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+ 21

Saas Almagell to Simplon Hospice

Backcountry Skiing Route

Details
16.19 mi
6,563 ft
A couple of cols and N facing descents

This is a tough day to try and link on skis without walking- we didn’t manage it! You are heading roughly NE, but the huge bulks of the Weissmies, the Lagginhorn and the Fletschhorn are directly on your line of travel. Without adding a lot of time, complexity and extra time it doesn’t look like an easy route. So we elected for the initial valley walk downhill to Saas Balen, which you could easily do by local bus if you wanted.

From there it is a pleasant walk then skin up through the trees, then open pastures above, before steady slopes take you up to the Simelipass at 3022m. It is a relatively short descent the far side, aiming to clear the head of the gorge, near Obers Fulmoos at 2440m. A further easy, short skin up to the Sirwoltusattel takes you to 2620m. It is a good 800m descent down to Niederalp. Make sure you clear the large cliff band that is hidden from above, by traversing sufficiently far E, before your N facing descent.

There are likely to be plenty of tracks from day tourers having been up the Schilthorn, a popular nearby peak. From Niederalp you can miss out a bit of road by skinning up to the W, before crossing to the Simplon Hospice. This is a fantastic and welcoming place, an imposing building, ideally placed at 2000m, with a real sense of history. When we were there the Swiss army were using the car park for their passing out parade and celebrations for the local cadets! Written by Jon Morgan
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