Dent d'Hérens is one of the wilderness and most interesting 4000m Alpine Peaks. In the unusual and beautiful Valpelline Valley is one of the most impressive 6th hours tour close to the bottom of the mountain.
It is really similar to the Matterhorn and geologically they have the same genesis: it is less often climbed than the Matterhorn because it's summit is less spectacular and less known.
The normal route to the summit is on Italian side, in the end of the Valpelline.
One of the interest for going to Dent d'Hérens is the view on Matterhorn. From Switzerland, the north face of the mountain is an huge ice face. From Schönbiel hut (near to Zermatt) you've got a fantastic view on this north face, first climbed by Willo Welzenbach.
The normal route goes through the southwest face and the west ridge to the summit.
The starting point to access the route is Bionaz: you can stay in the local camping or to walk until the Prarayer refuge .
The first ascent of the mountain was by Florence Crauford Grove, William Edward Hall, Reginald Somerled Macdonald, Montagu Woodmass, Melchior Anderegg, Jean-Pierre Cachat and Peter Perren on 12 August 1863. The mountain had been attempted a few days before by Edward Whymper, Jean Antoine Carrel and Luc Meynet but Whymper insisted that they retreat from their planned route up the west ridge because of loose rock. Whymper was annoyed that he had not chosen the line taken up the Grandes Murailles glacier and the south-west flank by Melchior Anderegg on the first ascent and later wrote: "This was the only mountain in the Alps that I have essayed to ascend, that has not, sooner or later, fallen to me. Our failure was mortifying".
The first winter ascent was by M. Piacenza, J. J. Carrell and G. B. Pellisier on 16 January 1910.