Rigi Kulm Nordwestrippe
A technical T5 direttissima up the northwest rib to Rigi Kulm — steep, rough off-trail terrain to the 'Queen of the Mountains'.
Up the Rigi Kulm by the northwest rib
The northwest rib is a little-known, direct alternative to the Rigi Kulm — a short, scrambly conglomerate rib instead of the cog railway. From the Seebodenalp it climbs over Rotenboden and Tristenboden; the pitches are exposed but not long, and a chain helps at the crux. The climb is done surprisingly quickly.
Tip: Only tackle it on dry rock. Conglomerate turns glassy when wet, and then the short rib is far less pleasant than its T5 suggests.
How it went for me
We took only about two hours. The climb was pretty muddy, and the pitches in the wet, slippery conglomerate really only went well with the help of the chain. But as a little outing it was great — exposed, but short, and no problem for either of us.