Clariden

Over the Claridenfirn to the Clariden

A big two-day tour in the borderland between hiking and mountaineering (WS). From the Klausenpass you first climb pathless toward the Iswändli — the trail is good once you’ve found it. Over the Iswändli you skirt the crevasse zone in a small arc, then cross a scree-covered foresummit (T4) to the main top. The crux lies between the two summits: either a short stretch across a sloping glacier (with bolts) or, above, an exposed bit of ridge (T5+). The descent runs down the Claridenfirn — roped, with brake knots — to the walking trail by the Klausenpass lake and on to the Claridenhütte.

Tip: The tour is longer than it looks — allow generously for the climb, and bring glacier gear for the Claridenfirn. If you miss the last lift at the Fisetenpass, the Claridenhütte is a fine place to land.

How it went for me

We left Zürich at six for Altdorf and took the bus up to the Klausenpass, promptly lost the path at the chapel (it went further left), and then, neither of us especially fit, took a good eight hours to the Iswändli. Up top everything was snow-free and the camp between the summits magnificent. We stood on the summit at two; the short scramble between the tops was my mental limit. The Claridenfirn dragged: roped across a big crevasse zone in the middle, too dicey on the left, so we skirted the edge, and only reached the blue-and-white trail at half past six. Too late for the Fisetenpass, so on to the Claridenhütte — a lovely hut with nice people at the table, and they keep fluffy chickens. The next day to the Fisetenpass, chamois and marmots along the way, then the lift down to the Urnerboden. A really beautiful tour, just longer than we’d reckoned.