateau Rosa either from Zermatt (CH) or Cervinia (IT) by lift and head for western and central Breithorn /4164m/ before descending to our first hut – Refuge Guide d’Ayas /3420m/. Overnight.

Day 2

With an early morning start we head for the rocky Pollux /4092m/ followed by the snowy Castor /4228m/ to end up at our next stop for the night – Refuge Quintino Sella /3585m/.

Day 3

With an early morning start we head for the 5km long W>E traverse of Lyskamm /4527m/ – a delicate and exposed crossing with great views, often unseen because of the constant starring at your crampons. Overnight at Gnifetti hut /3647m/.

Day 4

A more mentally relaxed outing to the panoramic Piramid Vincent /4215m/ that provides view of the Macugnagna valley and the towering above Monte Rosa east face – the highest rock face in the entire Alps! The traverse continues over few peaks – Corno nero /4321m/; Ludwigshohe /4341m/; Parrotspitze /4432m/ to reach Capanna Margherita /4554m/ – the highest building looming above the highest rock face in Europe!

Day 5

With an early morning start we head to Zumsteinspitze /4563m/, descend to the base of the SE ridge of Dufourspitze /4634m/ and after the summit we continue the descent via the swiss normal route to complete the full traverse of the peak or head to Nordend /4609m/ with few abseils to the col between the peaks. No matter the choice, the cold beer in Zermatt will be waiting!

Day 6

Reserve / rest day

 

All items marked with * can be rented from the guide.

Equipment

  • Hard boots compatible with semi-automatic/automatic crampons
  • Semi-automatic or automatic crampons*
  • Classical ice axe*
  • Climbing harness*
  • Climbing helmet*
  • 2 carabiners; belay sling*
  • Ski goggles or glasses*
  • 30l backpack

Clothes

  • Warm jacket
  • Hardshell jacket and pants
  • Thermal base layer  for upper body and legs
  • 3 pairs of gloves / technical 5 fingers; warmer 5 fingers; Mittens/
  • Hat/Buff 

Other Items

  • Thermos
  • Sunscreen & lip protection
  • Headlamp
  • Snacks
  • Personal items /prescription medicine; contact lenses; blister kit; maintenance equipment etc./

Hut Lodging

  • Spare socks; underwear
  • Light sleeping bag liner
  • Toiletries
  • Ear plugs
  • Phone recharger

Pricing

3500EUR

* The prices cover the guiding fee. Yours and the guide’s expenses for logistics and accommodation are on you.

* The prices may vary based on the length of the trip and the specific topics tailored for your personal preferences.

Insurance

Having an insurance is mandatory for the booking. You must be insured for your chosen activity and the cover must include medical expenses, personal accident, personal liability, third party risks and rescue (including helicopter rescue). You are strongly advised also to opt for coverage against cancellations and curtailment as the outdoor activities are strongly dependent of constantly changing meteorological conditions.

Guides

All programs of Vertical Vector are led by IFMGA mountain guides with substantial experience in the fields of skiing, climbing & mountaineering. The guide to client ratio for this trip is 1:1 due to the long traversing of a high consequence and exposed terrain. The guide to client ration may be 1:2 if the most technical sections of the route are avoided.

Accomodation

During the program we will sleep at various huts along the way. The exact number of overnights depend on our speed and the general conditions in the mountain.

Getting There

The meeting point is in Zermatt (CH) or Cervinia (IT) depending on the direction of the traverse we intent to do.

Cancelation by the client prior to the trip

If you book your Tour more than 30 days in advance, you will have a 48-hour span after booking to cancel and receive a full refund without any deductions. After that period of time, if you decide to cancel the Tour, you will have the possibility to do so in accordance with the following indemnity scheme (refunded or to be paid depending on whether the payment was made and received) plus covering the non-reimbursable expenses the Guide paid to organize the Tour.

  • 100% refunded (or 0% paid) if the cancellation is notified in writing by email to the Guide up to 60 days before the first day of the Tour.
  • 75% refunded (or 25% paid) if the cancellation is notified in writing by email to the Guide between 59 and 30 days before the first day of the Tour.
  • 50% refunded (or 50% paid) if the cancellation is notified in writing by email to the Guide between 29 and 21 days before the first day of the Tour.
  • 0% refunded (or 100% paid) if the cancellation is notified in writing by email to the Guide less than 21 days before the first day of the Tour.

Cancelation by the guide prior to the trip

If the guide receives injury, illness or is somehow unable to attend and also to find a replacement, he will reimburse the full amount of money invested by the client in the form of advance payment and other expenses like hut bookings. However the Guide would not cover your transportation costs (booked flight tickets, car rental, etc.) You are strongly advised to insure such investments.

Trip cancelation due to external circumstances

  • In case of possible bad weather or unsuitable conditions recognized up to 7 days prior the trip, the guide will:
    Propose a similar or different activity in line with the weather/conditions possibilities. If you refuse this option you will receive 0% refund.
  • If similar activity is impossible and cancelation occurs, the guide is to be paid the minimum daily fee (380EUR) for each day canceled.

Trip cancelation on terrain

In case of unexpected or unforeseen weather / terrain conditions or client skill deficiency, the Guide keeps the right to cancel the trip in order to guarantee safety. In this case you will receive 0% refund unless the Guide offers you otherwise. If there is mutual agreement of cancelation due to bad weather the day before the guide is to be paid the minimum daily fee for each day canceled.

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