GUNUNG · Switzerland

Piz Badile

Piz Badile (RM/DE) / Pizzo Badile (IT)

Information

Elevation: 3.308 m
Country: Switzerland (CH)
Location / Range: Pegunungan Bregaglia (Bergell) — perbatasan Kanton Graubünden (Swiss) dan Provinsi Sondrio, Lombardy (Italia)
Mountain type: Puncak granit non-vulkanik — monolit granit Bregaglia (Bergell), salah satu kawasan granit sentral Alpen bersama Mont Blanc dan massif Aar
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 46.2947, 9.5861
Difficulty: Sangat berat (alpine rock). Semua jalur menuntut panjat batu: North Ridge/Nordkante ± grade D dengan 25+ pitch, dan NE Face (Via Cassin) VI+ / V+ obl. — salah satu dari 'enam dinding utara besar Alpen'. Wajib keahlian alpine multi-pitch, perlindungan trad, dan manajemen turun yang rumit
Best Season: Pertengahan Juli–pertengahan September (batu granit kering paling stabil; hut Sasc Furä dan Rifugio Gianetti buka musim panas)
Permits & Rules: Tanpa izin puncak; reservasi sangat dianjurkan untuk Capanna Sasc Furä (sisi Swiss) dan Rifugio Gianetti (sisi Italia) di musim ramai
Hazards: Keterpaparan tinggi dan jatuh pada dinding/punggungan panjang; badai petir sore hari yang tiba-tiba di granit terbuka (risiko sambaran); batu basah/berlumut licin; turun rumit lintas-perbatasan (sisi Swiss butuh melewati Passo di Bondo atau Passo della Trubinasca); sejarah tragedi kelelahan/hipotermia pada pendakian pertama NE Face 1937

Description

Piz Badile (3,308 m) is a celebrated granite monolith in the Bregaglia (Bergell) range, standing exactly on the Swiss–Italian border between the canton of Graubünden and the province of Sondrio (Lombardy). Its name, 'Badile' (spade or shovel in Italian), refers to the sheet-like shape of its face seen from the Val Bregaglia. Together with the Mont Blanc and Aar massifs, the Bregaglia is one of the central granite areas of the Alps — its rock compact and high-quality, making Piz Badile one of Europe's most coveted alpine rock objectives. The first ascent was made on 27 July 1867 by W. A. B. Coolidge with guides François and Henri Devouassoud via the south ridge. But the mountain's fame comes from its north-east face — a granite wall of roughly 800 m recognized as one of the 'six great north faces of the Alps'. On 14–16 July 1937, Riccardo Cassin with Vittorio Ratti and Gino Esposito, joined by the Como pair Mario Molteni and Giuseppe Valsecchi, opened a historic route on this wall; a violent storm struck and Molteni and Valsecchi died of exhaustion and cold during the descent — a tragedy that cemented Badile's serious reputation. Today the elegant North Ridge (Nordkante) and the Via Cassin are dream classics for climbers, accessed from the Capanna Sasc Furä on the Swiss side and the Rifugio Gianetti on the Italian side.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

North Ridge (Nordkante) — Punggungan Granit Klasik

Sangat berat (Alpine D). Panjatan batu ± 700 m, 25+ pitch, sebagian besar III–IV dengan satu pitch ± V; jarang sulit tetapi panjang, terekspos, dan dengan turun yang rumit

12.00 km +1600 m 2 hari (hari 1: Bondo → Capanna Sasc Furä; hari 2: punggungan → puncak → turun via punggungan selatan, ± 10–14 jam)

The North Ridge (Nordkante) is Piz Badile's classic granite ridge — a pure, aesthetic line up the great granite prow just to the right of the roughly 800 m north face. The approach starts at Bondo in the Val Bregaglia via a toll road, then a c. 2-hour hike to the Capanna Sasc Furä (Swiss side). On summit day, parties climb 25+ pitches on compact granite; difficulty rarely exceeds grade IV (with one pitch of about V), but the length and exposure demand speed and efficiency. From the summit (3,308 m), the most common and recommended descent is via the south ridge to the Rifugio Gianetti on the Italian side; to return to the Swiss side one usually crosses the Passo di Bondo (3,169 m, glacier travel) or the Passo della Trubinasca (2,703 m) to the Capanna Sasc Furä. Afternoon thunderstorms on the open granite are the main hazard — start very early.

Route Segments

1

Bondo (Val Bregaglia) → Capanna Sasc Furä (± 1.904 m)

⏱ ± 2 jam (setelah jalan tol dari Bondo) 1.904 mdpl

Jalan tol lalu jalur hiking menanjak ke hut SAC Sasc Furä; reservasi dianjurkan di musim ramai
2

Sasc Furä → dasar North Ridge

⏱ 1–1,5 jam

Pendekatan pagi buta menuju dasar rusuk granit; mulai roping up di awal pitch
3

North Ridge — 25+ pitch → Puncak Piz Badile (3.308 m)

⏱ 5–7 jam 3.308 mdpl

Panjatan panjang di granit padat, mayoritas III–IV dengan satu pitch ± V; keterpaparan tinggi, kecepatan kritis untuk menghindari badai sore
4

Puncak → turun via punggungan selatan → Rifugio Gianetti (Italia)

⏱ 3–4 jam

Turun paling disarankan lewat punggungan selatan; rangkaian abseil dan downclimb; kembali ke sisi Swiss via Passo di Bondo atau Passo della Trubinasca bila diperlukan

Source

Via Cassin (NE Face) — Dinding Utara Bersejarah 1937

Ekstrem (VI+ / V+ obl.). Panjatan dinding ± 800 m di salah satu 'enam dinding utara besar Alpen'; hanya untuk pemanjat alpine sangat berpengalaman

12.00 km +1600 m 2 hari (basis di Capanna Sasc Furä; hari pendakian sangat panjang di dinding + turun)

The Via Cassin follows Piz Badile's roughly 800 m north-east face — the historic line opened by Riccardo Cassin with Vittorio Ratti and Gino Esposito, together with the Como pair Mario Molteni and Giuseppe Valsecchi, on 14–16 July 1937. That first ascent was hit by a violent storm and ended in tragedy: Molteni and Valsecchi died of exhaustion and cold during the descent, a story that cemented Badile's serious reputation. The route is graded VI+ (or V+ obl.) and demands long, exposed granite wall climbing and strict weather management. It is accessed from the Capanna Sasc Furä on the Swiss side; descent is usually via the south ridge to the Rifugio Gianetti (Italy) or back to Switzerland over a glacier pass. Because of the exposure on open granite, afternoon thunderstorms are the main threat — a pre-dawn start is essential.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Piz Badile is a magnet for alpine climbers worldwide thanks to its compact granite and two iconic lines: the elegant North Ridge (Nordkante) and the Via Cassin on the north-east face. The North Ridge climbs a pure granite prow to the right of the roughly 800 m north face — a long climb (25+ pitches, mostly grade III–IV with one pitch of about V) that is rarely hard but demands endurance and careful descent management. The Via Cassin (VI+ / V+ obl.) follows the historic NE face of the 1937 first ascent. The main bases are the Capanna Sasc Furä on the Swiss side (approached via a toll road from Bondo then a c. 2-hour hike) and the Rifugio Gianetti on the Italian side; descents often cross the border via the Passo di Bondo or Passo della Trubinasca. Because of the exposure and length, parties start very early and stay wary of afternoon thunderstorms on the open granite.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.