Zumsteinspitze

Zumsteinspitze is the fifth-highest mountain in the Alps is one of the highest mountains in Switzerland. Joseph Zumstein and his team climbed Zumsteinspitze for the first time on August 1, 1820. Zumsteinspitze is one of the four Monte Rosa peaks that rise above the Macugnagna valley, producing the famed Monte Rosa East wall, the Alps' largest and tallest rock face. Zumsteinspitze is a popular climbing destination, owing to the relative simplicity of the ascent (the standard route is rated PD) and the fact that it is one of the 82 mountains in the Alps above the mystical 4000-meter barrier (UIAA-list).

Zumsteinspitze can be reached by a number of different paths. The standard route begins in either the Gnifetti or Mantova Huts on the Italian side of the mountain. The trail follows the Lys glacier up to the Lys Col and then along the mountain's western flank to the summit. The standard route is technically straightforward and consists of 95 percent glaciated terrain. Only the final section of the SE-ridge to the top offers some modest first-grade climbing (UIAA I). Overall, the grade is PD. The path from the Swiss side of the mountain, commencing at the Monte Rosa Hut, is an alternative to the conventional approach from the Italian side. After the Lys col, this route joins the Italian normal route, which is likewise classed PD. Many climbers use the Grenzsattel to traverse Zumsteinspitze to its higher neighbor Dufourspitze. However, this path is more difficult: UIAA III, AD.

Elevation: 4,563 m
Location: Valais, Switzerland
Parent peak: Dufourspitze of Monte Rosa