West Flank

Note: This describes one of the many ways to ascend the West Flank. There are numerous trails and routes that all lead to the summit.

Walk up the tracks towards the West Flank and you’ll find a trail soon that goes to the top of the Rotstock. This trail is well marked and has a few fixed ropes that are not entirely necessary but helpful when coming down. After approaching the Rotstock, continue up the West Flank and trend left. Follow cairns and some faded painted arrows on the rock with a faint trail to follow as well. You’ll see a headwall above. Keep following cairns going towards the headwall/rock-step and getting close you will see a fixed rope at a weakness right-ish in the wall. Go to the rope. Jug up the rope and from the top follow more cairns and a faint trail. You’ll find the trail traversing left and up to the 3060m bivy. From the bivy, stick more or less to the ridge with the Nordwand to your left side. After crossing Mushroom Rock, you will want to start trending right on the ridge. If you stick left, you will end up on some very loose terrain. Trend right further than you might think. After a little bit more ascent, you’ll start to see metal rebar drilled into the rocks for belaying (pig tails). Follow the rebar as it climbs up the West Flank. Once you regain the ridge, follow the path of least resistance to the summit.

This route would be 5.3 if you didn’t use the fixed lines, but probably 4th Class A0 if you used the fixed lines. Depending on the time of the year, you may need ice axe and crampons on the peak, but you can also ascend completely dry in late summer. 

Technically, the route is not very difficult. If you are comfortable on easy low-5th class terrain, this route is a cakewalk. If you are less comfortable on slab, you may have difficulties on the route. You will descend the same path of ascent.

The route starts right outside the Eigergletscher railway station. You can either take the cable car from Grindelwald, the train from Kleine Scheidegg, or approach on foot. If approaching on foot, you can take the Eiger-Rotstock Via Ferrata or take the trail from Kleine Scheidegg.