The Taschhorn at height of 4491 meters, is the uncrowned queen of the Mischabel group. Even if the Dom is 55 meters higher, the Taschhorn catches the eye with its appealing triangular form. The demanding south-east ridge and Teufelsgrat ridge are legendary. Taschhorn is the neighbor of Dom and the two mountains belong to the same ridge, the Mischabel group. Taschhorn is a little lower than Dom but more difficult to access because there is mandatory rock climbing. Taschhorn is a 3 sided pyramid. East face is above Saas Fee, west face is above Tasch which is last village before Zermatt and huge south face is above Taschalp. Each side belongs a glacier, on Tasch side is Kingletscher, on Taschalp side is Weingartengletscher, and on Saas side is Feegletscher.
The Taschhorn belongs to the Mischabel group and is one of the most difficult 4000 meter peaks to climb in Valais. The normal route or Mischabel ridge is difficult so this peak is rarely climbed. The Taschhorn is named after the mountain village of Tasch which lies at its feet. The Taschhorn was first climbed on July 31st 1862 by Stefan Zumtaugwald, Johann Zumtaugwald, J. Llewelyn Davies, J.W. Hayward, and Peter-Josef Summermatter.
The Taschhorn is regarded as the uncrowned queen, even if the adjacent Dom is even higher. Three steep ridges and three rugged walls form a towering pyramid with bold geometry. No wonder the Taschhorn is a giant among Alpine peaks. Its fearsome south face, though rarely climbed, is considered one of the greatest and most dangerous challenges in the Alps. The legendary Franz Lochmatter was the first to climb it, at the age of just 19. Because of the steady rise in temperature in the Alps and the associated increase in the danger of falling rocks, it hardly figures in the repertoire of great climbs any more, it would be tempting fate. Although the Dom towers above the neighboring Tascchorn by 55 meters, the latter has a much more powerful stature and dominates the whole Mischabel chain. All its routes are correspondingly long, and even when they are not too tricky, commands great respect for their length alone, such as the route via the Teufelsgrat ridge. The ascent from the Dom hut via the north-west face used to be considered the normal route, however, it has lost much of its appeal. Today’s normal route is the more interesting and shorter climb along the south-east ridge from the Mischabelijoch bivouac.
