Königspitze
3,851 m
Italy
Also known as Gran Zebrù, Königspitze - Gran Zebrù, +1Also known as
Gran Zebrù · Königspitze - Gran Zebrù · Gran Zebrú
- Elevation
- 3,851 m
- Prominence
- 424 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- May–Jun
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: Ski: OSA+ / S4–S5 from the summit; MSA if skis are left below the south couloir (Gulliver / Camptocamp)
From the Forni valley in Valfurva to the Rifugio Pizzini (2,706 m), then up a 100 m couloir at 40° (the 'bottleneck') to the Spalla at about 3,450 m, a broad 40° face of 200 m to a shoulder near 3,700 m, a steep 45° gully round the summit rocks and a short, sharp, exposed ridge to the top. A snow route best in spring and early summer; in warm summers the couloir turns to loose scree.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 8.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,690 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,851 m
- Time Up
- 6h 43m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 27m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park at the Forni (about 2,170 m), above Santa Caterina Valfurva, follow path 28B up the Val Cedec to the Rifugio Pizzini (2,706 m), about 1.5–2 hours. Fit parties do the climb in a single day from Forni; most sleep at the hut. From the hut climb the gentle slopes to the south of the peak, pass a rock island on either side to a small col at about 3,250 m, and climb the steepening slope to the foot of the obvious south couloir. Climb the couloir (about 40° for 100 m, the 'collo di bottiglia' or bottleneck) to the Spalla, the shoulder at about 3,450 m on the south-east face; this section is exposed to stonefall from the left. The route via the Königsjoch further right, still found in older descriptions, is no longer used. Continue up the broad south-east face (about 40° average over 200 m) to a shoulder where the angle eases at about 3,700 m, where ski tourers usually leave their skis. Turn the summit rocks on the right by a steep gully (45°, reported up to about 60° near the top in some conditions) to the final ridge, short but very narrow, and follow it to the summit cross. Allow about 3–5 hours from the hut. Descend the same way. The exposed, often icy traverse below the summit deserves particular care. The south and south-east faces soften quickly in the sun, so start early and be off the steep ground by mid-morning. From mid-summer in warm years the snow disappears from the couloir and face, leaving loose scree and frequent rockfall; local alpinists have described attempts in such conditions as 'Russian roulette'.
Start
Forni2,160 m
- Train to Tirano, then bus to Bormio and Santa Caterina Valfurva, then on by road to the Forni.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forni → Rifugio Pizzini | 4.7 | 534 | 0 | 2h 22m |
| 2 | Rifugio Pizzini → Königspitze | 3.9 | 1,156 | 0 | 4h 20m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Forni2,160 m
- Hut: Rifugio Pizzini2,695 m
- Summit: Königspitze3,851 m
Key Passages
- South couloir ('bottleneck'), 40°, stonefall
- Spalla (about 3,450 m)
- South-east face, 200 m at about 40°
- Steep gully around the summit rocks (45°+)
- Narrow, exposed summit ridge and the traverse below it
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The 3,851 m Königspitze (Gran Zebrù) is the second-highest summit of the Ortler Alps, an elegant snow pyramid on the South Tyrol–Lombardy border. Its normal route from the Rifugio Pizzini climbs 40–45° snow slopes to a knife-edge summit ridge (PD+), and is best done early in the season.
The Königspitze, Gran Zebrù in Italian, rises between the Sulden valley in South Tyrol and the Valfurva in Lombardy, part of the 'Dreigestirn' with the Monte Zebrù and the Ortler. From Sulden it shows a huge north face of ice; from the south, above the Val Cedec, it is a steep pyramid of snow and broken rock.
The normal route comes from the Italian side: from the Forni valley above Santa Caterina Valfurva to the Rifugio Pizzini, then up a short 40° couloir to the Spalla, a broad 40° face, a steeper gully and a narrow summit ridge. There is no hard climbing, but the slopes are steep and exposed for a long way, and the route is also a celebrated, demanding ski-mountaineering descent in spring.
The mountain has a serious accident record and is highly sensitive to warm weather. Once the snow goes from the south side, usually by mid-summer, the couloir and face become loose scree with frequent rockfall. Climb it in spring or early summer, start in the dark and be off the steep ground before the sun softens it.
Climbing Notes
You need to be secure in crampons on long, exposed 40–45° slopes, able to move together and belay on a narrow snow ridge, and comfortable with basic glacier travel. Fitness for about 1,150 m of ascent from the hut (about 1,700 m from Forni in a day) is needed. Acclimatise with a night at the Rifugio Pizzini or an easier Ortler-group summit first.
Typical itinerary: day 1, Forni to the Rifugio Pizzini (about 2 hours). Day 2, start around 03:00–04:00, 3–5 hours to the summit, back down the couloir by mid-morning, and out to Forni. Strong parties do it in one day from Forni, leaving around 01:00.
The best window is usually May to early July; in spring it is mainly a ski-mountaineering objective. In hot spells or after the snow has melted from the south couloir, choose another objective. A helmet is essential.
History
The Tyrolean Stephan Steinberger may have climbed the mountain alone in August 1854, though his ascent has been doubted. The first certain ascent was made on 3 August 1864 by Francis Fox Tuckett and Edward North and Henry Edmund Buxton with the guides Christian Michel and Franz Biener. The mountain lay on the front line between Austria-Hungary and Italy in the First World War; in August 2021 heat exposed a 1917 Austrian military shelter on the mountain that had long been buried in ice. The worst single day for fatalities was 5 August 1997, when seven people died in two separate accidents; six died on 23 June 2013, again in two incidents, and three ski mountaineers were killed by an avalanche in March 2018.
Season
Best May–Jun- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Possible
- September: Possible
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; hut closed
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Ski mountaineering for experts; avalanche risk
- Apr
- Hut opens; spring ski ascents
- May
- Good snow cover; classic ski-mountaineering month
- Jun
- Best month on foot; couloir usually still snowy
- Jul
- Early July often fine; deteriorates in heat
- Aug
- In warm summers the couloir becomes loose scree with rockfall
- Sep
- Possible after fresh snow consolidates; hut closes end of September
- Oct
- Hut closed; early winter
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Pizzini-Frattola (CAI Milano): www.rifugiopizzini.it; hut contact Claudio Compagnoni, +39 0342 945618.
- Rules
- The mountain lies in the Stelvio National Park, whose regulations apply
- Getting There
Santa Caterina Valfurva (Bormio)
Milan Bergamo (BGY), Milan Linate (LIN) or Innsbruck (INN)
- Train to Tirano, bus to Bormio and on to Santa Caterina Valfurva
- Car: via Bormio to Santa Caterina Valfurva and up the Valle dei Forni to the car park at the Forni
- Sulden (South Tyrol) gives access to the north side, but the normal route starts on the Italian/Lombard side
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Avalanche
- Exposure
- Glacier
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,706 m
Rifugio PizziniRefugeStaffed
100 beds · 1 April – 30 September; 15-place winter room