UKC

Hey All, Hoping for any possible info or advice on a trip I've got planned to head to Bregaglia/Bergell/val Masino
area in July. My main question is getting there, so anyone who's used more off-the-beaten-path transport in Switzerland, your tips are very welcome. Is there any way to avoid renting a car when going to places like Bregaglia? Are the huts worth it? Any and all help appreciated.




Val di Mello

In reply to Dan Affsprung:

I hitched around there and the Engadin quite a bit in the 90s. Switzerland easier than Italy. Get a train to somewhere like Chur and it's not hard to hitch into the mountains. Aim for conversational ability in at least three languages.

In reply to Dan Affsprung:

the whole trip will. be much cheaper if you fly to Milan bergamo airport with Ryan air. hiring a car in euros will be much cheaper too.

A lot of rock climbing can be accessed by a Swiss cable car to a dam. you can haul up a pile of gear and bivvy to get. a few days climbing done.

There is an out of date but useful guide to the area. Not sure if there is anything better in English the Swiss plaisir guides cover the area too.

In reply to alasdair19:

there is an alpine club guide.to. the area which is.fine if realistic in your expectations. ..

In reply to alasdair19:


There are two more up to date English guides available as PDFs: http://www.needlesports.com/advancedsearch.aspx?Term=bregaglia

In reply to Stephen Reid - Needle Sports:

good beta thanks must go back!

In reply to alasdair19:

Well either Ryan Air doesn't go to Milan anymore, or they don't go to my airport (I'll be flying out of Leipzig actually). Where's the cable car? I haven't seen any mention of it in the guide i have or the maps.

In reply to Dan Affsprung:

Well, the huts are great, but very expensive. Last year we dossed one day at the reservoir and thought ok maybe tomorrow we go to the hut, but we worked out that taking the lift down, staying in the campsite, going for dinner and taking the first lift up again was going to be cheaper....

Having a car gives you greater flexibility IMHO. The swiss buses are very reliable though. You can't go wrong either way I think.

In reply to Dan Affsprung:
At the Albigna dam. As suggested by Heike it is probably best to go back up each day from the campsite. Excellent routes: we did Leni, Mosaica and Fiame with Dente, very photogenic but liable to long queue. From the campsite you can also nip over the frontier to Mello if you have a car, while the Sciora hut is in striking distance for more adventurous things. Enjoy.

In reply to Dan

Why don't you want to fly to Zurich then train to St Moritz then you can use the buses up and down the valley etc? It's hardly off the beaten track.

In reply to Lion Bakes:

That's the plan it seems, pretty much to the letter.

Thanks for the tips all. Any suggestions for outings to get used to the rock/grades?

In reply to Dan

Take the cable car up to the dam, some bolted slabs just off the path on the left as you head up should get you used to the grades. Then off to the right for some bigger multi pitch. It's not that far from the Vicosoprano campsite and bus runs past.

In reply to Lion Bakes:

This is exactly the plan I've been getting started. Vicosoprano, lift, get a taste, (by then I can buy the real guidebooks, i currently only have the PDF from needlesports with the big Sciora/Badile routes) and head into the money climbing. Thanks for the tips, looks to be a fun two weeks.

In reply to Dan Affsprung:

Watch that pdf there a quite a few mistakes in it.

In reply to Dan Affsprung:

I've only ever driven their from UK, so can't help beyond that.

Looking to go again this season.

If anyone knows approach and route conditions for Cassin on the Badile, I'd be most grateful.

Cheers.


Solly

In reply to CurlyStevo:

Any om the cassin?

In reply to Lloydfletch:
For Cassin you want to wait a bit until the snowfield at the base clears somewhat. Coincidentally, today there will be heavy rain/snowfalls in the area.
Usually from mid-june onwards I'd say the Cassin will be in condition, although the area received little snow this winter, so it could be opening up a bit earlier this year.

For approach there are like a hundred topos available online. Generally: Bondo-> Laret (toll road unpaved) -> walk to hut-> walk to base. Walk takes 2-3 from parking at Laret. ~1000 m elevation gain.

Expect to be climbing in a queue in July. There are many other great routes in the area if you prefer some more solitude.

In reply to Removed UserMushin:

thanks Mushin. Any suggestions? Was interested by the cengalo next door, though am put off by tales of the glacier being awful.

we will be there in july, and i'm not keen to queue on an alpine route. any route in the area that is similar would be great.

In reply to Lloydfletch:

I really enjoyed the Sciora Dafora (difori/ difuoara), although it turned into somewhat of an epic when the decent was damaged (read gone) because of rockfall and we had to descend to the albigna hut.
There are three sciora peaks (to the east of badile) that all have great routes on them.

The other side (NW) of badile also has some (allegedly) stellar routes such as ringo star. Unfortunately the bergschrund can make access near impossible in some years, so there is a gamble there. Best to ask at the hut for current conditions.

In reply to Removed UserMushin:

Thanks for the advice, I'll check these ones out. Disappearing descents sounds a bit sketchy! Glad you got through ok.

In reply to Removed UserMushin:

Friends of mine encountered the same problem on top of the Sciora Dafora, which resulted in a shiver bivy and epic slog towards the Albigna hut. They also had to walk back up to the Sciora hut to pick up their tent!

In reply to Removed UserMushin:

OP again, Regarding snow/glaciers, can one have a good 15 or so days of climbing there without crampons and an ice axe for the approaches? Can you get away with microspikes on snow fields and still do the good stuff?

In reply to Removed UserMushin:

Thanks, Sasc Fura will post lots of info when they open too.

Last season was good but apparently though missed it by 2 weeks.. the snow came...

Thanks again