Ostegg hut
Maintenance and opening hours
From the end of June to the end of September, the hut is open to guests but non guarded. A reservation is mandatory, because the hut is locked. You will get the code with the reservation.
Reservation
A reservation is mandatory.
Call the local guides office GrindelwaldSPORTS at 033 224 07 01
You will receive the code for the keybox when you make the reservation.
Hut warden: Beni Wenger
Prices
Overnight: CHF 30.00 per person and night
To pay there's a money box or there are pay-in slips in the hut.
Infrastructure
There are 15 beds, with blankets, duvets, a gas stove, a wooden stove, cutlery and soft drinks available.
Via Ferrata (difficulty level K3)
The via ferrata was built in 1998, after the Ostegg hut was built for the 100th anniversary of the Grindelwald Mountain Guide Association.
Interested?
Here you can book the Via Ferrata-Tour directly with us: www.grindelwaldsports.ch/via-ferrata-ostegg
Access
After the ride to the Alpiglen station, you walk on the «Eiger Trail» hiking trail. At the signpost you walk under a rocky outcrop and then climb up a grassy ramp. Once you have reached the striking Grassattel, you cross a scree slope and reach the rocks where the entrance to the via ferrata (difficulty level K3) is located. After having conquered it, one reaches the beautifully situated Ostegg hut.
Time required from Alpiglen: 2 - 3 hours
The hut path is quite exposed. There are two climbing points (hooks). Only for alpinists.
Ascent to the Mittellegi hut 3350m
Early in the morning we ascend over scree and rock bands to the Ostegg ridge. Very impressively we cross the varied ridge, at one point we even have to go through a rock hole to reach the other side. The three difficult pitches will challenge us again in the upper part of the ridge. Climbing spots in the upper fifth degree of difficulty await us, but soon we see the Mittellegi hut further up.
The small hut on the narrow ridge is impressively located, the sunsets could not be more romantic.
Time needed: 7 - 8 hours
Interested?
Here you can book the Via Ferrata-Tour directly with us: www.grindelwaldsports.ch/eiger-via-ostegg
Eiger Hörnli 1927
Report on the first ascent by Samuel Brawand in the magazine «Die Alpen»; issue 4/1928; shortened
The construction of the Mittellegi hut brought a new problem to light. At the sight of the Eiger, the mountaineer involuntarily feels the desire to climb over the ridge in its entire length. The hut now offered a fixed base, so that the realisation of this wish could be seriously considered. In doing so, one was aware of the main obstacle. Between point 2929 (today 2030) point 3004 (today no longer shown on the national map) there is a deep gap. Its overcoming seemed uncertain.
When Yuko Maki returned from Japan in summer 1926, the plan was opened to him. He was immediately ready to try to cross the entire Eiger from the Lütschinen Gorge to the Eiger Glacier. On 22 September at 3 o'clock in the morning we set off from Grindelwald: Yuko Maki, H. Watanabe, Sab. Matsukata, the guides Fritz Amatter, Fritz Steuri, Emil Steuri and me. We reached the above-mentioned embrasure at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and saw that their ascent had been imagined too easy... For such a thing the company was recognized as too big and the retreat was decided. Through thick fog we reached the Alpiglen inn at 9 o'clock in the evening; this time without the joyful feeling of victory.
But failure did not discourage us. «The Eiger will not run away, nor will the Hörnligrat.» Maki went back to Japan. But Matsukata returned last summer with his friend Uramatsu. He hadn't abandoned the plan any more than we had. (Besides the two Japanese mentioned above, only Emil Steuri and Samuel Brawand were still in the party). This time we equipped ourselves a bit better and chose Alpiglen, which is already much higher than Grindelwald, as our starting point.
Dry and warm was the morning of August 6th, when we left the hospitable house in Alpiglen at 3.15 am... The day began to climb up behind the Wetterhorn, when we finally roped up at the foot of the first rock fall. We knew the entrance from last year's retreat. At 7.30 am we entered the saddle. At 8.45 we saw each other on the easternmost of the Grosse Hörnli, P. 2866. About half an hour later Emil was working on a small hole that finally allowed us to slip through the second summit. We had gained precious time with this idea. Finally at 10 o'clock we were able to put down our quite heavy sacks in the notorious embrasure where we had turned back last year. No time was missed. Emil was already armed and ready to fight, to get to grips with the smooth wall with hammer and chisel.
We had decided to take the direct route from the embrasure over the abrupt plate. That thing looked pretty ticklish. I confessed to myself quietly: That's not how I imagined it.
Anyway, Emil started climbing while the three of us were eating our lunch, putting on our climbing shoes and putting the heavy boots into our bags. Upstairs the first cautious blows to the chisel sounded. More and more quickly they followed each other, and apparently effortlessly the first hole was created in a short time. The first pin was firmly wedged with wood. Already I am on top. Two wall hooks allow me an airy stand and seat in the rope. I begin to drill. Clumsy at first and laborious. But soon the work goes better, and finally the second pin is up. One more, then we dare. Emil hits the last one, comes back and commands: «Go on, go on!» Meanwhile I have tied myself to one of our hundred foot ropes and, followed by my comrade, I climb quickly to the topmost pin. The rope is looped over it. Now over in a weak, careful pendulum movement, without any other hold than that of the rope, high up 800 m almost vertically above the glacier break of the Kallifirn. For sure an airy swing. We manage to reach the mentioned small channel in the south wall. After I take a breather, I start to climb up the extremely steep, non-grip throat, calmly and slowly. Often I have to rest. Down below a huge avalanche breaks off behind the Eiger Castle. Thundering, the blocks rumble to the depths. The thought flashes through my mind like lightning: If you fell, you'd just get into the blocks!... But what, fall? Desperately I raise the hard work anew. Emil has long since vanished from my sight. I still hear a faint cry here and there. I no longer answer. My task holds me completely captive.
Another four metres. But – a devilishly difficult spot. I have to take a few deep breaths first. Meanwhile I ponder a wall hook out of my pocket, put it into a crack in the rock, abseil down, pull the rope through the ring of the hook and tie it around my body again. I feel more or less secure. Now in my final attempt over the topmost bulwark, and I'm standing on top... I would have liked to shout, but I couldn't get tired and excited. Moreover, my tongue was sticking to my palate, an uncanny thirst tormented me.
After a good while I could tell my companions that the venture had been successful, but that we had to hurry. In the west a black cloud wall rose in the sky, which did not bode well. At 2 pm I had the gutter behind me. At 4.15 p.m. finally all four of us were up and took a last look into the devilish gulf. But now hurry up and get out of there. Hardly had we allowed our dry throats some snow water. We had to hurry, but it was already thundering in the distance. The thunderstorm was fast there. Huh, the wind whistled around the burial towers! The hair began to crackle. 5.30 pm we decided to take refuge under a rocky outcrop. After one hour the worst weather was over. In storm and rain we continued our efforts. At the moment we were all soaked to the bone. The electric spark went through our wet hats. We tried to stay away from the ridge, but it didn't always work.
Finally, 19.40 o'clock, we entered the dear little hut on the Mittellegi. The storm shook, the rain clapped heavily on the windows. A long fire crackled on the iron bar above the fireplace. But inside it was dry, it was so cosy. Wrapped in warm woollen blankets, we prepared our evening meal, then stretched out on the cots and fell asleep in the stormy lullaby of the Eiger.