When a friend of mine told me about this mountain first thought was to a strange heap of stones summit, and just to spend one sunday I joyned the company : we had one of the most amusing climbing I can remember !

Poncione di Cassina (or Cascina) Baggio is one the typical one day shot summits in the Central Swiss Alps, easy and fast to approach, with a fantastic rock and without coming down problems

Getting There

Starting point is Airolo (on the southern limit of Gotthard tunnel) fast to get here from Milano, Luzern or Zurich along the Gotthard highway.
From Airolo follow the Nufenen Pass road till All'Acqua where you must start to walk.
In less than 1 hour you can reach the Capanna Piansecco (Val Bedretto) - 1980 m - open in weekends.
From this Hut in less than 1 hour to the beginning of climbing routes

Routes overview

normal route - fine walking with some little climbing passages near the summit, normally used for coming down

SSE ridge a fantastic, complete and amusing route, difficult enough to amuse and not enough to stress
- difficulty of 4° UIAA (some passes of 4° sup) - 400 m drop - requires one rappel after first tower

SE ridge amusing route, easier than the previous, shorter (250 m drop) useful for training

East and West walls I heard about some strong sport routes - hope someone will give further infos

When To Climb

Starting from June till September
Snow doesn't give more than little problems other than having with you an ice-axe while climbing

other "one day shots" in this area

as I think a little difficult to group some summits that do not belong to a single Alp chain or group, I like to put here some links to some amusing mountains you can climb in one day (as I did without stress coming from near Milano) :

Bergsee Schijen - starting point Göschenen (north of Gotthard)
Gross Schijen - starting point Oberalp Pass
Piz Prevat - starting point Rodi (south of Gotthard)
Gross Furkahorn - starting point Furkapass

Chli Bielenhorn - starting point Furkapass

Accomodations

not allowed and not necessary, but you can use without problems a little tent on the meadows in the southern side of the ridge between the Poncione di Cascina Baggio and Poncione di Maniò

If you leave far from here and want to make a fine rock campaign in this area there are some Club Alpin Suisse Huts that can host you.

Göschenen Tal
- Bergsee Hutte - 2374 m - tel 4465435 - 40 beds - open in summer
from Göschenen Alp dike in less more than 1 hour
Furka Pass
- Albert Heim Hutte - 2541 m - 100 beds - tel 4467745 - open in summer and spring weekends
from Tiefenbach (on the road from Andermatt to Furkapass) till a car parking (white route) then in less than 1 hour
- Furka Zentrum - at Furka pass - a lot of space - very cheap !
Val Bedretto
- Capanna Piansecco - 1980 m - open in weekends
from All'Acqua (on the road from Airolo to Nufenen Pass) in less than 1 hour
Oberalpass area
no Huts, only an Hotel near the pass or in Andermatt or Disentis

Images



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