Piz Scerscen

Mountain/Rock

Images (72)

Climber's Log (4)

Comments (0)

Additions & Corrections (4)

Contribute

Children

Routes (1)

NW-Ascent/Icenose

Albums (2)

Piz Scerscen (2007-2008)

Views of Piz Scerscen

Geography

Nearby Mountains & Rocks

Interactive Map

Mountains & Rocks in Italy / Switzerland

Parents

Mountains & Rocks

Piz Scerscen

Page Type: Mountain/Rock

Location: Lombardia/Graubünden (Bernina), Italy/Switzerland, Europe

Lat/Lon: 46.37836°N / 9.89915°E

Elevation: 13028 ft / 3971 m

Page By: Rahel Maria Liu, hiltrud.liu

Created/Edited: Dec 15, 2001 / Oct 3, 2009

Object ID: 150739

Hits: 6043

Page Score: 89.43% - 23 Votes

Vote: Log in to vote

Table of Contents

Mountain Conditions and General Infos

Overview

Dedication:
Rahel, in memory of your climbing I take care of your mountain page.

Piz Scerscen - a massif with rock and ice

During a long time the Piz Scerscen (pronounced: cherchen) did not have any name because it has been seen as part of Piz Bernina. But indeed it is a big massif
on its own with rock on the South (Italian) side and firn and ice on the north (Swiss) side. It goes from SW to NE, from the Porta da Roseg to the Bernina.

The ascents from the Swiss side are altogether in firn and ice and quite difficult, especially the N flank with its hanging glaciers, which falls down with ice faces
and ice breaks to the Vadret da Tschierva. The ascents from the Italian side are mostly rockclimbs.

North (Swiss) Side and South (Italian) Side

Piz Scerscen (3971 m) - Bernina Group, Italy

On the Swiss map, the Piz Scerscen is marked with 5 points:

3781m: The first rock tower between Porta da Roseg and P. 3875.

P. 3875: The 'Schneehaube' with its little white firn cap, which is immediately noticed from people watching from the Swiss side. The rock ridge has become a firn ridge.

3971m (SAC)/3967 m (Vanis): This main summit is a free located rock tower, seen from the Piz Bernina.

3954m: This E summit is reached from the main summit via a small, almost horizontal ridge.

3895m: On this point is a widely visible tower, which is located in the Fuorcla Scerscen, a saddle, to which the ridge has been going down.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Panoramic View of Piz Scerscen

North Side

A part of the central Bernina Group with (from left to right) Piz Bernina, Piz Scerscen and Piz Roseg. Seen from the north.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Historical notes

The Piz Scerscen got its name when people become interested in the ice nose. It was climbed for the first time in summer 1877 (22th of Septemer) by Paul Güßfeld
with the guides Graß and Capat. It got directly famous and is a standard ice tour till today. The nose is an ice break of the huge high firn plateau. In 1870,
Heim and Güßfeld measured an absolute height of 60 meters. Ulrich Wieland, one of the most famous ice climbers of the 1930s estimated 100 meters in 1929,
30 m of it with 90°. Other people even estimated it still higher and as overhang. Erich Vanis, who climbed it 1958, thought, that it was about 50 to 60 meters high
and with an average steepness of about 50°. The main reason why it has been estimated easier in later times is probably the advance of technical aid (crampons
and ice screws) which lets the climbers belief that it is not as difficult as the first climbers thought.

For the Routes compare the section Routes-Overview below.

Getting There

1. To the Piz Scerscen:

a. You come from the Tschiervahütte: cross the glacier in direction of the W foot of Piz Umur, from there you go the steeper snowflank up and
on the glacier along the W side of Piz Umur.

b. You come from the Rif. Marinelli.

2. To the Tschiervahütte:

You reach the hut from Pontresina: on foot (1h), by mountainbike (to rent at Roseg-Inn) or with coach (reservation by phone necessary!)
to the Roseg-Inn (1999) in Roseg valley. You only have to follow the wide road.

From Roseg-Inn, you cross the river via a bridge and go along the river till the way goes up over the hangs. You follow the way all the time and reach
in 2 h the Tschiervahütte.

You reach Pontresina by train or car on the road no. 29 from Samedan. You reach Samedan on the road no. 27 either from the NE (Zernez, via road no.
28 from Davos in the N or from Bozen in the E) or from the SW from St. Moritz. To St. Moritz a few kilometers on the road no. 27
from Silvaplana (and the Lago di Como). To Silvaplana, you can come also from the N from Chur on the road no. 3. To Chur: On the A13
from the N from the Bodensee.

When To Climb

Summer (June - September)

NW Ridge with the "ice nose" (Eisnase) in the centre
at the end of the ridge - Photo by Bernhard Sauer, 2002 * - * - * NW Ridge like a kingfisher (Eisvogel) - Photo by Helmut Dodel, 2009