Piz Prevat : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost

Overview

The Piz Prevàt (Pizzo del Prevat) is a small, very smart, rocky mountain growing up, from the white rocks of the Passo di Campolongo, on the main ridge on the right side (S) of the Ticino river (Ticino Canton - Switzerland), dividing the Val Leventina (N) from the Val Maggia (S)
Its shape is unmistakable, it looks like (much bigger of course) the hat that Catholic Priests used to wear some tens ago ... that's the origin of its name : Prevàt = Priest, Provost.

Its very fine quality rock (a kind of Gneiss) gives the chance of a safe and amusing climb along all its routes.
Being not too long and with a fast access, this summit can be climbed in one day starting from Milan, Como, Varese, Lugano, Bellinzona or all the towns along the highway of Gotthard tunnel.

4 routes here are very popular :

the normal route : easy, normally used to come down but amusing for exper hikers

the NE ridge to the summit : difficult enough to stress the beginners (up to III+ UIAA)

the NNE edge to the summit : difficult, the longest one and (I think) the finest

the NE spur to the W ridge : very difficult but, anyway, amusing

on its walls and edges surely many other, much more difficult, sport routes have been opened and are used for training by Ticino climbers.

The only (environmental) problem is (as in many sites of this range) the presence of big pylons supporting the high tension line that pass over the paths, up to the Passo di Campolongo.

Getting There

2 main ways to approach the mountain, both starting from the Highway of Gotthard :

from Rodi (public bus from Airolo station) a cableway gives access to the Lake of Tremorgio, wherefrom, in less than 2 hours you can get the base of the mountain

from Faido (only by car), following for Dalpe and along the country road that, passing through Cleuro and Pian di Mez, leads up to the Alpe Cadonighino wherefrom, in less than 2 hours, along a path (marks) that leads to a pass and goes down to the Capanna Leit.
The 2 times (2 routes) I've been here I started from Dalpe: no problems of timetable.
The best hour to start the climb (sun on the rocks) is between the 9 and the 10 AM so you should be at Cadonighino before 8 o'clock

When To Climb

Summertime, from July to September included, is surely the most indicated time to climb the Pizzo del Prevat.
Weather normally doesn't constitute a problem, but the wet rock becomes a little slippery and the summit can act as a lighting rod.

Camping

You can surely camp in a close little plain (in effect it is the bed of a river) or simply go to the capanna Leit (info at number +41 91 868 19 20). From the "camping" place to the begin of the mountain there is 1 hour walking to do.
From the capanna Leit to the base of Pizzo del Prevat the way takes about 30 minutes.

Mountain Conditions

The conditions of this mountain are generally good, the rock is solid and grip very well. You can visit the site of the Capanna Leit (in Italian) which is yearly updated. http://www.capanneti.ch/leit/leit.html

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