5 Day Eiger Climb

Eiger Climb

There are few mountains that have such a reputation as the Eiger.  Rising above Grindelwald in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, the Eiger is a dramatic and stunning mountain.  The North Face dominates the view from town and rises over 5,000ft.  Our goal for this program is to ascend the Mitteleggi ridge, which follows the left-hand skyline as viewed from town.  We will do this ascent over two days.  We start the climb by taking a train and accessing the south side of the mountain via a tunnel!  From here we make our way to the Mitteleggi hut, where we will spend the night.  The summit climb involves 800m of exposed technical climbing and ridge traversing to reach the summit.  As always, the summit is only half way, but on the Eiger our day is far from over.  The descent is technical and demanding and we continue with some climbing as we make our way back to the Jungfraujoch station and catch the train back down.

Time of Year:  The best time for the Eiger is from late July to early September with August being the prime season.  While the mountain can get crowded in the peak season, it is not nearly as chaotic as the Matterhorn.  However, the hut is much smaller so reservations can be challenging, plan in advance!

Skill and Fitness:   The Eiger climb is very similar to the Matterhorn in technical difficulties, but it more committing and there are more sections involving exposed ridges.  To be eligible for the climb, you need to have a high level of cardio fitness and be able to move comfortably and efficiently in exposed terrain.  The hardest sections, will have fixed ropes, but we will be climbing up to 5.6 in mountain boots. Experience with crampons on steep snow and ice is also required.

 Itinerary:

Day1: Meet in Grindelwald, take the train to the Eigergletcher station where we will do a multi-pitch rock climb getting some practice and assessment climbing in boots.  Return to Grindelwald to spend the night

Day2: We will again take to the Jungfraujoch station.  From here we will climb the Monch a 4000m peak giving us practice using the crampons in some mixed and exposed terrain. We will stay at the Monchjochhutte for the evening.

Day3: With an early start we will climb the Jungfrau, another 4000m peak.  This offers more practice with the crampons and moving together while roped up.  We will stay back in town.

Day4:  After a leisurely start we will take the train and start the Eiger climb.

Day5: Eiger summit climb

Cost:* 5,400 Swiss francs one person, 4,400chf two people (For 2 person climbs, the training will be done as a 2:1 ratio and the summit climb will be done as a 1:1 ratio

Includes: 4 hotel nights, 2 hut nights

Lift and train rides for the week*

All guide expenses and fees

Does NOT include:

In town meals, lunches on the mountain

Travel to and from Grindelwald

*This price assumes all participants have a Swiss ½ fare rail pass.  If not, you will be responsible to pay the difference in fare.

Important: The Eiger, while accessible, is a serious climb.  It requires moving, while roped together, in very exposed terrain.  While traditional belays will be used in places, much of the climb is done in a “short” rope style.  Because of this, if your skills are not appropriate for the mountain, we will find another suitable objective.  This decision will be based on your performance during the first prep days.  Also, if conditions or weather on the mountain are not good for our summit climb, we will find a suitable objective. There are many objectives in the region and we may need to change the itinerary to suite the weather and conditions.  Keep in mind that safety is our primary goal for this trip!