Col Durand
From Mount Wiki
| Col Durand | |
|---|---|
|
| |
| General | |
| Elevation | 3,451 m11,322.178 ft 2.144 miles |
| Location | Valais, Switzerland |
| Range | Pennine Alps |
| Massif | Weisshorn Group |
| Between | Pointe de Zinal - Mont Durand |
| Coordinates | |
| DMS Coor. | 46°1´48"N, 7°38´23"E |
| Swiss Coor. | 615551 / 97597 |
| Links | Topographic Detail |
| Nearby Features | |
|
Arben Bivouac, Dent Blanche, Mont Durand, Ober Gabelhorn, Trifthorn (Weisshorn Group), Wellenkuppe | |
| Alpinist's Info | |
| Base(s) | Anniviers, Zermatt, Zinal |
| Hut(s) | Grand Mountet Hut, Schönbiel Hut |
| Topo. Map | SLK 1347: Matterhorn |
| Easiest Route |  F
|
| Map | |
  Col Durand | |
Contents |
General information
The Col Durand (3,451 m11,322.178 ft
2.144 miles) is a pass in the Pennine Alps of Switzerland. This pass was first crossed in 1859 by G. and W. Matthews with M. Charlet, J.-B. Croz and J. Vianin.
The pass is situated betweenn the Pointe de Zinal and Mont Durand and provides a crossing point between the Grand Mountet Hut and the Schönbiel Hut and ultimately between Zinal and Zermatt. The N side is quite steep towards the top and is often icy. There may also be a difficult bergschrund on this side but a way past this can usually be found.
Routes
South Side (F)
| Col Durand: South Side (edit infobox) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Summit | Approach | ||
| Summit | Col Durand (3,451 m2.144 miles 11,322.178 ft) | Valley base(s) | Zermatt (1,608 m0.999 miles 5,275.591 ft) |
| Route Type | Snow (2.5 - 3 h) | Hut | Schönbiel Hut (2,694 m1.674 miles 8,838.583 ft) |
| Difficulty | F
| Difficulty | W1 |
| Height Gains | Hut - Summit: 757 m0.47 miles 2,483.596 ft  - Valley - Hut: 1086 m0.675 miles 3,562.992 ft - Valley - Summit: 1843 m1.145 miles 6,046.588 ft
| ||
| Useful Maps | SLK 1347: Matterhorn (Maps) | ||
From the Schönbiel Hut follow the path leading NNW for a few min. Take the first branch R which climbs a steep grassy slope into the combe named Kumme. Climb the combe (cairned track) in a fairly direct line towards the L end of a ramp leading to the col at its head. Follow the ramp to the col and on its E side follow a continuation track slanting down on to the Hohwäng Glacier at Pt. 3,150 m. Climb the R (W) bank of the glacier passing close to the bottom of the rock rib marked Pt. 3,312 m before turning NNE to reach the col. There may be some large crevasses near the rock rib.
North Side (PD)
| Col Durand: North Side (edit infobox) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Summit | Approach | ||
| Summit | Col Durand (3,451 m2.144 miles 11,322.178 ft) | Valley base(s) | Anniviers, Zinal |
| Route Type | Snow (2.5 - 3 h) | Hut | Grand Mountet Hut (2,886 m1.793 miles 9,468.504 ft) |
| Difficulty |  PD
| Difficulty | W1 |
| Height Gains | Hut - Summit: 565 m0.351 miles 1,853.675 ft
| ||
| Useful Maps | SLK 1347: Matterhorn, SLK 1327: Evolène (Maps) | ||
From the Mountet Hut follow a track S on to the Mountet Glacier. The aim is to climb the Durand Glacier combe but to avoid crevasses do this by moving in an arc, at first heading SSE and finishing by heading SW. In this way reach the snow rib which extends SSW from the Roc Noir and climb this to the upper plateau of the glacier. Now head as direct as possible to the col, the actual direction being dictated by the position at which the bergschrund can be crossed. The slope above the bergschrund is usually quite steep for a few m and can be icy.
Overview
| Route Name | Hei. | Dif. | Dur. (h) | Type | Rock | ° | Valley | Hut | S. Gain | Maps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Col Durand: North Side | 3,451 m2.144 miles 11,322.178 ft | PD | 2.5-3 | Snow | Anniviers, Zinal | Grand Mountet Hut | 565 m0.351 miles 1,853.675 ft | 1347, 1327 | ||
| Col Durand: South Side | 3,451 m2.144 miles 11,322.178 ft | F | 2.5-3 | Snow | Zermatt | Schönbiel Hut | 757 m0.47 miles 2,483.596 ft | 1347 |
Hei.:Height, Dif.: Difficulty, Dur.: Duration, S. Gain: Meters from hut to summit
Summit map is always listed first. If a map is used for 2 km and another map for 1 km, the 2 km map will be listed before the 1 km map. Overview of the Swiss maps & Italian maps.
Recommended books
The Alpine 4000m Peaks by the Classic Routes by Richard Goedeke
Valais Alps East: Selected Climbs (Alpine Club Guides) by Les Swindin
Valais Alps West: Selected Climbs (Alpine Club Guides) by Lindsay Griffin
Valais West: Zinal - Arolla - Verbier - Rhone Valley: Rother Walking Guide by Michael Waeber & Hans Steinbichler
Climbing: Techniques to Take You Higher (Mountaineers Outdoor Expert) by Cathy Cosley
- You can click the images to get a bigger image of the front cover!
- We offer you a direct deeplink to Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.de to buy the book. Amazon is the biggest online store in the world and offers a safe environment to buy anything you want.
