Spaghetti Ski Tour on Monte Rosa - 8 Summits Over 4000 m

Elevation gain: 300 m from Zermatt / 700 m from Cervinia.

Duration: 2–5 hours.

Meet in Zermatt (or directly at the Klein Matterhorn cable-car upper station — location will be posted in the WhatsApp group — or in Cervinia) for gear checks and a short briefing. From there we ascend the Breithorn shoulder and continue to the summit of the Western Breithorn (4,165 m). The route descends beneath the Central Breithorn, the Black Rock and the Pollux toward the Verraz Pass, and after about an hour of descent we reach Rifugio Guide di Ayas al Lambronecca (3,400 m), where we will have dinner and spend the night.

Elevation gain: 800 m.

Duration: ~5 hours.

We climb toward the west face of Castor (4,225 m), whose summit offers panoramic views from Capanna Margherita to Lyskamm, Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc.

The descent follows a pleasant snow ridge before dropping down the steep slope from Colle del Felik and crossing the Felik glacier to arrive at Rifugio Quintino Sella (3,575 m) for dinner and an overnight stay.

After roughly two hours skinning across the Western Lys glacier we tackle the steep ascent of Lyskamm’s nose (4,272 m).

An easy descent brings us to the East Lys glacier, which we cross toward the Vincent Pyramid (4,215 m). From the summit we enjoy a long, scenic descent to Rifugio Gnifetti (3,647 m), where we will dine and sleep.

Elevation gain: 800 m.

Duration: 5–8 hours.

Today’s goal is the highest mountain hut in Europe, Capanna Regina Margherita (also known as the Queen Margherita Hut, 4,554 m).

On the way we climb Balmenhorn (4,167 m) and Ludwigshöhe (4,341 m) before reaching Punta Gnifetti (4,554 m), the summit above Capanna Margherita, where we stop for dinner and the night.

Elevation gain: 1,500 m.

Duration: 6–7 hours.

We depart very early from Capanna Margherita to summit the Zumsteinspitze (4,563 m), then descend across the Grenzgletscher toward Monte Rosa Hütte and continue down to Rotenboden. From there we return to Zermatt by train.

Elevation gain: 415 m Descent: 2,062 m.

Duration: 6–7 hours.

Note: There is the option to exit at Staffal (Gressoney) and take the Punta Indren cable car; if you choose this, you will need a taxi transfer to Cervinia. From Cervinia we then take the lifts up to Plateau Rosa and cross a glacier to reach the Klein Matterhorn cable car (this alternate crossing applies only for participants starting from Zermatt).