Alphubel, Alpine summit in Valais, Switzerland

The Alphubel is a 4,206 m mountain in the Pennine Alps of Valais, on the ridge between the Mattertal and Saastal above Täsch and Saas-Fee. Its flat summit is mostly firn-covered and has a northern top of 4,188 m. The east flank is occupied by the Fee Glacier, while the west side drops steeply toward the Mattertal and the ice-free Rotgrat runs down to the Täsch Hut.

Leslie Stephen and T. W. Hinchliff made the first ascent on 9 August 1860 with guides Melchior Anderegg and Peter Perren, starting at Täsch via the south-east ridge and the Alphubeljoch. In 1863 Emma Winkworth, daughter of Thomas Thomasson, became the first woman to climb the Alphubel.

The name joins the Alemannic word Hubel, meaning a rounded hill or knoll, to the nearby Fee Glacier and Saas-Fee. The flat firn dome seen from Saas-Fee explains the hill part. Emma Winkworth, daughter of Thomas Thomasson, became the first woman to climb the Alphubel in 1863, three years after the first ascent.

The normal route begins from Berghaus Längflue and crosses the Fee Glacier to reach the summit, a climb that typically takes 4 to 5 hours. Glacier experience and proper mountaineering gear are essential, as conditions on the ice change regularly with the weather and season.

The summit has a second, northern top at 4,188 m that barely rises above the flat firn dome, so climbers crossing the plateau can easily miss it. The main summit itself is mostly firn-covered, and the ice-free Rotgrat ridge runs west from it down to the Täsch Hut at 2,701 m.