A crown of granite towers above Göscheneralp, split by three of the finest ridges in the Alps — long days on immaculate rock, with a hut at the foot of them.
Salbitschijen is a fortress of granite standing over the Göscheneralp valley in canton Uri — a line of spires and towers, three great ridges, and side walls full of long routes. The rock is as good as granite gets: coarse, generous with friction, cut through with cracks. Approaches are short by alpine standards, and the setting is as fine as anything over the Mont Blanc massif with a fraction of the queues.
Everything here has an alpine character, even where the belays are bolted. Retreat off the ridges is awkward, the days are long, and the hard pitches only get climbed if we move efficiently over the easy ones. That is the bargain the massif offers, and it is worth taking.
One thing to know before a first visit: the grading is honest to the point of severe. If your recent climbing has been on modern sport routes, we drop a grade or two on day one and let the slab technique and the jamming come back. Route-finding, by contrast, is easy — as almost everywhere in Switzerland, route names are painted at the foot of the wall.
Getting there and where we stay
Fly to Zurich, take the direct train to Göschenen, then the PostAuto bus towards Göscheneralp. Approaches start from the Ulmi parking at 1,195m. Most days run from the Salbithütte (2,105m), around 900m of ascent above the valley road and perfectly placed for the south face and the East Ridge; for the west side we use the Salbitschijenbiwak (2,400m). Wild camping is not permitted here — a bivouac above the treeline from dusk to dawn is tolerated, but for a climbing week the huts make far more sense.
Guidebooks
Salbit erleben! (Filidor) is the bible for the massif, with current topos and protection notes. The SAC route portal is excellent if you are a member. Uri Excellence covers the whole canton, the Furka and Göschenen included, and Filidor’s Schweiz Plaisir Ost and Schweiz Extrem Ost are the ones to carry if you are travelling more widely in eastern Switzerland.
Salbit is the serious end of the Uri granite. For sunnier, friendlier rock in the same valley see Göscheneralp; for granite at 3,000 metres see the Furkapass. All three sit under Swiss Granite & Limestone.
Trip options
Requirements & gear
Previous multi-pitch experience, and confident movement on easy ground — the ridges only work if we can move together where the climbing is straightforward. Most routes want placing and following gear; I can teach that here, on the shorter lines, but not on the West Ridge.
- Harness, helmet and climbing shoes
- Approach shoes for the walk-in
- Full set of nuts and cams, common sizes doubled — I bring the rack
- Belay jacket and headtorch; days here run long
- Full list on booking, rental available
Included
- Professional guiding from an IFMGA-certified guide
- Tailored itinerary to your skills and goals
- Technical equipment (ropes, protection; harness and helmet rentable on request)
- Safety and technical support throughout
- Arrangement of accommodation to your comfort and budget
Not included
- Transport (arranged to suit the objective)
- Drinks, lunch and snacks
- Insurance (accident, mountain rescue, travel, illness) is the participant’s responsibility — we recommend membership of the Swiss "Rega" rescue service.
Costs
Price is set by the objective; daily rates start around 600 CHF. Multi-pitch climbing is done with one or two clients; cragging days can take up to six.
Photos
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Furkapass — High Alpine Granite
Granite at three thousand metres, with snow peaks on the horizon and a glacier or two underfoot. Shorter routes than the Salbit, in a bigger setting.
Göscheneralp — Plaisir Granite at the Bergseehütte
Sunny, well-bolted granite at the end of the Göscheneralp road — the friendliest rock in Uri, and the right place for a first multi-pitch route.
Urner Haute Route — Andermatt to Engelberg
A wilder, more demanding alternative to the classic Haute Route, through the remote Urner Alps from Andermatt to Engelberg.