Fiescherhorn
Encyclopedia
The Gross Fiescherhorn is a mountain
in the Bernese Alps
range of the Swiss Alps
. At 4,049 metres above sea level, its summit culminates over the whole Fiescherhorn massif, which is also composed of the slightly lower Hinter Fiescherhorn
and Klein Fiescherhorn
. From the north both are well hidden behind other mountains and can only been seen from the village of Grindelwald
(1,034 m).
Ascents are usually made from one of these three popular routes: one starts from the Mönchsjoch Hut, one from the Konkordia Hut
, and the third from the Finsteraarhorn Hut
.
, with guides Christian Almer
and Ulrich Kaufmann. They used what is now the normal route, the south-west ridge.
The north side of the mountain was first climbed in 1926. On 13 August, W. Amstutz and P. von Schumacher reached the summit after a 15-hour ascent via the north ridge, which is the northern boundary of the Fiescherwand.
The first direct ascent on the Fiescherwand was made by W. Welzenbach and H. Tillmann in 1930. Welzenbach was an expert climber, who disputed the common idea of his time that an ascent of the Fiescherwand was impossible. The previous year, in 1929, Welzenbach and Tillmann climbed the north ridge in only 8.5 hours. The following year they started the ascent of the Fiescherwand on the morning of 5 September 1930, taking a line that ran directly to the summit. They reached the top that evening, after a 12-hour ascent.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the Bernese Alps
Bernese Alps
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Lucerne, Obwalden, Fribourg and...
range of the Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
. At 4,049 metres above sea level, its summit culminates over the whole Fiescherhorn massif, which is also composed of the slightly lower Hinter Fiescherhorn
Hinter Fiescherhorn
The Hinter Fiescherhorn is a minor summit near the Gross Fiescherhorn. It is located in the Swiss canton of Valais near the border with the canton of Berne....
and Klein Fiescherhorn
Klein Fiescherhorn
Klein Fiescherhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps, situated east of the Gross Fiescherhorn on the border between the cantons of Berne and Valais in Switzerland.-External links:*...
. From the north both are well hidden behind other mountains and can only been seen from the village of Grindelwald
Grindelwald
Grindelwald is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The village is located at above sea level in the Bernese Alps.-Winter sports:...
(1,034 m).
Ascents are usually made from one of these three popular routes: one starts from the Mönchsjoch Hut, one from the Konkordia Hut
Konkordia Hut
The Konkordia Hut is a mountain hut located in the Bernese Alps in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is owned by the Swiss Alpine Club....
, and the third from the Finsteraarhorn Hut
Finsteraarhorn Hut
The Finsteraarhorn Hut is a mountain hut located south of the Finsteraarhorn. It is situaded at 3,046 m above sea level, north of the Fiescher Glacier, in a remote area of the Bernese Alps in the Swiss canton of Valais...
.
Climbing history
The summit was first reached on 23 July 1862 by H. B. George and Adolphus Warburton MooreAdolphus Warburton Moore
Adolphus Warburton Moore was a British civil servant and mountaineer.-Life:The son of Major John Arthur Moore and Sophia Stewart Yates,, Moore was an India Office official from 1858–1887, holding the role of Assistant Secretary, Political Department from 1875–1885...
, with guides Christian Almer
Christian Almer
thumb|220px|Christian AlmerChristian Almer was a Swiss mountain guide and the first ascentionist of many prominent mountains in the western Alps during the golden and silver ages of alpinism....
and Ulrich Kaufmann. They used what is now the normal route, the south-west ridge.
The north side of the mountain was first climbed in 1926. On 13 August, W. Amstutz and P. von Schumacher reached the summit after a 15-hour ascent via the north ridge, which is the northern boundary of the Fiescherwand.
The first direct ascent on the Fiescherwand was made by W. Welzenbach and H. Tillmann in 1930. Welzenbach was an expert climber, who disputed the common idea of his time that an ascent of the Fiescherwand was impossible. The previous year, in 1929, Welzenbach and Tillmann climbed the north ridge in only 8.5 hours. The following year they started the ascent of the Fiescherwand on the morning of 5 September 1930, taking a line that ran directly to the summit. They reached the top that evening, after a 12-hour ascent.