To New Peak Performance on the Monte Rosa Massif

Rock climbing is high performance sport. At dizzying Sika is an important partner in the construction of the Monte
heights, in icy temperatures and glaring sunlight, moun- Rosa Lodge. The wooden lodge is completely encased with
Sarnafil TU 222 sub-roof membranes and thus optimally pro-
tain climbers confront nature, constantly scaling new
tected from the extreme weather conditions at an altitude near
challenges in this imposing environment of simultane- 3000 meters above sea level.
ously grandiose beauty. At 4,634 meters above sea level,
Dufour Peak is number three among the highest summits The idea to approach Sika immediately occurred to project
in the Alps. The Monte Rosa Lodge below the summit initiator Professor Dr. Meinrad K. Eberle during the project
should rise to number one among alpine mountain huts. design phase: “As the person responsible for coordination
of the 150-year anniversary of the ETH Zurich, I looked for
The lodge must also withstand icy temperatures, strong solar partners for the construction of the new Monte Rosa Lodge,
radiation and even storms, all at an altitude of 2,883 meters which is a project in the course of our anniversary. Sika stood
above sea level. Sika supports the ETH Zurich and the Swiss
Alpine Club (SAC) in this unique construction project, the goal
of which is to present the added value of ecologically sensible
construction even and particularly in such an extreme loca-
tion. Because this milestone in high alpine construction will
fulfill very special requirements in its later operation. Being
nearly autarkic, the lodge draws more than 90 percent of its
energy demand locally from solar energy, and meets its need
for water with melt water. In order to achieve this, the high-
est quality demands in architecture and construction must
be satisfied.

The wooden lodge inside. Construction works

run on full speed as the Mote Rosa Lodge will
be opened in fall this year already.

for me at the top of the list, because on my own balcony I
used Sika sealing products to repair walls left leaky due to
a construction defect. At that time I came to appreciate Sika
for its quality.”
Sika collaborates in a cutting-edge building
High quality products from sponsoring partner Sika are being
used for the new Monte Rosa Lodge. The largest portion is
covered by Sarnafil TU 222 sub-roof membranes. All const-
ruction materials must be delivered to the site by helicopter.
As a result, the lodge is built as timber scaffolding, because
the wooden parts are easier to transport. The timber struc-
ture must – especially because of the extreme location – be
entirely protected from wind and weather.
Roland Emmenegger, Technical Manager Solar and Pitched
Roof with Sika Sarnafil AG, remarks: “The Sarnafil sub-roof
membranes were in discussion in building design from the
beginning because they are very robust; they withstand high
fluctuations in temperature and UV-radiation, and are the-
The new Monte Rosa Lodge represents groundbreaking tech-
nology in design, calculation and assembly in exemplary fashi-
on – so serving also as a research and test object for modern
building technologies.
refore very durable. In addition they are optimally suited for
the Monte Rosa Lodge because they are vapor-permeable
and simultaneously watertight. For a wooden structure that
is very important.” The entire wooden scaffolding is exter-
nally protected by Sarnafil TU 222. Sika thus makes a crucial
contribution to this milestone in high alpine construction. And
mountain climbers can gather strength under warm and dry
conditions before cresting the Dufour Peak.
Sika supports the ETH
Since 2007 Sika has supported the ETH Zurich Foundation
with a contribution of more than two million Swiss francs.
With this sum Sika currently funds a number of scientific pro-
jects at various professorships, among these also being the
Monte Rosa Project.