Piz Scerscen

Overview

North Side of Piz Scerscen in August 2001 - Photo by Rahel Maria Liu

Bernina Group at sunrise	Piz Scerscen - North Side	Italian Route - South Side	View from Italian Side	Italian Normal Route

During a long time the Piz Scerscen (pronounced: cherchen, 3971 m) 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.

Crast'Alva (Biancograt), Monte Scerscen and Piz Roseg north walls from the summit of Piz Morteratsch

On the Swiss map, the Piz Scerscen is marked with 5 points: 3781 m: The first rock tower between Porta da Roseg and P. 3875. P. 3875 m: 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. 3971 m (SAC)/3967 m (Vanis): This main summit is a free located rock tower, seen from the Piz Bernina. 3954 m: This E summit is reached from the main summit via a small, almost horizontal ridge. 3895 m: 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.

The Piz Scerscen got its name when people become interested in the Ice Nose (Eisnase). 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

PIZ SCERSCEN - Bernina Group - Swiss Side and Italian Side

North Side - Piz Bernina, Piz Scerscen, Piz Roseg (Photos by Rahel Maria Liu)

South Side - Piz Roseg, Piz Scerscen, Piz Bernina (Photos by gabriele)

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. You come from the Rif. Marinelli-Bombardieri.

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.

Infos

NW Ridge with the Ice Nose/Eisnase in the center	NW Ridge like a kingfisher (Eisvogel)

Phone-numbers: Coacher (for reservation): 0041/81/8426057 Roseg-Inn: 0041/81/8426445 Touristinfo (Pontresina): 0041/81/8388300 Internet: www.pontresina.com

SLF Meteo.ch Phone from abroad: ++411162

There is a camping ground in Morteratsch, 10 min. by train from Pontresina.

Accomodation

Bernina on the right in the twilight - Photo by magico81

Tschierva Hütte (2580 m)

Internet: Tschierva Hütte Railwaystation at Pontresina (1803m)

Rifugio Marinelli Bombardieri (2813 m)

Tel: +393450481359

Maps&Books

1:25000 no. 1277 Piz Bernina 1:25000 no. 1257 St. Moritz 1:50000 no. 268 Julierpaß

Pierino Giuliani, SAC Alpinführer: Bündner Alpen 5, Bernina-Massiv, 2006. Erich Vanis, Im steilen Eis. Munich 1980. ISBN 3-405-12158-2 Walther Flaig, DAV-Gebietsführer: Berninagruppe. 1997. Edwin Schmitt/Wolfgang Pusch, Hochtouren Ostalpen. Bergverlag Rother, München 2015. Helmut Dumler/Willi P. Burkhardt, The High Mountains of the Alps.

Panoramic View of Piz Scerscen - Photo by Henk van den Akker

Routes Overview

* Photos by Rahel Maria Liu - rgg - dmiki - selinunte01 - marco979

Val Roseg	N Side	Piz Scerscen	Swiss Side	Val Roseg

SS, 8-10h from Tschiervahut (today scarcely ever climbed and not recommendable, even not as descent when having climbed up the Ice Nose) (SAC)

:

S, 6-7h from Tschierva Hut (SAC) 700 hm (face), 40°-45°, at the Ice Nose till 60° (1-2 rope lengths), 3-4 h (from the Fuorcla da l'Umur) (Vanis)

* Photos by Rahel Maria Liu and Bernhard Sauer
NW ascent (Ice Nose) - NW Ridge during a winter ascent

WNW flank

SS, 8-10h from the Tschiervahütte

From the Italian Side:

* Photos by Velebit - andrea.it - gabriele - marlenka - Corvus

Normal Route	S Side	Italian Route	Glacier	Scerscen Gl

SE flank:

ZS, III-IV, 6-8 h from Rif. Marinelli (SAC)

S Face:

ZS, III-IV, 7-8h from Rif. Marinelli (SAC)

SW couloir:

ZS, 6-8 h from Rif. Marinelli (SAC)

Traverse from SW to NE (Piz Bernina):

S, III-IV, 6-8 h from Porta da Roseg (SAC)

* Climber's Logs

Link MountainArea

MountainArea

4000er - Gipfel - Piz Bernina

* On the way to the Ice Nose and Piz Scerscen - Photos by Bernhard Sauer, Marlenka, Rahel Maria Liu and from Ulrich Prinz

North Side - Piz Bernina, Piz Scerscen, Piz Roseg (Photos by Rahel Maria Liu)

Hide labels - SWISS SIDE

South Side - The Giants of Lombardia: Piz Roseg, Piz Scerscen, Piz Bernina (Photos by gabriele)

Hide labels - ITALIAN SIDE

Google Map

Images

View Piz Scerscen Image Gallery - 104 Images