Weissmies

Weissmies, Saas-Almagell, Visp, Wallis, 3905, Švicarska

The Weissmies, reaching an elevation of 4,017 meters, is a notable peak in the Pennine Alps, situated in the Swiss canton of Valais, near the charming village of Saas-Fee. It holds the distinction of being the easternmost four-thousander in its range. The Weissmies stands out within a massif that divides the Saastal valley to the west and the Simplon valley to the east, sharing the massif with two other significant summits, the Lagginhorn and Fletschhorn.

The mountain was first successfully ascended in 1855 by Jakob Christian Häusser and Peter Josef Zurbriggen. Their ascent was controversial as local guides initially doubted the peak could be scaled without their expertise. However, Häusser and Zurbriggen’s successful summiting via the Triftgrat route proved otherwise. Subsequent ascents have explored various other faces of the mountain, including the challenging east and south faces, climbed in 1876 and 1884, respectively.

The Weissmies is accessible for climbers via the Hohsaas lift, which leads to a starting point at 3,100 meters, close to the edge of the Trift Glacier. The climb from Hohsaas, typically taking around four hours, involves navigating slopes of up to 40 degrees and negotiating crevasses. Another popular route begins from the Zwischbergen Pass, near the Almageller Hut, at the base of the mountain’s southern ridge. The Weissmies offers climbers diverse routes and challenges, set against the backdrop of the majestic Pennine Alps.