Val Bregaglia, Swiss Alps TR

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tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber

concord, california

Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 11, 2008 - 11:11pm PT

I was fortunate to spend the first 2 weeks in September with Bill McConachie in Switzerland. Although it rained 9 of the 15 days we were there, we managed to get some climbing in the Val Bregaglia/Lake Albigna area in southeastern Switzerland, near the Italian border. We took trains from Zurich to St Moritz, then a bus to Vicosprano and set up camp at Camp Mulina. The camp is close to a Pranzaira (Cable Car) that takes you up to Lake Albigna for 17 Swiss Francs. This is like getting a ride to the base of Temple Crag or the Mt Whitney area in the High Sierras. The Lake Albigna area features over 100 mutli-pitch routes in an alpine setting on high quality granite. The routes are bolt-protected and anchors often contain rappell rings. There are many opportunities to add cams for pro but the locals generally climb with slings, carabiners, and quick draws only. The granite texture is coarse and gritty with yosemite-like cracks and tuolumne like knobs and horizontal dikes like the Leap. Lake Albigna is a man made reservoir that provides hydroelectric power for Zurich and the Albigna Hut, located about 1 hour hike from the cable car, is an excellent place to spend the night and enjoy a fantastic meal. Here are some photos from the route we did Via Felici/Second Pillar on the Spazzacaldeira, an 8-pitch UIAA VI+ (YDS 5.10a) route. The route offers every type of climbing imaginable and the crux is a lieback on a steep, thin finger crack. The start of the route is a 10 minute walk from the cable car.

Guidebook: Swiss Rock: Granite Bregaglia, A Selected Rock Climbing Guide to the Albigna, Sciora, Gemelli, Cengalo and Badile. Chris Mellor-Void Publishing-2000

Lake Albigna with Punta da l'Albigna in the distance...If you look closely you can see the Albigna Hut on the ridge just left of center.
Via Felici goes up the center of the Spazzacaldeira
German climber leading p2
Me leading p3
Photo Courtesy Bill McConachie
Start of the dihedral on p4
Photo Courtesy Bill McConachie
Bill McConachie finishing the crux pitch
Near the top of the Second Tower
Climbers on a nearby summit.
View of Piz Balzet from the top of the second Tower on Spazzacaldeira

We also attempted the North Ridge on Piz Badile but decided to bail when we encountered verglas on p5
The approach to the North Ridge
The route was variably wet and snow covered. Very tricky leading on wet and snow covered granite with rock slippers on.
Bill inspecting the verglas where we decided to bail.
Bill & German climber Flo preparing to rappell
Flo & his lovely girl friend Hannah rappelling.
Punta Pioda & Ago di Scoiora
Back at the Sasc Fura Hut

S.Powers

Social climber

Jtree, now in Alaska

Oct 11, 2008 - 11:15pm PT

looks like an awesome trip, i've been without climbing for so long now seeing pictures feels like the real thing. Thanks for posting up!

tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber

concord, california

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 11, 2008 - 11:52pm PT

glad you enjoyed the photos S.Powers

fareastclimber

Big Wall climber

Hong Kong & Wales

Oct 12, 2008 - 09:40am PT

Nice stuff. I've been thinking about heading out there for a while. Still quite a lot of untapped potential, I believe. Have you heard of or know of any classic aid routes out there?

goatboy smellz

climber

स्कन्ध, co

Oct 12, 2008 - 10:03am PT

Way cool, thanks for sharing the trip.
Piz Cengalo looks amazing.

shutupandclimb

climber

So. Cal..............d00d

Oct 12, 2008 - 10:27am PT

The route didn't look too crowded for being a euro-route.

Good times....................and thanks.

Zander

Trad climber

Berkeley

Oct 12, 2008 - 12:28pm PT

What a great way to take a vacation!
Thanks for the TR.
Zander

'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber

Oct 12, 2008 - 12:48pm PT

I was in the area in the fall of 93, and had lots of crappy weather. Didn't really know where I was going at all. I remember looking up from the Aosta Valley at the North Face of the Piz Badile - completely iced up in late September. Brrrrr.....

Nice photos!

tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber

concord, california

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2008 - 01:54pm PT

fareastclimber: most of the routes in the Albigna area go free. According to the "Swiss Rock: Granite Bregaglia" guidebook, the Northeast face of the Badile has some aid routes (People's Direct VI+,A1; Batagglia-Corti route VI-,A0; British Route V+, A1/2). Each of these routes has 3 or 4 pitches ranging from A0 to A2. The North West Face on the Punta Pioda (V,A2/3) is 26 pitches with 6 or 7 pitches of aid. See photo above. Punta Pioda is the peak on the left with the large, plateau-like summit. The NW ridge is the prominent ridge that goes up just left of center.

tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber

concord, california

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2008 - 02:12pm PT

goatboy: see correction above...my mistake, that's not Piz Cengalo it's Punta Pioda (plateau-like summit) and Ago di Sciora pinnacle-like summit. Piz Cengalo is closer to Piz Badile.

klk

Trad climber

cali

Oct 14, 2008 - 12:40pm PT

just saw this thread--- i'd love to do that north ridge of the badile. that thing looks amazing--looks like it had a lot of climbers despite the conditions.

seems like they had a grim season this year. i had a week in switzerland back in july and it rained /snowed almost every day.

tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber

concord, california

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 14, 2008 - 02:54pm PT

klk: the morning we attempted the North Ridge there were 3 parties of 2 on the climb. Two German teams and Bill & me. We met the other climbers at the Sasc Fura Hut, located ~1.5 hours from the start. The North Ridge (or Nordkante) is rated UIAA III/IV+ which translates to YDS 5.4/5.6. However, this rating is not to be taken lightly. What we encountered under wet conditions felt more like 5.7/5.8. It's a long route and the recommended descent is to drop down to the Italian side requiring a couple of rappells. Another option is to rappell the North Ridge but that can take longer than climbing it and you have to be careful not to end up on the NE face.

BTW, the NE Face is enormous with several outstanding routes at higher grades. For example, the classic Cassin route (25 pitches, 5.10b) and Another Day in Paradise. You can find more info here...

http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/348571/Via-Cassin-Piz-Badile.html

bluering

Trad climber

Santa Clara, Ca.

Oct 14, 2008 - 03:14pm PT

kick ass!!!!!!

klk

Trad climber

cali

Oct 14, 2008 - 03:17pm PT

yeah, i've heard that you should be prepared to get into harder stuff on the n. ridge, especially if it's crowded. i've also heard lots of reports of verglas, even in good season.

it's on the list.

how was the hut?

paganmonkeyboy

climber

mars...it's near nevada...

Oct 14, 2008 - 03:42pm PT

all that's missing is the yodeling ;-) kick ass !

tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber

concord, california

Topic Author's Reply - Oct 14, 2008 - 04:37pm PT

klk: the Sasc Fura hut is very nice. When we were there Heidi cooked us a fantastic curried chicken & rice dinner. There are numerous books, historical photos, & posters on the wall telling of early attempts to climb the North Ridge & the Northeast Face of the Piz Badile. Many tributes to Ricardo Cassin.