Overview
This a beautiful calck mountain located in the Ortles-Cevedale group (Stelvio National Park) which presents 3 main routes: a superb ice-mixted nord wall (rem a famous climb on overhanging ice cornice by Kurt Diemberger), and a not-easy normal route, plus a mid-difficulty nordwest ridge. You need a good stability on crampons thinking about a climb on ice and snow with steepness up to 45-50 degrees on normal route.
According to the conditions of the mountain you may have 30 people on summit in a July day with a lot of snow on normal route and possibility to climb without crampons, but only few mountaineers in late season (after mid of August) when the route become completely on ice.
See on the second picture the climbing route.
Getting There
Approach from Milan:
*train or road: Milan, Lecco, Sondrio, Tirano
*road continue (good bus services): Tirano, Bormio, S. Caterina Valfurva,
*small road to Rif. Forni 2176 m. (total from Milan about 200 km)
Then walk to rif. Pizzini 2700 in Cedec Valley (2 hours)
From the hut you can see well all the climbing route, have a look and ask to the hut people about the conditions
Sleep there, wake up early : 4 am in summer, then follow your memories from the previous day.
Time to summit in good conditions 4 hours, up to 6 hours
Red Tape
You have to act considering you're in a national park, no camping is allowed on route to hut or mountain.
Safety:
Mountaineering equipment necessary is that for glacier and mixt climbing, it must include the helmet.
Do not go to this mountain without an helmet, the recent climatic condition may cause some stone fall.
When To Climb
July is the best moment if your looking for an easy access, but sometimes the mountain is too dangerously crowded, and snow may have stability problems in hot days.
Wonderful in september, few climbers, but more difficult and at the same time interesting for the ice tecnique necessary.
In winter you have to check the quantity of snow on the sholder, risk of avalanche.
Going with skis:
the mountain can be mostly descended with skis in spring (March-May), you can reach the base with skis, climb carring them and enjoy a "steep descent". But consider having good snow conditions, strong legs and not too soft binding on skis, then do not make mistakes.
Camping
Camping only in S. Caterina
Mountain Conditions
For what I know now there is no web place or cam for specific info, but the conditions on this mountain group can be well seen on a Web Cam for Ortler http://stelvio.webcam.popso.it/stelvio_one.html
I suggest you to see also the touristic web site: www.santacaterina.it and to contact the info office +39-0342-935544
Nearby mountains
At the same group Ortles-Cevedale belong two other mountains included in SummitPost.com data base:
* Cevedale
* Palon de la Mare
You can see the records of those mountains also for more info about this mountain chain
Science&Mountaineering
In S. Caterina are carried out studies on ski athlets by ITBA group, the same which is carring scientific research on high altitude on human physiology in the Everest region.
They work in a scientific facility on the way to Everest, the Pyramid EV-K2-CNR / RONAST International Laboratory Observatory located in Lobuche, last camp before BC, which is an enteresting base for multidisciplinary scientific research on high altitude and remote areas.
Moreover the Pyramid is locally run by mountain guides with a large experience on himalayan mountaineering.
More info on:
www.mountnet.net
External LinksImages
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