Traverse over the Monte Rosa massif
The group is full! You can register for the waiting list.
This trip is a treat for all experienced mountaineers who want to climb as many 4000-meter peaks as possible. Or for those who want to hike in completely untouched nature, experience its enchanting wilderness and breathtaking views. For several days in a row.
Spaghetti Tour is the name given to the traverse along the Monte Rosa mountain range on the Swiss-Italian border. Depending on the route chosen, it is possible to climb 10–18 peaks over 4000 m during the traverse. However, since all the huts along the path are located on the Italian side and because these huts often prepare various pasta dishes for dinner, the path has been given the affectionate name of spaghetti.
To complete the Spaghetti Tour, you will have to hike above 4000 m for most of the day and descend at night. ca To huts located at an altitude of 3500 m.
The goal of the trip is to complete the Spaghetti Tour in 5 days and climb at least 5 four-thousander peaks during these 12 days. The trail runs along wide glacial plateaus and very narrow snowy ridges. There is little rock climbing, but there are still such peaks. In poorer conditions, some slopes may be iceier and therefore require climbing frontpointing skill.
Although most of the peaks on the route are rated F+, there are also some peaks rated PD. This means that it is a technically easy route with some slightly more difficult sections. In this case, these sections are UIAA level I/II climbing - turning on a rocky slope where you have to use your hands a little, but the main emphasis is still on working your back legs.
F - may include glacial approach and some easier turning. Slopes are not steep, there is little serious rock or ice climbing. For example, the Gouter route on Mont Blanc.
PD - The summit climb is long in both distance and elevation gain, the snow slopes do not exceed 45 degrees. The glaciers are more complex, the ascent and descent may require some belaying, and the descent may require a support rope. - Wikipedia
We start our journey along the Monte Rosa massif in the beautiful town of Zermatt, a popular ski resort and hiking Mecca in Switzerland. The town also offers a beautiful view of the famous Matterhorn (the former Toblerone mountain). What makes Zermatt special is that you can't enter the town with cars, so our activities are not disturbed by car noise or exhaust fumes. In addition, of course, there are tourists in Zermatt who travel from different parts of the world to see the mountains (read: Matterhorn) from the foothills. You will have the opportunity to look down on the Matterhorn from above, because some of the peaks on our route are more than 100 m higher than the Matterhorn.
Before the big hike, of course, we need to get our bodies, which have arrived from sea level, into the right condition for staying at such a high altitude. To do this, we will take a gondola up and hike and spend two days at an altitude of 3000-3400 m. During this time, we will also remind ourselves of the most important technical skills for moving on a glacier (self-braking, front-pointing, rope walking, etc.) We leave one day between acclimatization and the Spaghetti Tour so that our bodies can recover (and our reserves can be replenished).
In Zermatt we will stay in individual tents at a campsite on the edge of town. We recommend that you form groups of two or three so that each person does not have to carry their own shelter. However, sharing a tent is not mandatory.
NB! As this is a quite challenging adventure both mentally and physically, the following conditions must be met to participate in this trip:
good physical shape*
previous experience at 4000 m altitude (without severe altitude sickness)
previous experience with moving on glaciers (with crampons and a pickaxe, on a rope)
Walking on a steep ridge doesn't make your legs tremble.
* Due to the individual characteristics and sports preferences of people, it is difficult to provide uniform indicators for assessing good physical fitness. To give some examples, a person in good physical shape can run a half marathon in under 2,5 hours, a marathon in under 6 hours. Or ride a bike continuously for 130-150 km. Or complete the main distance of the Tartu Marathon in February. It is important that your body can work with a high pulse for several hours in a row and your leg muscles can push you up a hill several hundred meters.
See how the travel adventurers ventured on the Spaghetti Tour in 2023:
Overview - short & sweet
Goal: Spaghetti Tour (5 days, 12 x 4000+ m peaks)
Dates: 23.07-02.08.2024
Activity: mountain climbing, mountain hiking
Adventure guide: Kaarel Kuslap, assistant guide Kelli Kuslap
Technical difficulty level: 3/5 (previous experience required)
Route difficulty: max PD+ (most peaks F)
Physical difficulty: 3/5 (requires good physical fitness)
Group size: 10 + 2 locomotives
Early bird (until 19.04.2024) — €1890
Less dizzy chicken (from 20.04.2024) — €1990
Please note: For community members discount -5% applies (1790 € / 1890 €)
👉 SEE EQUIPMENT LIST HERE 👈
Travel cost
Price includes:
Travel arrangements and on-site guidance
Two with Spaghetti Tour experience Elamus+ adventure locomotive
All overnight stays (cabins in the mountains, camping fees at the campsite below)
Breakfast and dinner in mountain huts
All on-site lifts/mountain railways
Special climbing equipment for the group (ropes, ice augers, carabiners and other glacier equipment)
Stylish Elamus+ designed sports shirt
Group pharmacy (including high-altitude medications)
Price does not include
Flight tickets Tallinn-Geneva-Tallinn (~350 €)
Train tickets from Geneva to Zermatt and back (~100 €)
Insurance (travel insurance and MANDATORY sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking)
Personal hiking and climbing equipment (can also be rented if needed) Elamus Pluss)
Personal hygiene products and medications
Drinks and snacks (i.e. lunch) on the mountain
Meals off the mountain
Tents and cooking equipment at the campsite (we will fold the tent up)
Unscheduled excursions, transportation, etc. (or if you want to do something extra)
Registration for the trip
Before registering, please read travel conditions. To secure your place on the trip, you must pay a deposit (3%) within 20 business days of receiving the confirmation and invoice by email; if there are less than 30 days left until the trip, we will send you an invoice for the total cost of the trip (100%). Read more: frequently asked questions ja package tour information sheet.
Schedule and activities
Day 1 (23.07) - arrival in Switzerland
Hiking enthusiasts take a morning flight to Geneva Airport, from where the magnificent Swiss trains will take you to Zermatt. NB! Prepare for jaw pain from keeping your mouth open, because the views are simply AMAZING. By the way, Zermatt also offers the best view of the Toblerone mountain, the Matterhorn, for which many people travel to Zermatt.
When you arrive in Zermatt, the adventure trains Kaarel and Kelli are already waiting for you. We will gather at a campsite, a 2-minute walk from the train station, where we will set up our tents and meet our fellow travelers. If necessary, we will replenish our snack supplies with the help of nearby shops.
Day 2 (24.07) - acclimatization begins
The first serious effort begins — we start acclimatizing. We take the gondola a little higher and spend the night in a mountain hut at 3317 m. We hike less, so the elevation gain and distance are not fatal. The goal is simply to stay and spend the night higher.
Day 3 (25.07) - getting used to the thinner air
We hike around the hut and remember important techniques for moving on the glacier - self-braking with a pickaxe, front pointing, what to do if you fall into a crevasse. We don't go aiming for great heights because we don't want to overload our bodies with excessive effort before our big hike.
In the evening, we will descend by gondola back to the Zermatt campsite, where the process of recovering from the altitude begins.
Day 4 (26.07) - rest
To be in particularly good shape for the big event of the trip, we give our body one day to gather its strength. The opportunity to explore the town of Zermatt and find something exciting to do there (for example, visit the Matterhorn Museum, shop in the many hiking equipment stores, or enjoy spa treatments). But if you want, you can also just eat ice cream and relax at the campsite. In the evening, we pack our bags and discuss the last important points regarding the upcoming hike.
Day 5 (27.07) - the first four thousandths
And let's start with our spaghetti! We take the gondola to an altitude of 3800 m, from where our journey across the Monte Rosa mountain range begins. On the first day, depending on the group's wishes and abilities, it is possible to climb 1-4 four-thousander peaks, i.e. the Breithorn massif awaits. The western peak of the Breithorn is one of the easiest four-thousanders in the Alps, because we walk to its summit from the gondola station. ca 2 h. However, it is also possible to do the Breithorn traverse, i.e. not to descend from the highest peak of Breithorn, but to walk along the ridge and take the remaining two Breithorn peaks + Roccia Nera on your way. We spend the night in a hut called Rifugio Guide della Val d'Ayas.
ascent meters: 300-400
descent meters: 700-800
hike duration: 6-7 hours
Overnight altitude: 3400 m
Day 6 (28.07) - the ridges become narrower
After breakfast we continue our journey. Depending on the group's wishes, it is possible to climb 1-2 peaks that day. If we have enough energy, we will first climb the Pollux peak and then descend by traversing over Castor to the Rifugio Quintino Sella al Felik hut.
Most of the Pollux summit slope is made up of rock climbing, where on one of the steeper sections you can also use support chains installed on the mountain. Castor, on the other hand, is a completely glacial climb, but the last few meters of the summit ridge are frighteningly steep and narrow. There is no room for error here, and self-braking skills are mandatory. But at the end of the day, relaxation is all the sweeter, especially in such a gorgeous and modern hut as Sella. By the way, this is a testing ground for the Ferrino Highlab product line - if you wish, you can stay overnight in prototype tents and give Ferrino feedback on what changes they could make to their future tents.
meters of ascent: 800 or 1100
descent meters: 700 or 1000
hike duration: 7-10 hours
Overnight altitude: 3500 m
Day 7 (29.07) - Traverses and pyramids
The third day of the Spaghetti Tour takes us to peaks such as Il Naso del Lyskamm, Balmenhorn and Piramide Vincent. There are steeper slopes, via ferrata We spend the night in the Gnifetti hut, which is quite popular among Italians and therefore a hut with a very large capacity.
meters of ascent: 800
descent meters: 800
hike duration: 8-9 hours
Overnight altitude: 3600 m
Day 8 (30.07) - Steeper slopes and higher huts
In the morning we head back to the trail from the hut and continue picking peaks. Today the menu includes Corno Nero (German name Schwarzhorn), Ludwigshöhe, Parrotspitze and the day ends with Signalkuppe, at the 4500-meter peak of which our overnight stay - Margherita hut - is also located. It is the tallest building in Europe, so it is a very exciting place to stay. You can also order Europe's tallest pizza there, as the name suggests.
Ascent meters: 1500 m
descent meters: 300
hike duration: 7-8 hours
Overnight altitude: 4500 m
Day 9 (31.07) - back to OXYGEN
After such a high night, we wake up with swollen faces and exhausted, and we squeeze in our morning muesli for the last time. Today doesn't include many peaks, but only the Zumsteinspitze, which we reach at the top. ca half an hour after leaving the hut. Having reached the summit, we head towards Zermatt. The descent is long and tiring, but the euphoria of reaching civilization more than makes up for it. NB! When reaching 1600 m, the oxygen-rich air can feel stuffy and stifling, especially when the temperatures tend to be higher :). In the evening, we will have dinner at the campsite and the Une-Mati will probably reach everyone faster today than on previous nights.
Ascent meters: 600 m
descent meters: 2500 m
hike duration: 8-10 hours
Overnight altitude: 1600 m
Day 10 (01.08) - BACKUP DAY
In case the weather doesn't suit the schedule described above, we'll leave ourselves a spare day to play around with our plans. However, if we don't need a spare day, everyone can use it for activities they like.
Day 11 (02.08) - back to zero
Time to go back home or continue your journey without your beloved travel companions. NB! The return journey will be difficult, because the adventures behind you will remain in your hearts and minds for a long time.
NB! There may be minor changes to the schedule and planned activities - for example, due to weather and conditions or passenger requests.
Don't worry, let's do it!
My altitude record is Munamägi. Can I still do it?!
Not really. However, this is a trip for mountain enthusiasts in good physical shape who have previous experience on glaciers and at high altitudes (read the conditions above). Take this challenge seriously, the endurance hikes I have completed in Estonia will definitely help, where you can test your physical and mental endurance in a safe environment while moving for 10+ hours straight.
But I don't have any hiking gear, who can afford to buy it?
You'll still have to spend a little, but not much. Hiking and climbing equipment can be rented for a very reasonable price and, of course, borrowed from friends. In addition, you can use any kind of clothing you have - for example, a ski jacket is also very good for the mountains. The more resourceful can manage almost without additional expenses. But one thing you shouldn't skimp on is a pair of decent, stiff-soled mountain boots - without them it's hard to walk around with cats day after day.
I've heard that Switzerland must be terribly expensive!
Depending on what and where you buy, Switzerland can be very expensive. This opinion can actually be misleading... when shopping, you just have to make sure you buy local goods, which are sometimes cheaper than equivalent Estonian products. Switzerland has imposed such high taxes on imported goods that foreign goods are 3-4 times more expensive. Eating in a restaurant is also expensive - the cost of dinner should be around 30-50€/person.
NB! In Switzerland, payments are made in Swiss francs (1 CHF = 1,03 €), but many businesses also accept euros. However, card payment options are also quite widespread in the country. Before your trip, we will inform you in more detail whether and how much Swiss francs you should take with you as a minimum in cash (especially for mountain huts).
But can I make an Insta story from the top of the mountain?
When going to Switzerland, you have to consider that it is not a member of the European Union and mobile data with an Estonian package is extremely expensive. Free WIFI is available at the Zermatt campsite and in many places in the city, as well as in some of the huts we visit. However, it is also possible to buy a local calling card at the airport or in a shop.
Will I survive? The mountains are so dangerous!
It's an extreme sport/hobby, but you shouldn't be too afraid here. Of course, there are certain dangers in the mountains and you have to take that into account, but at the same time, you could get hit by a bus walking across the street tomorrow. The most important thing for the group leader is to ensure the safety of the participants - to do this, we learn and use correct mountaineering techniques and turn around if the weather gets too bad. The point is still to have an enjoyable experience and not let this mountain go away. ;)
Okay, I registered. Now what?
Well, theoretically you could just vanish into thin air and show up on a plane, but then you risk discovering on the spot, “oops, I have the wrong cats and what’s this middleman thing?” You might not get very far on this trip with that attitude, so I highly recommend participating in preparatory events – it’s part of the fun. We organize preparatory hiking training, give advice on suitable insurance and equipment, where to rent cheaply, what to train for, etc. We will definitely review the equipment you have collected just before the start of the trip and send reminders about important things.
Read more also frequently asked questions.
Travel documents and footnotes
The participant is responsible for the validity and condition of their travel documents. For this trip you will need:
ID card/passport;
sports insurance suitable for mountain hiking (read more on the FAQ page). A suitable sports insurance policy must be carried and is a prerequisite for participating in the mountain hike;
travel insurance.
Plan your trip early and start training for it. We also organize a trial hike, training sessions and recommend training plans before the trip. It would be a shame if the peak was only behind the physique. Also a good opportunity to get in shape. ;)
Summits are not guaranteed. As you might expect, weather is king in the mountains. So it is entirely possible that weather or dangerous conditions will prevent us from even attempting the summit. Nevertheless, you will definitely be richer for an awesome experience!
Although at the end of the day everyone is still responsible for their own actions and consequences, we do our best to mitigate the risks associated with mountaineering. As a result, the group leader has the right to make ongoing decisions about the competence of the participants, the suitability of their equipment, physical/mental capacity, etc. and, if necessary, for example, to prohibit participation on summit day if it endangers the health of the group or the participant themselves. Hopefully, of course, there will be no need for this.
Read also travel conditions.
Contact
Adventure guide:
Phone : 5173 600
Email: kaarel@elamuspluss.ee
Assistant guide:
Phone : 5901 8970
Email: kelli@elamuspluss.ee