@PaulSagar and @Tutu
Sounds like a plan.
I might end up meeting some buddies in cham at some point but would be great to get on some big rocks somewhere. I feel like I missed out on the dolomites last year!
I assume if we end up in italy we’d be car camping on the roadside? Not keen on those €20 campsites…
Hi all - just a reminder we’re meeting in the brownswood post castle today. Aiming to kick off at 9. I’ll bring guidebooks.
Guy
Hello all,
Below is a summary of today’s meeting. We discussed:
Accomodation
We are booked into the Acquafraggia campsite just East of Chiavenna. This has good access to all the main alpine/sport climbing areas. It’s €9 for a spot and €8 for an adult (So €12.50 if you share a tent and €17 if you don’t). I am exploring with them whether there is a reduced rate if you want to leave your tent up while you go up into the mountains for a night or two.
Climbing areas:
Albigna
This area is accessible by 15 minute cable car, which is a 20 minute drive from the campsite. You need to go over the Swiss border so bring your passport. The cable car is €22 return, €15 one way. You can walk down if you like but it’s a long way. There’s a hut up there too which is apparently nice but expensive.
Once there the Spazzcaldeira is a straightforward 10-15 minute walk from the cable car station. This has multi-pitch routes which are around 5-8 pitches in length but you can link them to do longer routes. The grades for most climbs start around 6a (albeit for possible only one pitch). The exception is the North East ridge which is about 4c/5a and very nice and more scrambly. There is a mixture of bolts and gear with bolted belays. Good bivi spots in the boulders around the crag if you are so inclined.
Other good venues:
Punta Albigna - via Meuli, Modern Times are classic HS/VS with bolts - about 11 pitches with a walk off round the back. Steiger Pillar (5a) is also there and is apparently good. For the price of a bit more scrambling and 4/5 more easy pitches you can summit on the Punta Albigna which is great. Snow patches on the descent. About 1 hour from the cable car. Get there early to avoid the hordes descending from the hut.
Bio pillar - via classic and via miki - around 5c/6a and very nice climbing. Mixture of fixed gear and trad as per. There are other harder routes. 2.5 hour approach from cable car or 2 from the hut. Spectacular setting and great rock.
Piz fracchicio - kasper pillar (6a+/6b, 6a with aid), Schildkrotte (6a/5c with aid) offer 10-13 pitches of awesome looking climbing. An hour from the cable car.
Piz Balzet - has a classic ridge climb and some shorter semi-bolted routes. Shorter routes are 20 mins from cable car and c. 5c. Longer routes 2.5 hours from cable car. Looks good.
Sciora - Swiss side
Routes on the Piz Badile are the only accessible option on the Swiss side of the range due to the rockfall in 2017. These are accessed from the Sasc Fura hut which is a two hour walk from Bondo which is 10 mins away from the campsite in the car. You can research the routes on UKC as there’s a lot of info, but classics are North Ridge (24ish pitches to c. VS with bolted belays and lots of easy ground) and Cassin (22ish pitches a few of HVS/E1, more sustained and a whole load more serious) descent is a bit complicated as you don’t ideally want to abseil down the whole North Ridge. I look forward to the mass NLMC ascent of the North Ridge!
Sciora - Italian side
Routes here accessed from the Gianetti and Allevi huts. These are accessed by driving to Bagni di Masino (1.15hrs from campsite) then walking up - 2-3.5 hours. Lots of routes on the Italian side of the range including the Molteni (D+) on the Badile and Via Vinci (TD) on the Cengalo. An option for these routes is to do the North Ridge then descend to the Gianetti Hut, then do some routes there the next or after a day off.
You may want to look into booking the huts and into reciprocal rights etc.
Sport climbing
There is lots around the Val Chiavenna including right next to the campsite. Single and multipitch. Also cragging up by the various huts. Get the guidebooks and investigate.
Guidebooks
Get the Albigna PDF from Needle Sports and the Plaisir Sud guidebooks. You may also want to look into Solo Granito vols 2 (Albigna) and 1 (Italian side) but have heard mixed things.
Equipment
In normal circumstances you would only need to take approach shoes and rock climbing gear (plus usual Alps clothing). However, there’s been a lot of snow recently so that may not apply this year. I imagine routes in the Albigna will be fine regardless but there’s probably a decent chance that an Axe might be required for some routes in the Sciora. I will track it and let you know. There aren’t any glaciers to cross.
I’ll leave you to sort out gear with your climbing partners but let’s potentially try to avoid with 14 racks and 14 sets of half ropes for 14 people!
General
Just a final note to repeat usual warnings. It’s obvious but climbing in the Alps is not like going mountain cragging in the UK. Just because there are bolts it doesn’t mean it isn’t serious. The routes are very long, some are at a decent altitude and the exposure/situation is mentally taxing. I found last year that this chops at least couple of grades off what you can climb. You need to move fast and be competent in mountain terrain. Route finding can be an absolute nightmare and if you’re not experience at it you’ll get lost. You need a healthy margin of error!
I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to not think because you can rock climb to a certain level you can go and climb to that level in the alps automatically. You can’t. If you haven’t climbed in the alps much before take it very easy to start with and build from there. I’d recommend starting in the Albigna on some of the easier long stuff and see how fast you’re moving before cranking it up.
If anyone thinks I’ve missed anything from the discussion last night please flag.
Thanks,
Guy
What a hero!
Awesome cheers @guyarnold . I take it you’re not that busy at work right now…
Anyone else allergic to spending money and willing to hike and bivvy with me for a few routes? 
I think simul climbing some of those big easy boys could be a blast
Ferry now booked for 1st July. I’ve got one spare space and will be stopping in amsterdam to drop off a mate of mine.
Other details TBC but given the monstrous costs of living in switzerland I might try to find some cragging somewhere on the way down and spend as little time there as possible.
Nice one Guy. I can also recommend the Gervasutti route on the South Pillar of the Punta Allievi, just above the Allievi hut in Val Zocca. We will be heading out on 29 June, staying in Bavaria on the way hopefully to get a bit of flying done there.
Lucky Guy has based us in Italy then 
Hi Tom - I might well be keen for a moving together big old adventure. Let’s keep that option open.
In terms of gear transport, is there a chance to get a bag with hardware into one of the several cars?
So it seems me and @Tim and @johnw1 miscordinated our flights 
Which means we’ll have a spot in a rental car from MXP on Friday 5th, around 10pm if anyone is interested.
I’ll have to drive through chocolate wristwatch land though!
Also, 17 euros a night??! I wonder if I can have my van included in someone’s “tent and car” pitch as it seems to advertise.
I have found a car park down in town that is apparently van friendly if not!
Why have fun when you can try hard and make it dangerous.
Hi all:
spreadsheet now updated with gear column. Please fill in so we don’t bring pointless amounts of stuff.
campsite seem relatively flexible re going to huts and leaving tents up, and otherwise happy for ppl to come and go. But said we can discuss with them when we get there.
Guy
Nice one. I’m flying, so I’ve put an offer to coordinate with someone so that we take a full take between us. That would potentially mean being happy lending it out.
@guyarnold. I can guess the answer… but presumably a smaller rack is recommended compared to what we all take out in the UK?
News from the hut - to access the routes on the Piz badile the hut ppl expect that you will need an ice axe and possibly crampons in the first half of July. If you are descending to the Gianetti hut you definitely need crampons.
They’re going to update me again next week - apparently very hot and the snow is melting fast.
Guy
@guyarnold did you mean July?
Yeah oops sorry