Grünhorn
Encyclopedia
The Grünhorn (4,043 m) is a mountain
in the Bernese Alps
range of the Swiss Alps
. It is located on the ridge between the two largest glaciers of the Alps: the Aletsch Glacier
to the west and the Fiescher Glacier
to the east. To the south lies the Gross Wannenhorn
and, to the north, the Gross Fiescherhorn.
The starting point for the normal route via the Grünegghorn and the south-west ridge is the Konkordiahütte at 2850 metres (9,350 ft), which can be reached from Fiesch
(1,049 m; 3,442 ft).
was made on August 7, 1865 by the Bernese mineralogist Edmund von Fellenberg with guides Peter Michel, Peter Egger and Peter Inäbnit. They climbed the mountain from the west side, starting at the Ewigschneefeld, a tributary glacier of the Aletsch Glacier. They successfully reached the summit despite very bad weather conditions. The same climbers had made an attempt on the peak in the previous year, but they could only reach a lower prominence of the Grünegghorn.
The second ascent was made by W. A. B. Coolidge
, with guides Christian and Rudolf Almer (sons of Christian Almer
).
A route on the north-east ridge was opened on 26 August 1913 by D. von Bethmann-Hollweg and O. Supersaxo. In the summer of 1950, G. Van der Leck climbed the west face. The western pillar was finally climbed by C. Blum and U. Frei on 27 August 1967.
Swiss mountaineer Erhard Loretan
died after a fall on the Grünhorn on 28 April 2011.
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....
. It is located on the ridge between the two largest glaciers of the Alps: the Aletsch Glacier
Aletsch Glacier
The Aletsch Glacier or Great Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier in the Alps. It has a length of about and covers more than in the eastern Bernese Alps in the Swiss canton of Valais...
to the west and the Fiescher Glacier
Fiescher Glacier
The Fiescher Glacier is a valley glacier on the south side of the Bernese Alps in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. in length, it is the second longest glacier in the Alps...
to the east. To the south lies the Gross Wannenhorn
Gross Wannenhorn
The Gross Wannenhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps. It is located in the canton of Valais near the village of Fiesch. The mountain separates the Aletsch Glacier from the Fiescher Glacier....
and, to the north, the Gross Fiescherhorn.
The starting point for the normal route via the Grünegghorn and the south-west ridge is the Konkordiahütte at 2850 metres (9,350 ft), which can be reached from Fiesch
Fiesch
Fiesch is a municipality in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. Nearby Fiescheralp is administered by Fiesch and is accessible by the Eggishorn lift....
(1,049 m; 3,442 ft).
Climbing history
The first ascentFirst ascent
In climbing, a first ascent is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route...
was made on August 7, 1865 by the Bernese mineralogist Edmund von Fellenberg with guides Peter Michel, Peter Egger and Peter Inäbnit. They climbed the mountain from the west side, starting at the Ewigschneefeld, a tributary glacier of the Aletsch Glacier. They successfully reached the summit despite very bad weather conditions. The same climbers had made an attempt on the peak in the previous year, but they could only reach a lower prominence of the Grünegghorn.
The second ascent was made by W. A. B. Coolidge
W. A. B. Coolidge
William Augustus Brevoort Coolidge was an American historian, theologian and mountaineer.Coolidge was born in New York as the son of Frederic William Skinner Coolidge, a Boston merchant, and Elisabeth Neville Brevoort of the Netherlands. He studied history and law at St...
, with guides Christian and Rudolf Almer (sons of 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....
).
A route on the north-east ridge was opened on 26 August 1913 by D. von Bethmann-Hollweg and O. Supersaxo. In the summer of 1950, G. Van der Leck climbed the west face. The western pillar was finally climbed by C. Blum and U. Frei on 27 August 1967.
Swiss mountaineer Erhard Loretan
Erhard Loretan
Erhard Loretan was a Swiss mountain climber.Loretan was born in Bulle in the canton of Fribourg. He trained as a cabinet-maker and mountain guide and began his climbing career at the age of 11...
died after a fall on the Grünhorn on 28 April 2011.