Thanks. 5 hours of abseiling the North ridge just got a whole lot more appealing!
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As long as you don’t mind getting your ropes stuck and having to cut them as many people have had to do.
Just noticed this - if I can drop in on the Saturday (the 13th) to say hi, will do (might be optimistic however, by the time I’d arrive, I suspect you all be on routes somewhere)
Re huts - @Peter asked whether you needed to book. I have no idea, but i will investigate.
Also insurance - make sure you’re covered for heli rescue and hospital treatment in switzerland/Italy. Austrian alpine club is good for rescue but don’t know about hospital cover in Switzerland. If someone does please post!
Just ask the pilot to take you to Italy
Relevant bit, up until Brexit (you are covered for some costs or may get a reduced rate, good idea to have holiday travel insurance in case, as well as specific insurance for mountain rescue / repartriation):
Emergency medical care is provided to anyone requiring urgent attention. You can expect to be charged in full for any care provided without an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card). You should always buy enough travel insurance and make sure you have access to funding to cover any medical treatment abroad. Remember to keep all receipts and any paperwork (make copies if necessary) as they might be needed by you or your insurance company to apply for any refund.
Currently, your EHIC enables you to access the necessary state-provided healthcare in Switzerland at a reduced cost, or sometimes for free, if you are staying there temporarily. If you are asked to pay for health services upfront, it is likely that you are not being treated under the state health system.
EHIC does not cover certain costs, including:
- private treatment
- being brought back to the UK
- mountain rescue services
- cruises
Be careful if healthcare arrangements are made by a hotel or travel representative. They might reassure visitors that they can claim back whatever is paid out, but they are referring to private insurance and not the treatment given under the EHIC.
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My approach is Alpenverein & EHIC. Alpenverein (https://aacuk.org.uk/p-mountain-rescue-search-insurance) gets you rescue, repatriation and such. EHIC gets you emergency healthcare.
Just don’t fall off
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Maps and weather
You can get Swiss maps at http://map.geo.admin.ch. Seems like the entire state database is there including the 1:25k and 1:50k topo maps. They can also be conveniently printed onto A4 sheets. Worth doing before you leave for Switzerland. I’ve attached an example (compressed for Chat so lower quality than direct from the site). This link shows how you can add in different layers such as walking paths, mobile phone masts etc.
There is also the Swiss Map app that access the same mapping. It allows offline download of a limited area at a time, plenty for a day of walking.
map.geo.admin.ch_20190627103228658.pdf (1.8 MB)
Best weather forecast is at https://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/home.html and it looks like Castasegna is the nearest town to search for. To be honest, the MeteoSwiss app is much easier to use. It looks pretty hot there!
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The map.admin link just brings up a box saying Server Default Page.
Good spot that. I’ve fixed it in the post. The correct URL is http://map.geo.admin.ch.
Can I check if the following are coming on the meet or not:
Don’t know about them but two of plan to arrive on the 5th.
I think it would be foolish for me to do so, so I’ll have to give this one a miss. I’ve removed myself from the spreadsheet.
Boots recommended for most areas apart from Spazzcaldeira
http://www.albigna.ch/de/content/280619-aktuelle-verhältnisse
Hi
Richie Mockler and myself will be joining for 7th - 13th. Will update the spreadsheet when I can get to a laptop.
Cheers
Nigel
07855310282
n.a.allsopp@gmail.com
Hi Guy. Is your read on this axe and crampons recommended? Appreciate you dont necessarily have all the answers, but I guess if it’s just soft snow then boots only would do, and this forecast (disclaimer, I have no idea as to how accurate this is) suggests freezing level is > 4000m
My translator tells me it just says you need mountain boots and I think that probably applies to the descent as well. This is just the Albigna btw.
However who knows and I will be bringing an axe and crampons just in case.
I’ve bought a copy of the Bregaglia PDF guide from Needle Sports.
Hit me up if you want a copy…
Anyone wants to pair up for not taking 2 racks?