Approach

From Bagni Masino follow signs to Gianetti hut. From the the Gianetti hut traces of a path (ciarns) meander over small firm rocks and moraine in a northerly direction up to the buttress foot of the ridge.

Route

1. Keep L(W) of the moraine and rocks extending down from the ridge and cross snow patches at the right side of the small glacier in the bay below the col del badile.
2. rise a short distance above the level of the ridge foot proper and turn in close to it, finding a gangway slanting from left to right across the west side of the buttress.
3. Ascend gangway to crest and pass onto east side.
4. scramble along easy ledges overhung by jutting rocks, leftwards up into a steep chimney (III) which leads into the crest.
5. follow a system of narrow ledges below crest on the east side again, into a broad open couloir that merges higher up into the face of the mountain climbing in the trough ahead, almost anywhere.
6. finnish by one of two little parellel gullies on the summit ridge, about 40m west of the cairn.

Descent

1. Go down the gully trough and take the ledge system on E side of the ridge.
2. Just before reaching the percipitous step of the terminal buttress turn sharp right (W) and pass over a little spur to find the gang way slanting down the west side of the buttress to snow at its foot.
3. The penalty for missing this turning is two long and uncomfortble abseils down a gritty ice gulley.

Comments

There are loads of ciarns around the Gianetti hut so following them on approach is not very straight forward. On the plus side the start of the route is easy to spot so walking in the general direction will get you where you want.

The starting ramp was not obvious. We headed past the foot of the buttress towards a prominent crack we thought looked climbable, luckily the ramp starts near the base of the crack.

The fixed rope in the grade III chimney is worn to the core so be wary, after the chimney you climb up for a short while before heading right on to the ledges (thin paths). This right turn is easy to miss… After a while the ledges become really thin and transform into about 15m of unprotectable scrambling, there is a fixed rope here which is a good route marker but is extremely worn.

In descent the top of this fixed rope there is a mallion and plenty of good abseil tat, at the top of the grade III chimney the cross and another rock provide an abseil point to the right of the chimney (if facing towards the base). This leads to the top of the “climbable crack” and a nice big ring anchor which will allow you to abseil to the start of the route.

Bonus points if you find a chocolate bar wedged in a crack while abseiling…

Rack

• Half set of nuts, even numbers
• 4 slings
• 7 alpine draws
• single 60m rope
• usual locking biners, tat, belay devices…