Matterhorn and Eiger beta

Looking to head to Switzerland this summer (July/August) and climb the Matterhorn (likely via Hornli), and Eiger (likely via Mittellegi). Doing very preliminary research now, so looking for anything related to best travel practices, spots to crash, pubs to visit, as well as surrounding peaks (particularly in Grindelwald) that are worth bagging. These could be technical peaks or more mountain running. TIA!

If you are planning to do the Matterhorn via the Hörnli-Ridge, hire a guide!
This is a very popular climb that is often done by people who do not have a lot (if any) mountaineering experience. Local guides get to exit the hut first, then swiss guides, then foreign guides and unguided parties. You must stay in the hut, camping is illegal and sometimes this is even enforced by the police. Standard rate for a Swiss guide is CHF 650 per day, although this depends on the route you want to do, on the page I mentioned below the Matterhorn starts from CHF 1250 + expenses (transport, accommodation for you and the guide, etc.)

You will have lots of parties starting in every group and then a race (quite literally) starts to get to the first bottleneck as quickly as possible. 

More information on this, for example here: Matterhorn 4'478 m a.s.l. | Zermatters.ch

In Switzerland: travel by train. You can get daypasses that are quite cheap. 

Save up a lot of money!

Some friends of mine did both not too long ago. It's possible to tent camp below the Eiger if you wan to go super cheap. I've stayed at the hotel Stalden just before you get to Grindelwald and really liked the place. Not too expensive, but this was 2003. None of my friends used guides. The rappels on the Matterhorn are the most important beta to understand, as they are a mess. Eiger is less crowded of course. I doubt you need to worry about picking a pub, as they will all have rosti for breakfast whether you want that or not. Ha ha. Like Jim said, have lots of goddamned $$$.

Never been to Matterhorn, but it’s on the long list.  I’m okay with hiring the occasional guide, but you couldn’t pay me any sum of money to stay in that hut or deal with everything I hear about the crowds on the normal route.  I would be interested in hearing about c2c options, there is also supposedly the second most popular route that goes 5.7 ish. 

James W wrote:

Never been to Matterhorn, but it’s on the long list.  I’m okay with hiring the occasional guide, but you couldn’t pay me any sum of money to stay in that hut or deal with everything I hear about the crowds on the normal route.  I would be interested in hearing about c2c options, there is also supposedly the second most popular route that goes 5.7 ish. 

5.7? The Cervinia (the easy route on the Italian side) is Alpine 3+ so 5.4 ish Yos. You know, wobbling along a horrible disentigrating ridge with scanty protection covered in snow and ice wearing full ice gear at 4400m 5.4.

Valley to valley (where the campsites are) is easy, for the Cervinia the time to beat is 2hrs 52 mins and for the Hörnli 3hrs 59 mins.

Thanks - that sounds no-brainer - 4 hrs for an elite athlete on a route they have wired - is likely going to be a very doable day trip for most with a bit of mountain fitness.

Here's a 42 minute TV show about climbing the Matterhorn:

James W wrote:

Thanks - that sounds no-brainer - 4 hrs for an elite athlete on a route they have wired - is likely going to be a very doable day trip for most with a bit of mountain fitness.

Sure, people do it. Day trip isn't really the word though since you climb it mostly in the dark. You'd be starting in the valley in the evening so you are on the ridge before the guides start up at around 2am.

Won't be hiring a guide, FWIW. Will definitely be climbing it IAD. More looking for best lodging/traveling options, places to see, etc.

Jake DiSanto wrote:

Won't be hiring a guide, FWIW. Will definitely be climbing it IAD. More looking for best lodging/traveling options, places to see, etc.

OK, since you will actually be climbing the Eiger taking the train isn't something you need to also pay for, unless you are using it to shorten your route. Also, going to the Piz Gloria where they filmed "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" is also too pricy to be worth it. It's so old that the revolving restaurant gears clack. Pass on Trummelbach Falls and the cave nearby. Just don't do any of that stupid stuff. Just get some food and drink at a cafe with a nice view. Lauterbrunnen has some neat, tall waterfalls in the cliffs around town. Also, there are quite a few multi-pitch sport routes on the cliffs near the Eiger and probably the Matterhorn. I wanted to do them when I was there, but got outvoted. 

Tim Stich wrote:

OK, since you will actually be climbing the Eiger taking the train isn't something you need to also pay for, unless you are using it to shorten your route. Also, going to the Piz Gloria where they filmed "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" is also too pricy to be worth it. It's so old that the revolving restaurant gears clack. Pass on Trummelbach Falls and the cave nearby. Just don't do any of that stupid stuff. Just get some food and drink at a cafe with a nice view. Lauterbrunnen has some neat, tall waterfalls in the cliffs around town. Also, there are quite a few multi-pitch sport routes on the cliffs near the Eiger and probably the Matterhorn. I wanted to do them when I was there, but got outvoted. 

Awesome advice! Would be very interested in doing some cragging during an active rest day as well, so will definitely be looking into that as well. 

Jake DiSanto wrote:

Awesome advice! Would be very interested in doing some cragging during an active rest day as well, so will definitely be looking into that as well. 

I found a ton of cheap guide books for Switzerland in Prague. They were in German, but all you need is locator maps, topos, and grades.

There's a small cliff up behind the church in Zermatt so well used by the guides, normally you go up to the Riffelhorn on the cablecar. In reality one lies in the sun recovering.

There's a youth hostel in Zermatt or the climbers campsite on the edge of town by the railway station, about $19 pp camping, if you are travelling by car the parking in the valley is about the same per day and the train up around $5. Otherwise the usual hotels/chalets/apartments to suit any budget, probably get something for $100 pp.

Make your plans flexible, if it's a hot summer they may shut the mountain down (or restrict the Hörnli) and there's discussion about this on the Italian side after a huge rise in deaths, the whole mountain is collapsing as the perma-frost dissapears (the Swiss side was completely closed in 2003).

You want to budget some acclimatisation time, some manage without and some don't. Bit of an expensive way to get a headache and giving up if you are coming from the States! Most people reckon on (weather permitting) 6 days to do stuff like the Breithorn or Monte Rosa first.

Don't forget you are going to Zermatt for the Swiss side, one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world (if not the most), there's only one way in and out (train) and climbers are only tolerated to provide local colour for the tourists and so they can watch the rescue helicopters at work while they are drinking their Martini's. It's kinda different!