Cabane Bordier

The place

Capacity: 44. Masonry hut, generally staffed from late June to mid-September. Rates and details are available on the hut's website. Access to the Klein- and Gross-Bigerhörner, and from there to the Balfrin without setting foot on the Riedgletscher, which is tricky in its lower half. Some climbers go up to the Ulrichshorn or the Nadelgrat... you may prefer the [->1493], depending on conditions at the time; details in this PDF document. From Ried (Grächen) at 1662 m, on the right bank of the Mattervispa slightly downstream of St Nicolas, a path heads south and crosses the Riedbach gorge on a footbridge, then climbs in switchbacks on the left bank of the torrent, via the Alpja alp (2099 m). You then follow the ridge of the moraine, more scree, up to around 2800 m. There you reach the glacier (Riedgletscher), which must be crossed (marker poles are generally in place) depending on its condition and the layout of the crevasses. A large cairn should mark the far bank as a landmark, and you can spot the hut from there (hence the value of doing this route once the glacier is clearly visible). Allow no less than 4h/4h30 from Ried. Paths apparently exist on the other bank: tricky, exposed to rockfall, unpleasant.... CAS, Geneva section. Hut phone: 00.41.(0)27 956 1909. Official website: http://www.vs-wallis.ch/wallis/huetten/bordier.html