Zumsteinspitze
The Zumsteinspitze was the first summit of the Monte Rosa massif to be climbed. Its name comes from the topographer Joseph Zumstein, who explored the peak with other scientists.
Height
4,563 m
First ascent
1 August 1820
First climbed by
Joseph and Johann Nikolaus Vincent, Joseph Zumstein, Joseph Beck, H. Molinatti, Marty and Castel
Tips in the village
- Zermatlantis, the Matterhorn Museum: reliefs and photos
- Hotel Monte Rosa, guided tours
- Mountaineers’ cemetery
Tips for visitors
- Best view of the Zumsteinspitze: from the Gornergrat (cog railway)
Tips for hikers
- High-altitude hike to the Monte Rosa hut (glacier trek, mountain guide required)
- Rotenboden - Riffelberg
Zumsteinspitze: tips for mountaineers
- Mountain guide necessary
- Depending on fitness levels, suitable for single or multiple ascents in the Monte Rosa massif
- Multi-day tour
- Medium difficulty
Early topographical exploration of the Monte Rosa massif
The Zumsteinspitze (4,563 m) is the third-highest peak in the Monte Rosa massif, located on the border between Italy and Switzerland. It lies between the Dufourspitze and the Signalkuppe, separated by the Grenzsattel (4,453 m) and the Colle Gnifetti (4,453 m). It was first climbed very early in the history of alpinism, for scientific reasons, at a time when the Monte Rosa massif was still completely unknown.
Origin of name
Ludwig Freiherr von Welden, the Austrian general and topographer, named the peak after Joseph Zumstein, who completed the first ascent in summer 1820 in the name of scientific research. The two explorers worked together on the mapping of the Monte Rosa massif.
Protection order for the Monte Rosa ibex
It is likely that ibex on the Monte Rosa massif would now be history had not the draper, natural scientist and forestry inspector Joseph Zumstein from the Val de Gressoney made the House of Savoy aware of the dwindling numbers of these impressive creatures. A protection order, the Patenti, was issued on 21 September 1821.