Breithorn (4168), the 4000er for tourists

🗺️ Overview

• Starting point: Klein Matterhorn, 3880m

• Highest point: Breithorn, 4168m

• Total elevation gain: 380m

• Total distance: ~8km

• Total time: 3h40

• Technical difficulty: Easy 4000er, but glacier travel with crampons and crevasses

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The Breithorn (4168m) is known to be one of the easiest 4000ers in the Alps. The reason is that you can go all the way up to 3880m at Klein Matterhorn and start from there.

You can go up from Italy or Switzerland. I chose to do it from Italy because it is my country of origin and because it is cheaper. So, at Cervinia, I met my guide and we got the ticket to Klein Matterhorn. If you want, it is even cheaper to stop at Plateau Rosà, at 3480m. However, the first part is not the most interesting, as you go across the summer ski slopes. Overall, I recommend starting at Klein Matterhorn, even though it is €50 more expensive (for a total of €117 to go up to 3800m and come back from 3400m).

The last part is also the super-new and fancy cabin they recently built, with heated seats and amazing views of the Matterhorn.

Once we arrived at Klein Matterhorn, we went right down the tunnel that brings you to the ski slopes. Here we put our crampons on and started walking. The first 20–30 minutes are flat: you go across the glacier in a big circle towards the foot of the Breithorn. Then it starts to climb, and I immediately felt the altitude. It is an easy 4000er, but it remains a 4000er.

Then we started to climb. A well-frequented path zigzags up the hill, becoming steeper and steeper. In a couple of places, there were large crevasses to cross, but the path is so well marked that you can cross them without problems.

After about 35 minutes, you get onto the ridge, and some smaller zigzags bring you to the top in another 10 minutes. The view is amazing from up there: you see the whole circle of Monte Rosa peaks on the right, all the way to Gran Paradiso and Mont Blanc behind, and of course the Matterhorn right next to you. We had very good visibility when I went!

After a couple of minutes and a few pictures, we started the descent. It is the same way you came up. If you took the return ticket from Klein Matterhorn, or if you came from Switzerland, you end there. Instead, when reaching the slopes, we went slightly to the left and back down on the slopes. When you reach the tunnel, you go left of it and cross the slopes. They were closed when we went.

Overall, we took 3h40 for a 380m ascent and 800m descent, and about 8km in total.

I can confirm that it is an easy 4000er, good if you want to experience your first one. Still, it remains a 4000er. You definitely feel the lack of oxygen, and there are some steep sections and crevasses that can be scary for some.