Zinalrothorn

The Zinalrothorn, 4,221 metres, is an elegant rock-and-ice peak of the Pennine Alps in Valais, rising between Zermatt and the Val de Zinal. Its slender summit and fine ridges make it one of the most sought-after of the region's four-thousanders.

Set among giants like the Weisshorn and the Matterhorn, the Zinalrothorn holds its own through the sheer quality of its climbing, first achieved in 1864 during the golden age of alpinism by a party led by the guides the Knubel and Anderegg families would later make famous. Its position gives spectacular views of the surrounding Valais peaks.

The classic ascent is the Rothorngrat, the south-east ridge, a sustained and airy rock climb graded AD with a famous exposed step near the top known as the Bosses; the north ridge is a longer and slightly harder line. Climbers need rope, crampons for the approach glaciers and confident scrambling over solid gneiss. Route-finding and steady, efficient movement matter as much as raw technical difficulty, and afternoon storms are a real concern.

The Rothornhütte above Zermatt is the usual base, reached by a long walk from the Trift area, while the Cabane du Mountet serves the Zinal side. The dependable season is July to September, when the ridges are clear of fresh snow. Both Zermatt and Zinal offer guides and gear. This is a rewarding but serious peak for experienced alpinists, prized for its shapely form, its clean rock and its grandstand position at the heart of the great Valais four-thousanders.