Creta Grauzaria Normal (West) Route

Rating The Route (By Hiking Standards)

0. General: From cca 1860 m to 2065 m, exposition W. Marked, but not protected. Difficulties don't exceed UIAA II+ degree (one detail, mostly I-II). For less experienced a rope can be useful. On the Swiss Hiking Scale the ascent would be graded T6/T5.
1. Effort: cca 200 m (from the parking place above Val Aupa cca 1340 m). From the Portonat notch you will need some 30 min, from Rif. Grauzaria good 2 h and from the parking place above Val Aupa 3 h 30 min.
2. Power: 4 - Hard
3. Psyche: 4 - Hard
4. Orientation: 2 - Easy.

Approach

The final part of the ascent starts on Portonat (notch), 1860 m. This can be reached by the following variants:

• From Val Aupa. Parking place above Aupa valley, 727 m, Rif. Grauzaria, 1250 m, Portonat (notch), 1860 m. To the hut easy, marked path (No. 437), 1 h 30 min, from the hut through the gorge to Portonat steep, tiresome marked path (No. 444), 2 h.
• From villages: Grauzaria, 516 m, Borgo di Mezzo, 832 m, and Morolz, 855 m. You reach the Portonat notch by marked paths No. 444 and No. 418a in some 3 h 30 min to 4 h.

Pictures, illustrating the N approach on Portonat.

Route Description

Immedially above the Portonat notch you enter the summit rocks over the hardest climbing detail. A few meters high vertical step offers good rock to hold, but you are leaning a bit out of the wall, so the climb is rated UIAA II or UIAA II+ maximum. Exposition here is neglectable, so the step is easier psychically.

Above the first step a narrow ledge leads you towards left. The exposition is rising quickly, but climbing itself does not exceed UIAA I degree. The route is well marked and goes again straight up and around the corner. In steep sections you gain altitude, crossing towards the left you approach the summit.

Soon the route goes around the next rocky ridge by another ledge, crosses the slopes towards the left again and so reaches the summit ridge. There it turns up directly, again climbs over a few harder details (not more difficult than UIAA II-) and finally over a quite exposed summit ridge reaches the highest point.

To Portonat notch you descend by the same route.