Monte Cevedale
3,769 m
Italy
Also known as Cevedale, ЧеведалеAlso known as
Cevedale · Чеведале
- Elevation
- 3,769 m
- Prominence
- 531 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Apr
- Routes
- 1
Hut closedReported 6 Oct 2026 · until 1 Mar 2027
Rifugio Pizzini is closed for the season and announces its spring reopening at the beginning of March 2027 (exact day not given).
rifugiopizzini.itAdvisoryReported 4 Aug 2026
Trip reports from 30 July and 4 August 2026 describe the Vedretta del Cevedale as heavily crevassed with bare ice, and a steep ice step below the summit where ice screws were useful.
gulliver.it
Routes
1Sources differ: F (Camptocamp; Gulliver) · PD- (Camptocamp (ski/spring route))
The classic glacier ascent from Valfurva: a track up the Val Cedec to Rifugio Pizzini (2,706 m), scree to Rifugio Casati on the Passo del Cevedale (3,269 m), then about 500 m on the crevassed Vedretta del Cevedale to the bergschrund and a short snow ridge to the summit. Often combined with the traverse to Cima Cevedale (Zufallspitze, 3,757 m).
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 11.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,611 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,770 m
- Time Up
- 6h 45m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 37m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park at the Forni (about 2,170 m, toll road from Santa Caterina Valfurva), follow the track up the Val Cedec to Rifugio Pizzini (2,706 m), about 1½ hours; jeep shuttles run on the track in summer. Continue on the track and then a path over scree to Rifugio Casati beside the Passo del Cevedale (about 3,269 m), another 1½ hours. Most parties sleep at Pizzini or Casati; strong parties do it in one long day from the Forni. From Casati, rope up and head south onto the Vedretta del Cevedale, winding between crevasses. Around 3,600 m the slope steepens to the bergschrund; above it, gain the summit ridge (sharp in places) and follow it right (south-west) to the summit, about 2 hours from the hut. Most parties then return to the saddle at about 3,698 m, drop some 50 m on the Trentino side and climb the snow ridge and final rocks to Cima Cevedale/Zufallspitze (3,757 m), about 45 minutes. Descend the same way. The glacier has changed considerably. In late July and August 2026 parties reported a maze of large crevasses, bare ice and a steep ice step below the summit, where 2–3 ice screws were useful and one party abseiled from an Abalakov thread. In good snow (early summer or spring on ski) it is a straightforward glacier walk; in poor visibility navigation on the broad glacier is difficult.
Start
Forni2,160 m
- Train to Tirano, bus to Bormio and on to Santa Caterina Valfurva; from there taxi or jeep to the Forni (no confirmed public bus to the Forni).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forni → Rifugio Casati | 8.0 | 1,099 | 5 | 4h 41m |
| 2 | Rifugio Casati → Monte Cevedale | 3.0 | 515 | 6 | 2h 06m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Forni2,160 m
- Hut: Rifugio Pizzini2,695 m
- Hut: Rifugio Casati3,258 m
- Summit: Monte Cevedale3,769 m
Key Passages
- Crevassed Vedretta del Cevedale above Rifugio Casati
- Steeper slope and bergschrund at about 3,600–3,700 m
- Narrow snow summit ridge
- Optional traverse to Cima Cevedale (Zufallspitze)
Equipment
0/10 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The third-highest peak of the Ortler Alps (3,769 m) and the high point of Trentino, a broad glaciated dome in the Stelvio National Park. Its normal route from Valfurva is one of the easiest glacier ascents of its height in the Eastern Alps, though late-summer crevasses and bare ice make it less trivial than its F grade suggests.
Monte Cevedale stands on the main crest of the Ortler (Ortles) Alps, where Lombardy, Trentino and South Tyrol meet. The southern, main summit (3,769 m) lies on the Lombardy–Trentino border and is Trentino's highest point; about 600 m to the north-east the Cima Cevedale or Zufallspitze (3,757 m) marks the meeting point of the provinces of Sondrio, Trento and South Tyrol. Glaciers flow from it into the Val Cedec (Valfurva), the Val de la Mare (Val di Peio) and the Martell valley, and the whole area lies within the Stelvio National Park.
The usual ascent starts at the Forni above Santa Caterina Valfurva and uses two CAI Milano huts, Rifugio Pizzini and Rifugio Casati, the latter right on the Passo del Cevedale at about 3,270 m. From Casati the summit is only about 500 m higher across the Vedretta del Cevedale, which makes the mountain a popular first 3,700 m glacier peak and a classic spring ski-mountaineering objective. The ridge between the two summits gives a short, airy snow traverse.
The glaciers here have retreated and thinned quickly. In late summer the upper slope can be hard bare ice with large crevasses, and Rifugio Casati itself is sliding on thawing permafrost and is due to be rebuilt nearby. Early summer, when snow bridges are good, or spring on ski is the easiest time.
Climbing Notes
You need glacier travel and crevasse-rescue skills and confidence on crampons; in late summer add the ability to place ice screws on a short steep ice slope below the summit ridge. Fitness for about 1,600 m of ascent from the Forni is enough if you split the trip. Sleeping at Rifugio Casati (about 3,270 m) helps acclimatisation for those coming from low altitude.
Typical itinerary: drive to the Forni, walk to Rifugio Pizzini (1½ hours) or on to Rifugio Casati (3 hours), and climb the summit early the next morning (about 2 hours from Casati), adding the traverse to the Zufallspitze if conditions allow. Fast parties do the round trip from the Forni in one long day, starting before 04:00. Local mountain guides in the Valfurva and Bormio area offer the ascent.
Best conditions are usually in June and early July, or in spring on ski. Check the state of the huts before going, as Rifugio Casati is due to be rebuilt; Rifugio Pizzini is the reliable base.
History
The first recorded ascent was on 7 September 1865 by the Austrian explorer and cartographer Julius Payer with the guides Johann Pinggera and Josef Reinstadler, during Payer's survey of the Ortler group. The area was on the front line between Austria-Hungary and Italy in the First World War; the Casati hut stands where Austrian troops had barracks. CAI Milano built the Capanna Gianni Casati in 1922–23 (inaugurated on 9 December 1923) and added the Guasti hut just above it in 1934. In 2021 CAI Milano and the Stelvio National Park announced that the Casati hut, damaged by thawing permafrost, would be demolished and replaced by a new building slightly higher, near the Guasti hut, with EUR 3.6 million from the Lombardy region.
Season
Best Apr- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Good
- June: Good
- July: Best
- August: Good
- September: Possible
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Huts closed; winter ski-mountaineering only
- Feb
- Huts closed; winter conditions
- Mar
- Spring ski-mountaineering season; Rifugio Pizzini usually opens early March
- Apr
- Classic ski ascent from Pizzini/Casati
- May
- Spring snow; huts close at the end of May until mid-June
- Jun
- Huts reopen mid-June; good snow cover on the glacier
- Jul
- Main summer season; crevasses opening later in the month
- Aug
- Busy; bare ice and large crevasses below the summit in recent summers
- Sep
- Huts close around 20 September; icy glacier
- Oct
- Huts closed; early snow
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Pizzini: book by phone (+39 0342 935513) or email (info@rifugiopizzini.it). Rifugio Casati: contact the hut or CAI Milano; check whether it is open before planning.
- Fees
- Toll road from Santa Caterina Valfurva to the Forni (paid at the La Fonte car park, card only, in 2026)
- Forni car park reported at EUR 15 (July 2026)
- Hut fees with CAI and reciprocal-club discounts
- Rules
- Stelvio National Park: park rules apply (no wild camping, stay on marked paths)
- Getting There
Santa Caterina Valfurva (Bormio)
Milan Bergamo (BGY) or Milan Linate (LIN); Innsbruck (INN) via the Stelvio or Reschen pass
- Car: Milan–Lecco–Sondrio–Bormio–Santa Caterina Valfurva, then the toll road to the Forni
- Rail to Tirano, then bus to Bormio and Santa Caterina Valfurva
- Summer jeep shuttles run on the track from the Forni towards Rifugio Pizzini
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Altitude
- Weather
- Cornices
Huts & Shelters
2- 2,706 m
Rifugio PizziniHutStaffed
About 1 March – 30 May and 15 June – 20 September
- 3,269 m
Rifugio CasatiHutStaffed
Historically mid-March – end of May and July – September; current status uncertain because of the rebuild