At 4,554 metres, Margherita Hut stands on the summit of Punta Gnifetti, surrounded by the glaciers and peaks of Monte Rosa. It is Europe’s highest mountain hut, and reaching it is a mountaineering objective that you can build into a trip to the Italian Alps.
With Monterosa Booking, you can join a small group or arrange a private ascent with an IFMGA Mountain Guide. The two-day trip starts in Alagna Valsesia, a mountain village in northern Italy, on the southern side of Monte Rosa.
We meet at the Monterosa Booking office in Alagna to check your equipment and prepare for the ascent. If you don’t have your own harness and crampons, we provide them.
Together with your guide, you take the lifts to Punta Indren and continue on foot to Mantova or Gnifetti Hut. This first afternoon introduces you to the terrain and equipment before dinner and an early night in the hut.
The summit day begins before dawn. Wearing crampons and roped together, you climb across the glacier towards Punta Gnifetti. Your guide sets the pace and assesses conditions throughout the ascent. After reaching Margherita Hut, you descend to Punta Indren and take the lifts back to the valley.
You don’t necessarily need previous mountaineering experience, but you do need good fitness and experience of long mountain walks. The summit day involves several hours of continuous ascent, followed by the descent, at an altitude where effort feels greater.
If you’re unsure whether the trip suits you, tell us about your recent hikes: the elevation gain, how long they took and how you felt afterwards. We’ll help you assess your preparation and choose between a group departure and a private climb. Weather, glacier conditions and how participants respond to altitude all influence the day’s plan.
Start by sending us your preferred dates, the number of people travelling and a little about your mountain experience. We’ll discuss the options, confirm availability and explain the equipment you’ll need to bring.
The package includes guiding, an overnight hut stay with dinner and breakfast, return lift tickets, and a harness and crampons if needed.
For international visitors, Milan Malpensa is an airport to consider when planning the journey to Alagna. Before booking flights, contact us to coordinate your arrival with the climb. We can also help you plan accommodation in the village and discuss transfer arrangements.
Allowing time in Alagna before the ascent gives you space to organise your equipment and enjoy the valley before heading onto the glacier.
An IFMGA Mountain Guide for both days, one night at Mantova or Gnifetti Hut with dinner and breakfast, return lift tickets, and a harness and crampons if you don’t have your own.
The climb to Margherita is for all the people who have a good level of training and know how to handle walks of 4/5h straight. You will reach the top in two steps, on the first day you’ll walk up the first part of the glacier, reaching the first hut in 1/1.5h. The difference in height between Gnifetti and Margherita, covered on the second day, is of 900m; that means that in order to reach the summit you’ll need to walk on a speed of 200/250m per hour in elevation.
The trip does not involve any particular technical difficulties but the path is entirely on high mountain, this tour is indeed a hike along the glacier where we will use a roped party, because the fall of somebody can easily be stopped by the weight of the others.
You will not find exposed points or edges to overcome; there are just two easy vie ferrate, one to reach Gnifetti hut and one to reach Cristo delle Vette peak.
Remember that acclimatization is the key to success! If you have lack of time the best choice is surely the two days trip, but we recommend to sleep in Alagna or Gressoney the day before departure.
On this mountain trip, each guide is allowed to accompany maximum 5 climbers.
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