Spaghetti Tour Monte Rosa

The Spaghetti Tour is the crossing of the Monte Rosa massif. Depending on the route chosen, the tour leads over 10 to 18 4000 metre high mountains and mostly runs along the Swiss-Italian border. We spend the night in Italian huts with primi and secondi and often eat spaghetti, which is where the name „Spaghetti Tour“ comes from. This is probably no longer quite politically correct, but it has become commonplace.

The light version of the tour is just as beautiful and is slightly reduced in terms of difficulty and scope and is accessible to people with less mountaineering experience but more hiking experience. In five days, we climb up to five four-thousand-metre peaks: the Breithorn (4164 m), the Vincent Pyramid (4215 m), the Balmenhorn (4167 m), the Ludwigshöhe (4341 m) and the Signalkuppe (4554 m). We move around the Monte Rosa massif, while the classic Spaghetti Tour leads directly over the summits of Castor and Naso.

Regular endurance training is recommended as preparation. Several longer hikes or a few high-altitude tours beforehand also help to optimally prepare for the tour. This allows the body to get used to being at higher altitudes and acclimatise better. During the spaghetti tour, we are often travelling with crampons for long periods of time. It is therefore an advantage if you are already familiar with their handling. It is also worth travelling to Zermatt the day before or spending the night on one of the surrounding Alpine passes. The Klein Matterhorn cable car takes us quickly up to almost 4,000 metres. Initial acclimatisation makes the start of the tour much easier.

For many mountaineers, it makes sense to undertake the Spaghetti Tour with a mountain guide. The route leads through complex glacier terrain, over exposed ridges and through heavily glaciated areas. In addition, the conditions in the high mountains are increasingly changing due to climate change. The Bergschaft mountain guides know the Monte Rosa massif inside out and share their knowledge of the region, its history and current conditions along the way. Should the weather change, they can adapt the route flexibly and choose suitable alternatives. We also take care of the entire organisation and planning of the tour. So you can concentrate fully on the mountain experience. If you are confident on large glaciers, can correctly assess alpine dangers and enjoy planning and carrying out the tour independently, you can of course also undertake the spaghetti tour without a mountain guide.

The key sections of this variant are mainly at the crossing of Castor and Naso. Due to global warming, the Naso is drying out earlier and earlier and the ascent is often icy. The crossing of Castor requires surefootedness and a head for heights. This is a narrow firn ridge where caution is required. Global warming is affecting the glacier and the dangers of glacier fractures, seracs and crevasse falls are increasing. Our mountain guides are sensitised to these dangers and pay particular attention to these places.

In addition to crampon-compatible shoes, we need alpine touring equipment consisting of crampons, ice axe and climbing harness. The mountain guide has the rope with him. Here you can find a detailed Packing list.

Packing tip:
Pack as light as possible: Several summit days in a row make every extra kilo noticeable.

In the five days that we will be out and about together, we will complete the entire circuit with many peaks in suitable conditions and gain around 4,500 metres in altitude. For the ascent and descent from Zermatt to the high mountains, we will use the cable car, which is easier on the knees and saves energy.

Of course, the spaghetti tour on skis is a great tour. In spring (June), as soon as the huts in the high mountains reopen, the tour is organised as a ski tour. It is important that the glaciers are well snow-covered, but otherwise nothing stands in the way.

• Guided tour by UIAGM mountain guide
• Organisation and planning of the tour
• Travel and accommodation costs of the mountain guide
• Advice on preparation
• Overnight stay in the huts with half board

• Individual journey
• Additional costs for the mountain railways
• Personal consumption at the huts
• Equipment

We use map sheet 1348 from Swisstopo for the tour.