| Corno Stella Mountain/Rock |
Contribute  Loading...
Geography Parents Loading... Mountains & Rocks
| Corno Stella   | 
| Page Type: Mountain/Rock Location: Piemonte, Italy, Europe Lat/Lon: 44.15992°N / 7.31071°E Activities: Mountaineering, Trad Climbing, Sport Climbing Season: Summer Elevation: 10007 ft / 3050 m | Page By: rampini Created/Edited: Sep 22, 2011 / Mar 28, 2012 Object ID: 748283 Hits: 608 Loading... Page Score: 88.37% - 16 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Overview  Corno Stella - The summit  Corno Stella on the left and Serra dell'Argentera
CORNO STELLA mt. 3050
Corno Stella without any doubt is the best known, celebrated and fascinating mountain in Maritime Alps Range; it’s an impressive gneiss peak rising from Punta Gelas di Lourousa West buttress, which heading to separates Argentera Valley from Lourousa Valley.
Its “Normal Route” is one of the most difficult between Alps’ Normal Routes, involving rock climbing at least of grade IV UIAA. Majestic South West wall is the most interesting side for climbing: a 300 meters high face which offers nowaday a plenty of classic and modern routes on perfect gneiss. Corno Stella reputation is
also due to its fine milieu and its closeness to Bozano Hut. The opposite North side is formed by a 500 meters high wall, rising up from the impressive ice-gully known as “Canalone di Lorousa”. The routes on this side are rarely climbed and reserve a challenging experience in a shady and wild contest.
HistoryFirst ascent to the top (1903, august, the twenty-second), realized by Victor de Cessole and his guides J. Plent and A. Ghigo, was an important conquest in rock climbing’s history, due to the impressive feature of the mountain, also named “Unclimbable peak”.Getting There ROAD ACCESS
From Turin (85 km.) or Genova (145 km.) follow the autoroute Torino-Savona as far as Cuneo exit. From Cuneo follow the road to Borgo San Dalmazzo, driving up to Valle Gesso and reaching Terme di Valdieri (35 km. from Cuneo). From here a narrow road, at least unpaved, rises up a lateral valley named Vallone della Casa; follow it for 5 km. reaching a pull-out (Gias delle Mosche mt. 1591, 5 km. from Terme di Valdieri).
Hut RIFUGIO LORENZO BOZANO
APPROACH TO BOZANO HUT
From Gias delle Mosche (mt. 1591) – parking - a path (signed) leads to Lorenzo Bozano Hut mt. 2453 (2,15 from the parking). Bozano Hut may be the oldest one in Maritime Alps Range, established in 1921 and dedicated to Lorenzo Bozano, a great mountaneer from Genova, member founder of C.A.A.I., Club Alpino Accademico Italiano; it offers meals and beds in a dormitory. Open from june 1th to September 15th.
RIFUGIO BOZANO
SW Face Routes approach  Corno Stella SW Face: A Campia Route B Lupetti Route s Middle Ledge Approach
From Bozano Hut scramble along stony ground up to the base of the face, where an easy rock climbing (2b, 3b) is leading to a grassy ledge (belay with chains useful for abseiling when going back). Follow a track towards left along the ledge, then climb a rocky gully leading to the middle grassy ledge (1,30 hour from the hut). SW Face routes  And finally the sun is lighting Corno Stella SW Face  Corno Stella Lupetti Route  Climbing Corno Stella SW Face in early morning
A classic route and a modern one on SW Face.
Corno Stella SW wall is cutted in the middle by a wide ledge dividing the face in two sections, a lower section and an upper one. On this unmistakable parallelepiped we can find a plenty of climbing routes both classic and modern; some routes climb up only the lower section of the face without reaching the top, while others routes develop in the upper part of the face. SW face gets the sun late in the morning.
CAMPIA SW FACE ROUTE
Summit altitude: mt. 3050
TD inf., F5c
Length: 450 mt.
Equipped with pegs and some bolts; friends useful.
First ascent: M. Campia – G. Ellena – R. Nervo july 1945
Hut: Lorenzo Bozano Hut mt. 2453 in upper Argentera Valley
A superbe classic route on perfect rock – the classic one of the face - requiring a bit of experience in placing running protections.
Original start: from the hut scramble up along stony ground heading to SW face’s lowest point where an obvious grey spur reach basal stones. Rise along the spur without an obligatory climb, reaching the middle ledge.
At present usually parties don’t climb the route’s lower section, but they are getting on the middle ledge scrambling up along the approach to upper routes.
L1 – A little spur, then a ridge to a little belay. 2b
L2 – Climb some steps leading a belay equipped with chains, then climb a grey slab and surround a little overhang along a small corner on the right-hand side. Belay on a narrow terrace below a 5 mt. grey wall lightly overhanging.4a, 4c.
L3 – Up along the grey wall on the right-hand side, then straight on along an expo slab; climb two following corners, then traverse left towards a steep grey slab with good holds. Climb the slab and another one reaching a belay below an orange corner. A great pitch. 5c, 4c, 5b, 5a.
L4 – Climb 4mt straight, then traverse right along a sloping slab, surround a block then climb a black wall, steep but with good hold. 5c, 4c, 4b.
L5 – Another short black wall leads to a little overhang; surround it on the left, then climb a black and steep crack leading to the characteristic quartz stripe cutting the wall. A 3mt traverse towards right leads to the belay. Short 5c, then 4c.
L6 – Climb a 6 mt. crack, then a rib slants to left is leading to a belay equipped with chains. 4c, 4a.
L7 – A little ledge 10 mt. long then easy rocks lead to the wide summit “plateau”.2c.
An easy scramble leads to the highest point. Summit cross and SummitBook.
LUPETTI ROUTE
Summit altitude: mt. 2980
TD, F6a+
Length: 320 mt.
Equipped with bolts
First ascent: S. Bassignano – M. Pukli september 1993
Hut: Lorenzo Bozano Hut mt. 2453 in upper Argentera Valley
A very fine modern route on perfect gneiss starting from the middle ledge. The climb is homogeneous in 6a grade and completely equipped, but the fix are quite spaced. A classic route amongst the moderne one.
L1 5c
L2 6a
L3 6a
L4 6a
L5 6a
L6 6a
L7 6a
Descent: from the top go back to Lupetti exit and carry on a bit to a big “ometto” (stones’pyramide) marking the first abseil’s starting, situated more or less a bit towards North then Campia Route. Abseil to the grassy ledge (3x45 mt. or 6x25 mt.); from here scramble down – an optional abseil – reaching the base of the face. 2 hours from the summit to the hut.
Red Tape
There are not special restrictions in climbing. Remember that the peak is under the authority of Argentera Natural Park, established in 1980, therefore some basic rules concerning environmental respect are essential. Free camping is not allowed and fires are forbidden. To bivouac is authorized only at more than 1 hour’s walk from Park's boundaries or from access roads. The whole fauna and flora are protected. Nature and climateThe name of the range – Maritime Alps - inside which Corno Stella is situated must not deceive you: only summer – or at most late spring – is the good time to climb Corno Stella SW wall, because of the wall gets the sun late in the morning also in summertime. MeteoREGIONE PIEMONTE
METEO ALPI Guidebooks and maps “Alpi Marittime Vol. II” by Euro Montagna - Lorenzo Montaldo - Francesco Salesi – Guide dei Monti d’Italia CAI-TCI
“Le Alpi del mare - Les Alpes de la mer" – Scalate moderne nei massicci dell’Argentera e del Mongioie by Flaviano Bessone – Idee Verticali Edizioni
"Alpes du Sud, Provence" by Hervè Galley - Editions Olizane
Images
|
|
