SPAGHETTI TOUR EXPEDITION

Enduring The Alps

Spaghetti Tour Expedition

AN ALPINE EXPEDITION TO TACKLE UP TO TWELVE 4000 METER SUMMITS IN MONTE ROSA MASSIF.

Spanning the Swiss-Italian border, our LHO expedition to Monte Rosa's summits is named after the Italian mountain huts serving famous Spaghetti. Starting and ending in Zermatt, the Swiss resort town, our expedition provides a complete experience, avoiding any retracing of steps. It grants access to all summits, enabling us to savor the region's finest without cutting corners.

Climbing and Mountaineering

TRIP TYPE

Climbing and Mountaineering

Trip duration

DURATION

7 Days

Trip Destination

DESTINATION

The Alps

1

Led by our expert LHO Team Leaders in close collaboration with our vetted IFMGA-certified mountain guides.

2

A comprehensive and all-inclusive experience that incorporates at least 4 summits above 4000 meters and up to 12 possible summits.

3

Flexibility to switch summits and Alpine regions due to weather or glacier conditions, with no additional charges.

Trip photographer to capture it all
Small groups and great community vibes only
No hidden costs its all included
Hassle free airport to airport service
Directly led by us and our local experts
Carefully curated to make it all epic

Dates & Prices

2025

DATE & STATUS

PRICE

TEAM LEADER

AVAILABILITY

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS TRIP

  • Dedicated LHO Team Leader/Photographer
  • Carefully Selected IFMGA Guides
  • All Accommodation Throughout the Itinerary
  • Trendy, Comfortable Hotel in Zermatt
  • Mountain Hut Accommodation on Climbing Days
  • All Meals Throughout the Trip
  • Bottled Water in the Mountain Huts
  • All Cable Car and Train Passes
  • Train Transfers Between Geneva Airport and Zermatt
  • All Transportation Within the Itinerary
  • Alternative Summits in the Event of Bad Conditions on Monte Rosa
  • Group Mountaineering Equipment
  • Fitness and Nutrition Guides
  • Gear Shopping Assistance
  • LHO Base Camp (Office) Support

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THIS TRIP

  • International Flights and Entry Visas
  • Tips/Gratuities to the Local Team
  • Personal Gear and Rentals
  • Personal Medical/Travel Insurance/Cancellation Insurance
  • Individual Departure from the Itinerary

Itinerary

DAY 1: ARRIVING IN PICTURE-PERFECT ZERMATT

The first day of our adventure is dedicated to arrivals. Rail transfers from Geneva Airport to Zermatt are included within the itinerary, provided your flight arrives before 5:30 pm. If your flight lands after that, please coordinate your arrival with the LHO Base Camp Team, as the mountain train to Zermatt stops operating. We’ll be able to help book a taxi for the Visp-Zermatt leg of the journey.

 

The meeting point is Zermatt Bahnhof (train station), where your LHO Team Leader will be waiting to welcome you. It’s a short walk to our hotel from there, where we’ll get you checked in, perform a gear check, and head out to rent any items you may be missing. Check-in starts at 3 pm, but we can store our bags at the hotel and roam around if we arrive early. We highly recommend arriving early to rent gear on arrival day. This makes things much easier for you on the following day. The gear stores close at 7 pm. Your LHO Team Leader will send you a list of stores, markets, restaurants, and cafes to visit if it’s closer to your arrival time.

 

The first scheduled event of our adventure is a team dinner hosted by Your LHO Team Leader and local lead guide in town at 7:30 pm. This will be your first opportunity to meet everyone, receive a detailed briefing of the epic adventure ahead of us, and ask any questions you may have. First round of drinks is on us!

DAY 2: THE GLACIER PARADISE

Distance: 8.9 KM | Ascent: 625 M | Descent 977 M | Max Altitude: 4,164 M

 

The potential 4000-meter summits to bag on our first day are the Breithorn and Central Breithorn. We’ll get an early start after breakfast, heading in the direction of the Matterhorn Express cable car. For those of us carrying extra luggage, we can store our bags in the lockers of the hotel until we return. The cable cars are an adventure unto themselves, with views of the Matterhorn, the Weisshorn, the entire Monte Rosa range, and the Mischabel range. If that’s all gibberish to you, we’re talking about the largest concentration of iconic 4000-meter summits anywhere in the Alps!

 

BREITHORN

 

Upon arriving at the Klein Matterhorn station, above 3800 meters, the highest cable car station in the Alps, we’ll go over some of the basic skills needed for the first day before tackling the Breithorn. This summit is widely considered the easiest 4000-meter summit. It’s the perfect learning opportunity and will enable us to begin with the basics. The trail begins at the cable car station and initially follows the groomed piste of the ski resort. After about 100 meters beneath the ski lift, the trail departs from the confines of the resort and connects with a wide glacial plateau. The giants of the Monte Rosa will become clearly visible in front of us, with views as far as the Lyskamm, Pollux, and Castor summits. The gradual ascent to the Breithorn starts at the end of the plateau, where we’ll be met by two switchbacks that span the entire length of the east face of the mountain. The summit is at the top of the second switchback, where the ridge becomes slightly narrower. If our skills and energy level permit, we may even be able to traverse over to the second summit known as the Central Breithorn before we descend.

 

CENTRAL BREITHORN

 

The traverse is slightly more challenging than achieving the main summit because it follows a narrower ridge and a slightly steeper ascent to the summit.

 

With two summits above 4000 meters in the bag, we’ll descend the expansive glacier below in the direction of the Val d’Ayas. Lunch will be a picnic along the descending trail where it is safe to stop. We are now fully inside Italy! The refuge sits on an exposed rock surrounded by a glacier. Dinner will be at the mountain hut.

DAY 3: CASTOR, POLLUX & FELIKHORN

Distance: 6.1 KM | Ascent: 976 M | Descent: 781 M | Max Altitude: 4,205 M

 

The potential 4000-meter summits to bag are the Pollux, Castor, and Felikhorn. The route necessitates the summiting of Castor and its sister summit along the same ridge known as Felikhorn. For those of us who have a bit more experience, it may be possible to traverse the technically demanding Pollux.

 

POLLUX

 

We will depart the hut in the early hours and ascend the glacier in an easterly direction. For those of us climbing Pollux, the trail will bank left and approach the rocky southwest ridge. From there, we’ll ascend the ridge through a series of easy grade scrambling, although ice on the rocks can make this much more challenging. Just below the summit are two pitches of grade climbing that are equipped with chains to assist us in overcoming this steep section. It is likely that we will pitch these two sections for safety.

 

Once we complete the two rock pitches, we will find ourselves on the final push along a glacial ridge that directly leads to the summit. From the summit, we will traverse across and begin our descent along the east ridge. The views here are incredible, with the Monte Rose glacier just beneath our feet and the summits of the Duforspitze, Zumsteinspitze, Lyskamm, and Castor surrounding us. The descent is straightforward and requires some sure-footedness, particularly on sections of loose rock. Once back on the glacier, we will follow the trail that climbs up the east face of Castor.

 

CASTOR-FELIKHORN

 

Similar to the Breithorn, this trail is formed of switchbacks but along a much steeper gradient. The final access to the summit ridge can be steep when the snow cover recedes, exposing the ice beneath. In this instance, it may be desirable to pitch once again for safety. The final ridge to the summit is sharp and requires tremendous concentration and sure-footedness, especially when there are gusts of wind. Once at the top, we’ll continue along the ridge line as it goes down and reconnects with another ascent to the summit of Felikhorn. From there, the ridge widens substantially. Our picnic lunch will be on the wide plateau after the summit. From there, the descent is straightforward, following a path along the glacier that eventually reaches the Quintino Sella hut, our home for the night. That’s five potential summits now in the bag and two spaghetti dinners!

DAY 4: THE NASO DEL LYSKAMM

Distance: 10 KM | Ascent: 1,071 M | Descent 1,051 M | Max Altitude: 4,344 M

 

The potential summits for the day are the Naso Del Lyskamm, Balmenhorn, and Piramide Vincent. The Naso Del Lyskamm is an impressive face that we must traverse in order to access the sector of the Monte Rosa Massif that includes the highest summits. Commonly known as just the “Naso,” the objective challenge of this section is scaling the icy face that often requires pitching and can be time-consuming. That’s why an early start is paramount.

 

NASO

 

We’ll depart the Quintino Sella hut in an easterly direction, staying below the south side of the Felikhorn. The trail connects with a massive glacier that banks left beneath the south-facing walls of the Lyskamm. The glacier traverse is relatively flat as we approach the Naso. The access to the summit begins along a rocky ridge usually covered in ice. The steep gradient is automatically felt, and the higher we go, the steeper it becomes until we are required to front-point with our crampons to ascend. Unless conditions are extremely favorable, and it is determined that the team has the necessary skills to short rope this section, we will pitch up to four belay stations to ascend the face safely. By the fourth pitch, the incline will start to become milder until we finally reach a series of short switchbacks that lead to the even shorter summit ridge. Depending on the wind, it may be possible to have a picnic just beneath the summit on the opposite side, where the views of an entirely new region of the Monte Rosa become visible. On a clear day, we’ll be able to see deep into the Italian Alps and sometimes even as far away as the Mon Viso in Piemonte!

 

The descent of the Naso is much easier than the ascent and follows a walkable trail until we reach the glacier. From there, it’s possible to either head directly to Gniffeti hut or to bag two more summits. These summits are situated near one another. It isn’t necessary to do all two either.

 

BALMENHORN

 

Assuming both are targeted, we’ll begin with Balmenhorn being the highest in altitude between the two and the furthest away from the hut. The trail is largely a long glacier walk along a mild incline. Balmenhorn is a rock that sticks out of the glacier. We’ll approach the summit from the west face, where a ladder has been built into the rock to assist climbers with accessing the summit. It’s a short climb to reach the top, where the Italian Alpine Club has even built a shelter for climbers caught out in bad weather. The exit from the summit is a retracing of our steps down the ladders to the glacier, where we’ll connect to the snow ridge that descends in the direction of the impressive Piramide Vincent.

 

PIRAMIDE VINCENT

 

The trail to Piramide Vincent from the col is milder than the Breithorn but with a full day behind us, it can feel gigantic. The trail follows a moderate ascent along three switchbacks to the summit. From there, we’ll descend back to the col and then continue descending along the long glacier all the way down to Gniffeti hut, our home for the evening. That’s 8 summits and 3 spaghetti dinners done!

DAY 5: SUMMIT BAGGING ABOVE 4000

Distance: 13.4 KM | Ascent 1,198 M | Descent: 1,931 | Max Altitude: 4,573 M

 

Our last day at altitude is the most epic, with a potential four summits left to bag! These are the Ludwigshohe, Parrotspitze, Zumsteinspitze, and Signalkuppe, also known as Punta Gneffeti. We’ll start very early from Gniffeti hut with the ultimate aim of reaching Capanna Margherita situated on the summit of Signalkuppe (4,554m) and then descend to Monte Rosa Hutte on the Swiss side of the mountain. It’s also possible to climb Piramide Vincent and Balmenhorn if they weren’t tackled the previous day. It’s rare to bag them all, but it has happened on LHO trips before. The big target that we’ll all attempt to achieve is to reach Signalkuppe. We’ll begin with an ascent of the glacier in the direction of Col de Lys.

 

LUDWIGSHOHE

 

From the Col, it is possible to diverge from the main trail in order to climb Ludwigshohe, a very achievable and straightforward summit that involves only a mild ascent along a short ridge. From there, it’s a short traverse along the glacier in the direction of either the main trail to Signalkuppe or the start of the more challenging ridge traverse to the summit of Parrotspitze.

 

PARROTSPITZE

 

The access to the ridge is along a crevassed glacier that does require some attention. The ridge begins with a rocky section, usually covered in ice, somewhat similar to the Naso before connecting with a long and exposed snow ridge similar to the ridge of Castor. The summit sits at the center of the ridge, which continues to traverse eastwards until it connects with the wider glacier separating it from the Signalkuppe and Zumsteinspitze.

 

After descending the ridge, we’ll reconnect with the classic trail as it ascends moderately towards a flat basin. There is a big crevasse that is usually easy to spot as we top out onto the basin. From there, the choice is to either go directly to the Capanna Margherita on the summit of Signalkuppe or attempt the Zumsteinspitze, the second highest summit of the Monte Rosa massif after the nearby Duforspitze.

 

ZUMSTEINSPITZE

 

The summit trail follows the southwest ridge and starts with a wider snow ascent followed by a narrower ridge. The final section requires a little maneuver as we go around an awkward rock that covers the majority of the already narrow trail before finally achieving the summit. The views from here are pure magic. Almost all the summits of the Monte Rosa, including the Breithorn and Pollux from the very start of our experience, become visible. The gigantic Duforspitze is just a stone’s throw away. If only the ridge connecting Zumstein to Dufor wasn’t amongst the most challenging alpine achievements in this region.

 

We’ll descend from the summit using the same route to reconnect with the basin and traverse south in the direction of Signalkuppe.

 

SIGNALKUPPE – CAPPANA MARGHERITA

 

The last ascent involves one big switchback along an impressive incline. With everything that we’ve achieved so far, it should feel like a walk in the park. Albeit a park at 4,554 meters of altitude. We’ll take a long break inside the hut at the summit and eat our packed lunches. The aim is to recover as much as possible but keeping in mind that time works against our energy at altitude. At some point, being here will start to drain energy rather than enable recovery. Once we’re ready to head out, we’ll follow the same trail down to the basin, past the crevasse, and onto the classic trail facing Parrotspitze. Rather than returning to the Col de Lys, we will connect with a descending trail into Switzerland along the Monte Rosa glacier, losing altitude rapidly as the deeper snow gives way to the more exposed ice. Once the ice meets the dry trail, it becomes a short walk to the Monte Rosa Hutte, our last night in the mountains. That’s 12 summits in the bag, and since we’re back in Switzerland, no spaghetti on the menu (although sometimes it is spaghetti)!

DAY 6: BACK TO ZERMATT

Distance: 7.2 KM | Ascent: 386 M | Descent: 441 M | Max Altitude: 2,881 M

 

Our last day in the mountains won’t involve any summits but is a demanding day in its own right. After breakfast, we’ll connect with the trail that follows the Monte Rosa Glacier as it descends deeper and deeper into Switzerland. The iconic Gornergrat Observatory that forms part of the Zermatt ski area will come into clear view on the cliff top ahead. We’ll walk along the flat glacier until we start ascending beneath the Gornergrat along a gradual ascending trail that goes in a westbound direction. We’ll stop at one of the most iconic views in the Alps for our picnic, where the Matterhorn is straight ahead of us, and its reflection is clearly visible in the crystal-clear waters of the Riffelhorn Lake. From there, it is no more than a 10-minute walk to the Rotenboden train station, where we’ll board the mountain train down to Zermatt, where hot showers, market streets, and a celebratory team dinner await. Last drink of the trip is on us!

DAY 7: LEAVING ZERMATT IS NEVER EASY

Our final day together will be dedicated to airport transfers and farewells. Breakfast is included on this day. Please make sure that you provide us with the correct departure details when you fill out your Team Details Form prior to your adventure. If your itinerary has changed, please inform your Team Leader as early as possible for arrangements to be made.

OUR COMMITMENT

OUR COMMITMENT

We are dedicated to ensuring that everyone involved in our services receives a fair living wage in their respective countries. We invest in our team members, fostering upward mobility within the adventure travel industry, expanding educational opportunities, and offering support wherever we can. By joining an LHO adventure you are directly impacting the incredible people and the remote communities that make these life-changing experiences possible.

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HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES

HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES

We do our best to ensure your wellbeing on LHO adventures. That's why the facilities we use throughout our trips are required to meet our health and safety standards. We also follow the laws and protocols of every country that hosts our adventures. This extends to national regulations requiring Covid-19 testing, vaccination certificates, mask wearing or any other local guidelines that may apply. Contact us for the most up to date protocols related to your destination.

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Top Questions

How should I train for this experience?

Training for this traverse is all about cardio and strength. The focus of the cardio should be to become comfortable with a high heart rate. The best way to do that is to get into sports that force your heart rate up. If you take up something like spinning, you'd familiarize yourself with the feeling of heavy and fast heartbeats so that, even though you won't be experiencing it as acutely or for as sustained a period as during a spinning session, your body would feel comfortable and ready to cop

Training for this traverse is all about cardio and strength. The focus of the cardio should be to become comfortable with a high heart rate. The best way to do that is to get into sports that force your heart rate up. If you take up something like spinning, you'd familiarize yourself with the feeling of heavy and fast heartbeats so that, even though you won't be experiencing it as acutely or for as sustained a period as during a spinning session, your body would feel comfortable and ready to cope when it occurs on the trail. Cardio training recommendations include running, swimming, spinning, cycling, rollerblading, or really anything that you can think of that is fun and sustainable for you where you live. Pilates or Yoga are great for training muscles to adapt to stress positions. Both of them enable your body to work as a whole unit with a focus on engaging the core.

Is this trip suitable for someone not so experienced in the outdoors and who hasn't been to altitudes above 3000 meters?

We run the Spaghetti Tour trip based on the assumption that our joiners have some experience with basic mountaineering. We do include some basic training but we do require that team members have some exposure to adventures of this nature prior to the start date. In terms of altitude, we do spend a large amount of time above 4000. Our itinerary is designed to account for proper acclimatization and assumes that everyone is joining us with no recent exposure to altitude.

We run the Spaghetti Tour trip based on the assumption that our joiners have some experience with basic mountaineering. We do include some basic training but we do require that team members have some exposure to adventures of this nature prior to the start date. In terms of altitude, we do spend a large amount of time above 4000. Our itinerary is designed to account for proper acclimatization and assumes that everyone is joining us with no recent exposure to altitude.

The Gear List suggests a 30L backpack for this trip but it seems too small to be able to fit everything on the gear list.?

30L is the perfect size for this trip and if you feel you may need a little extra space then don't exceed 40L. Adventure gear is designed to be stuffed and occupies very little space when packed efficiently. Don't worry. We'll be there to help you pack efficiently for the week.

30L is the perfect size for this trip and if you feel you may need a little extra space then don't exceed 40L. Adventure gear is designed to be stuffed and occupies very little space when packed efficiently. Don't worry. We'll be there to help you pack efficiently for the week.

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An adventure holiday for anyone with a pulse. No fitness requirements or prerequisites. Come as you are. Great for those who already train 1-2 times per week or would like to use this upcoming adventure as an opportunity to kickstart a fitness journey. Joiners should be comfortable with their physical fitness and regularly train at least 2-3 times a week in the lead up to this adventure. Joiners should be comfortable with their physical fitness and regularly train at least 2-3 times a week in the lead up to this adventure.Joiners should be comfortable with their physical fitness and regularly train at least 2-3 times a week in the lead up to this adventure. Need we explain further? No prior experience is required. Basic skills may be taught during this adventure. The skills necessary to safely complete this adventure will be taught as a part of this experience. This adventure requires prior experience, pre-requisite skills or certifications. See below for details. We aim to strike a balance between unique local experiences and international standards of comfort and hygiene. Hostels are dorm-style accommodation used during certain legs of our trips and expeditions. They can be quite trendy with common areas, restaurants and cafes. Expect rooms to include a bed and a mattress as well as a common dining area with chairs and tables. You’ll need to bring a sleeping bag and an optional pillow. When the experience includes camping we provide the tents, sleeping mats, common dining tents, camping chairs and camping tables. The only thing you’ll need to get is a sleeping bag and an optional camping pillow. Please refer to the LHO gear list for more information specific to the trip you’re on. Mountain Lodges are usually well equipped, providing beds with duvets and pillows. They also include a common restaurant area. Some lodges require a sleeping liner.

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