Moriggia-Acitelli Couloir

Overview

Moriggia-Acitelli Couloir was first climbed 30th of june 1908 by Giovanni Battista Acitelli e Berardino Moriggia. It’s placed on the right of Direttissima Sud Couloir and on the left of the Central Spur.

This couloir, together with Direttissima, Bissolati and Tempio, is one of the easy couloir of Vetta Occidentale south side, but it’s the hardest one, except, maybe, Tempio Couloir that is a little harder: the slope is steep 40°-45° for about 300 m, with one spot at about 50°. With few snow, it’s surely more difficult (passages of mixed)

Best season to climb: late winter-early spring. It could be climbed even in summer (F+, passages of I and II UIAA) but there are many gravels (some danger of falling stones).

It was first skied by great extreme-skier Tone Valeruz in 1980: the descent is very hard (the couloir is tight, with some narrows very steep). Only for extreme-skier!

Approach

The start is from the arrival of Campo Imperatore Cableway (2150 m). From there, you can:
1) follow the path that reaches the pass of Sella di Monte Aquila (2335 m), crossing at half coast the slopes of Monte Portella.
2) If there's no track or there are big snow-ledges it’s better to climb to Duca degli Abruzzi Hut and then, along the edge, reach Sella di Monte Aquila.
From there, leave Monte Aquila ridge on your right (east) and proceed toward Sella di Corno Grande and then climb to a big isolated stone called Sassone (2560 m, the last meters are a bit hard). From Sassone walk (north) a flat ridge until a cross (2620 m, junction with Direttissima Couloir), then turn on your right (east), descending few meters toward Valle dell’Inferno, following the early part of the summer-path to Bafile Bivak (be careful! The crossing of this slope has some spots quite exposed and requires constant attentions!), until you are at the beginning of the Moriggia–Acitelli Couloir (about 50-100 m from the cross; 2:00-4:00 hours from cableway station, depending on snow conditions

Route Description

The couloir starts quite steep (almost 40°) for about 100-150 m. When you get the middle, you meet a narrow, the hardest part of the route: here the slope becames steeper, exceeding 45° (maybe 50°) and snow is often icy. Passed this short (about a dozen of meters) but quite demanding spot (you can use the emerging rocks some meters above the narrows for belay), the slope becomes less steep but always around 40°. In the higer part of the couloir it’s better to turn left, reaching the last meters of Direttissima Couloir; then you can exit on the ridge, few meters on the left (west) of the top (this last part, about 35°-40°).

Descent

The descent is from the Bissolati Couloir, starting about 50 meters from the summit, on the west ridge (30° mostly, some step 40°) and ending above the bowl of Campo Pericoli, at about 40 min of walk from Sella di Monte Aquila. This is an easy couloir, but keep attention: there are many rocks and a fall, in case of ice or icy snow, could be deadly!

Essential Gears

Ice-axe, crampons, helmet; rope could be useful if you go with a beginner.

Literature, maps, external links

- Cai-Tci Guide "Gran Sasso d'Italia", L. Grazzini, P. Abbate.
The best map, scale 1:25000, is "Gran Sasso d'Italia" edited by Cai-L'Aquila
- For weather report and avalanche bulletin: Bollettino Meteonivologico Meteomont - Appennino centrale

Images

View Moriggia-Acitelli Couloir Image Gallery - 15 Images