MARGHERITA TOUR - Day by Day
1° Day
Arrive at Staffal after Gressoney in the early afternoon to meet your guide and group. From here, you'll take the cable car up to Punta Indren and start the journey to the Gnifetti Hut.
The hike to the Gnifetti Hut takes around 1.5 hours, following a route equipped with ropes that leads along the glacier. This is a beautiful walk, with stunning views of the Monte Rosa massif surrounding you.
Once at the Gnifetti Hut, get settled into your accommodation for the night and take some time to relax and enjoy a delicious dinner. This is at 3,647m altitude, so take it easy and let your body adjust. A good night's rest is important to be ready for the big day ahead!
2° Day
After an early start, we cross the glacier to reach the West Ridge of Vincent Pyramid. Here we tackle sections of climbing and walking over rock, stopping halfway to rest before continuing to the 4215m summit. From Vincent Pyramid, we descend to Col Vincent and via a rock jump secured with pitons, we reach Balmenhorn (4167m). After a group photo and a snack, we take on the most challenging summit, Schwartzorn (4322m). With ropes at the ready, we overcome a short 40 degree icy slope to reach Ludwigshöhe (4343m). From here, we finally view Margherita Hut, our destination for the next day.
We start descending the Lys Glacier along the Normal Route to Margherita and make it back to Gnifetti Hut just in time for apéritif!
Elevation gain: 700m, time: 6 hours
The gradual ascent allows our bodies to acclimatize to the altitude over multiple days before reaching the highest point of the tour, Margherita Hut. After a satisfying day in the high mountains, we descend back to Gnifetti Hut for dinner and rest.
3° Day
On day 3, we scale the normal route up to Margherita Hut and Zumsteinspitze at 4,563m. We cross the first crevasse zones at dawn and traverse gentler slopes below the summits climbed the previous day. We reach Lyskamm Col, with Lyskamm beside us and Dufourspitze (4,610m) ahead, then follow the track ascending from Monte Rosa hut via the Swiss normal route.
To reach Margherita Hut, we tackle one final challenging yet rewarding stretch, finally arriving at the highest hut in the Alps! A unique experience in the thin air at high altitude.
Elevation gain: 900m, time: 4 hours
After a rest at Margherita Hut, we retrace our steps back down the normal route we ascended and descend to Punta Indren using the lifts to return to Staffal.
4° Day
On the final day, we have the option to summit Parrotspitze depending on the group's energy levels and weather conditions. Parrotspitze stands at 4,432m, so offers another chance to take in the incredible views from the high alpine terrain.
After completing any optional summits, we make our way back down the normal route from Margherita Hut. This follows the same path we took uphill on day 3. The terrain is steep in places, so we take care on the descent.
Once we reach the bottom of the glacier, we take the cable car back down to the town of Staffal. After 4 days of hiking and climbing, it's time to rest our legs and celebrate our achievement of reaching Margherita Hut - the highest manned refuge in the Alps!