recommended route
Sackhorn
Ski Touring
· Lötschental
-
SackhornPhoto: Lötschental Marketing AG
An attractive and relatively short ski tour on the Sackhorn for ski tourers with some Alpine experience. The descent from the summit is difficult and needs a deep covering of snow.
moderate
Distance 10.6 km
2:00 h
505 m
1,810 m
3,165 m
1,400 m
The Sackhorn lies on the boundary between the cantons of Berne and Valais between the Gasterental Valley in the north and the Lötschental Valley in the south. The summit lies along a long ridge separating the two valleys from each other. In the south-west, the Sackhorn is joined to the Hockenhorn beyond the Märbiglücke, and in the north-east it is separated from the Elwertätsch by the Tennbachlücke. Wild cliff walls fall down into the Gasterental Valley, interspersed by small hanging glaciers.
Author’s recommendation
Skitourenkarte Jungfrau 264S (The Jungfrau Region Ski-Touring Map 264S) - This 1:50,000 scale topographical map includes the ski tours in the Lötschental Valley, which are described in more detail in the SAC Tour Guide available from the Lötschental Tourist Information Office in Wiler or online at www.loetschental.ch/webshop
Difficulty
moderate
Technique
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Risk potential
Highest point
3,165 m
Lowest point
1,400 m
Best time of year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Cardinal direction
Track types
Show elevation profileSafety information
- We recommend that a state-certified mountain guide accompanies you on this ski tour
- Plan your tour carefully
- Ensure that you have a full set of appropriate equipment
- Never embark on a tour alone
- Inform friends, relatives, the mountain hut supervisor or the hotel porter of your proposed tour. Report back when you arrive at your destination.
- Keep a constant eye on weather developments
- Adhere to the principle: if in doubt, turn back!
Tips and hints
Our mountain guides in the Lötschental:- Jaggy Benedikt Tel. +41 (0)79 774 83 20
- Fleck Lutz Tel. +41 (0)79 629 47 33
Start
Mountain station "Gandegg" (2,711 m)
Coordinates:
SwissGrid
2'624'556E 1'141'632N
DD
46.425590, 7.758080
DMS
46°25'32.1"N 7°45'29.1"E
UTM
32T 404575 5142084
w3w
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Destination
Sackhorn
Turn-by-turn directions
Climb gently from the mountain station "Gandegg" in a north-easterly direction until you are just below the rocky promontory that sweeps down from the 2,919 metre point on the 1:25,000 scale map. You can also reach the rocky promontory from the Hockenhorngrat mountain station by descending just over 350 vertical metres down the ski slope. The tour then leads more steeply into the saddle to the north of the 2,911 metre point. It then continues in a north-easterly direction across the Tennbachgletscher (Tennbach Glacier) and into the couloir that leads to the ridge to the east of the Sackhorn. You may have to complete the final few metres on foot across rocks in the saddle depending on the snow conditions. Keep left on the ridge over a steep slope up to the summit ridge, which then flattens out.
Descents options
A direct descent from the summit down the ascent route is possible when there is adequate snow and safe conditions but is classified as "difficult" due to the 43° gradient 40 vertical metres above the saddle and the 40° gradient in the upper section of the couloir. There are a few attractive descent options for the descent below the Tennbachgletscher:
- Descend to the west of the Stieltihors (refer to Route 329b on the Jungfrau Region Ski-Touring Map 264S)
- Descend through the Spalihorn Gully (refer to Route 329d on the Jungfrau Region Ski-Touring Map 264S)
Note
all notes on protected areas
Public transport
The postbus runs every hour from Gampel/Steg or Goppenstein to Wiler ("Wiler, Seilbahn" postbus stop). Take the cable car up to the Lauchernalp, then continue on a 2-seater or 3-seater chairlift to the mountain station "Gandegg".Getting there
Drive into the Lötschental from Goppenstein, past the villages of Ferden and Kippel as far as Wiler to the valley cable car station. Take the cable car up to the Lauchernalp, then continue on a 2-seater or 3-seater chairlift to the mountain station "Gandegg".Parking
You can park your car in the outdoor car park or in the indoor car park beside the cable car valley station (not free).Coordinates
SwissGrid
2'624'556E 1'141'632N
DD
46.425590, 7.758080
DMS
46°25'32.1"N 7°45'29.1"E
UTM
32T 404575 5142084
w3w
///forwarded.await.pylon
Arrival by train, car, foot or bike
Book recommendations for this region:
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Equipment
A full set of glacier equipment is essential. Picks and crampons are recommended in the couloir and on the summit slope depending on snow conditions.Difficulty
moderate
Distance
10.6 km
Duration
2:00 h
Ascent
505 m
Descent
1,810 m
Highest point
3,165 m
Lowest point
1,400 m
Morning
Afternoon
Avalanche conditions
·
Statistics
2D
3D
Maps and trails
- 23 Waypoints
- 23 Waypoints
Distance
km
Duration
: h
Ascent
m
Descent
m
Highest point
m
Lowest point
m
Questions and answers
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