Gross Öugstchummuhorn (Gross Augstkummenhorn) · Wiwanni (Baltschiedertal) · Switzerland
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: high
Eight short, varied pitches on the Gross Öugstchummuhorn. Three slab pitches lead to a steep, athletic 6a+ through a series of bulges and a tricky, exposed 6b traverse near the top. In the afternoon the pitches alternate between sun and shade, which gave the route its name.
The route
Im Licht und Schatten is the modern harder line on the Gross Öugstchummuhorn: eight pitches of 20 to 30 m, with obligatory climbing of 6a. It starts with three classic slab pitches, then changes style with a puzzling step, an athletic pitch through several bulges and a final 6b whose crux is a traverse to the right. The hard sections are very closely bolted. The descent uses the abseil piste of the neighbouring route Männertreu?, reached by a short scramble.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5c | 25 m | Vertical slab, then a traverse left. |
| P2 | 5b | 25 m | Slab. |
| P3 | 5a | 20 m | Slab. |
| P4 | 6a | 20 m | Small slabs separated by an unusual move that takes some working out. |
| P5 | 6a+ | 30 m | Several bulges; athletic. There is an extra belay after 10 m, probably for descent or for linking with pitch 4. |
| P6 | 5c | 25 m | Slab, hardest towards the end. |
| P7 | 6b | 25 m | A hard move off the belay, then slab, then the crux of the route on a traverse to the right. Exposed. |
| P8 | 4b | 15 m | Easy, with one surprising move. |
Getting there
Take the train to Ausserberg on the Lötschberg mountain line, or drive up from Visp. From the station the Wiwannihütte (2470 m) is a 4 h 30 walk. Most parties drive or take a taxi-bus (Taxi Zerzuben in Visp, or Taxi Yvonne in Ausserberg for small groups) up the forest road to Fuxtritt (1851 m), which saves 900 m of ascent and leaves about 1 h 30 on foot to the hut. The road beyond the village needs a permit: 5 CHF for the first day and 3 CHF for each further day, from the village shop, the parking machine in the upper village, or by app. Park on the verge above the timber yard at Fuxtritt and keep the turning place clear; a July 2026 party found the top parking closed for forestry work and parked lower. Camping and sleeping in vehicles are banned throughout the commune.
40 min from the Wiwannihütte. Follow the path to the top of the second moraine, then traverse left through big blocks towards the gully that separates the Klein and Gross Öugstchummuhorn. The route is the third from that gully and its name is marked at the foot.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Fuxtritt, 1851 m, end of the permit road above Ausserberg (camptocamp waypoint 240991)
Point from camptocamp waypoint 466688 (Gross Öugstchummuhorn summit)
Contains the route point and parking. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.
Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.
Coordinates: 46.35023, 7.85110 (crag) · Parking: 46.32941, 7.85531
Getting down
From the top, down-climb easily along the ridge, moving together, to the last belay of Männertreu?. Five abseils of 25 m lead to the foot of the face. The first abseil is a full 25 m, so knot the rope ends on a 50 m rope. The belays on the route itself are built for abseiling, but both the hut and camptocamp advise against it because the rope tends to snag.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
The belays are built for abseiling and the pitches are 30 m or less, with an intermediate belay on the 30 m pitch, so you can retreat down the line. Both the hut and camptocamp warn that ropes snag on this route, which is why the normal descent goes down the neighbouring Männertreu?.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
Faces roughly east at about 2750 to 2900 m. The pitches go in and out of the sun in the afternoon; a July 2026 party started at 13:00. The hut warns that the steep slopes below the starts on this peak can hold snow at the beginning of summer, so take proper footwear.
Sun on the wall · E-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Central European time), for the 15th of each month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −8 | −7 | −3 | −0 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 4 | −3 | −8 |
| Mean daily low °C | −15 | −14 | −11 | −7 | −3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | −1 | −5 | −10 | −14 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 2454 m. Area climate from Open-Meteo reanalysis. Temperatures are adjusted to the height of the crag; rain comes from a grid cell of about 10 to 25 km, and summer highs on sea cliffs can read a few degrees low. The wall and valley can differ. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
What to carry
12 quickdraws and a single 50 m rope (hut topo and camptocamp). Helmet.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Im Licht und Schatten.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
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Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.