UKC

Hi, anyone know if theres lots of snow on the cassin?

In reply to Rick Asher:

Hi Rikardo - either there is plenty of snow or it will be very wet at the moment. We have not had great weather lately. I was in the Bergell on the weekend and it rained pretty heavily on Saturday morning. The Sciora/Badile sector was firmly in cloud for the whole of Sunday - unfortunately I couldn't see if there was much snow. Yesterday and today have been grotty so I would not be optimistic about the next few days, especially given the variable outlook.

Hope this helps and sorry not to be able to bring better news.

Luke

In reply to Rick Asher: thanks, I'm looking at climbing it 2nd week in july, so hopefully/optomistically it may improve by then

In reply to Rick Asher:

Please treat the two snowfields / icefields on the band before you get to the Cassin with extreme caution, as there is nothing holding them in place and there is no way of properly protecting their traverse.

Plenty of fatalities there in the recent past, as a result of which I understand the routes on the NE face have been taken out of the new edition of Plaisir Sued.

In reply to Rick Asher:

The point about the snowfields is a valid one. However, late in the season (i.e. September) I'm not even sure if there is any snow left. Last year on the descent from the north ridge, I encountered a couple of Spaniards who had climbed the Cassin with what looked like cragging gear. They had running shoes rather than boots.

As far as conditions now are concerned, the top third of the face has quite a few small snow patches still on it. The middle third looked wet but drying faster than I expected. The bottom third I can't see from here. This bodes well for your plan. Good places I would check to see if there are any trip reports are the following:-

http://www.hikr.org/
http://www.on-ice.it/onice/onice_reports.php?type=0
http://gipfelbuch.ch/gipfelbuch/touren/clear/all

Not often in English but usually the odd picture is posted.

Another point of information worth repeating is that the Viale path between the Sasc Furä and the Sciora huts is closed until further notice following a gigantic rockfall from the Cengalo last December.

Hope this helps.

L

In reply to Rick Asher:
Sent you an email with some details of ascent in August. I have a great A4 topo and some more links to useful sites, get in touch if I can help further.
C

In reply to dustyrat:
Any chance I could have a copy of that topo? It's on our list of things to either late this summer or next.

Cheers
Andy

In reply to Little AndyH:

Sent you the link below:

http://stat.ethz.ch/~dettling/badile.html

which features the topo!

C

In reply to LukeO: the n side of the cengalo is on my dream list, have routes been affected?

I did it some time ago when it was bone dry but it still didn't feel plasir...

In reply to LukeO:


Hi Luke

I am heading to Bregaglia in a couple of weeks and am booked to stay a few days in both the Sasc Fura and Sciora huts. As the Viale path connecting the 2 huts is closed is there an alternative path you can recommend?

Cheers Dave

In reply to BALD EAGLE:

Yep, drop down to Laret from Sciora and slog back up to Sasc Furä (or vice versa). It's not a big deal but it involves a decent height loss followed by gain - I guess 3 hours or so as opposed to probably 1.5.

Last summer the Viale had already been shut on the recommendation of geologists but it didn't stop people using it. However, I suspect the blue and white markings have since been obliterated and I really wouldn't fancy the risk.

L

In reply to alasdair19:

I also liked the look of it until I did the Bügeleisen and was rather put off by the lorry-sized blocks tinkling down the face...

According to Planet Mountain (http://www.planetmountain.com/english/News/shownews1.lasso?l=2&keyid=38... some routes have been affected:-

"With regards to rock climbs which have been damaged, the rockfall involved - and in part rendered those routes unclimbable - which are located on the NNW Face such as Via Classica, Via Attilio Piacco, the eastern pillars, the Kasper - Koch and the route Cacao Meravigliao on the NE Face."

L

In reply to LukeO:

Hey Luke
Thanks for the info!
Cheers Dave

In reply to LukeO:

I was on the Pizzi Gemelli last June when several thousand tons fell off Cengalo next to us. It was pretty sobering watching the first rocks go, then looking higher and a lump bigger than I thought possible slowly cartwheeled out from the face and crashed down. That caused an avalanche that must have got close to the path, but we didn't quite see as the dust cloud caught us and after that settled, everything was grey.

In reply to jonnie3430:

Gulp.

In reply to dustyrat: Thanks for that. Nice trip report and a great topo. Also a good plan to make it a good 2 or 3 day round trip although the descent from the Pizzo Porcellizo doesn't look very pleasant!

In reply to LukeO: Thanks very much for that Luke much appreciated.