Monte Disgrazia
3,678 m
Italy
Also known as Monte della Disgrazia, Монте-ДисграцияAlso known as
Monte della Disgrazia · Монте-Дисграция
- Elevation
- 3,678 m
- Prominence
- 1,118 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul
- Routes
- 1
Hut closedReported 6 Oct 2026 · until 1 Jun 2027
Rifugio Ponti is closed for the winter and announces reopening in June 2027 (exact date not given).
rifugioponti.itAdvisoryReported 13 Jul 2026
On 13 July 2026 a party found the Preda Rossa glacier in poor condition, with its lower edge at about 3,150 m, and an old frayed fixed rope at the first tower above the Sella di Pioda.
traillovers.it
Routes
1Sources differ: AD- (UIAA III) (Alto Lario Guide) · PD+ (Camptocamp; Gulliver; TrailLovers)
The route of the first ascent: from the Preda Rossa plain in Val Masino to Rifugio Ponti (2,559 m), up a shrinking, crevassed glacier at up to 35–40° to the Sella di Pioda (3,387 m), then about 300 m of exposed mixed ridge with steps of II–III, finishing over the airy Cavallo di Bronzo block to the summit. About 1,720 m of ascent over two days.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 7.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,765 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,678 m
- Time Up
- 6h 56m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 38m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park at the Piana di Preda Rossa (about 1,955 m), at the end of the road up from Filorera in Val Masino, a path crosses the plain and climbs between large granite blocks to Rifugio Cesare Ponti (2,559 m) in about 2 hours. From the hut, follow paint marks and cairns east onto the crest of the large lateral moraine and along it to the Preda Rossa glacier. Its lower edge was at about 3,050 m in older descriptions and about 3,150 m in July 2026. Rope up and climb the left (west) side of the glacier, with sections of 35–40° and some treacherous crevasses, then traverse right below the Sella di Pioda (3,387 m) to slabs where the ridge begins. Early in the season a snow gully right of the col gains the ridge above the first, loose step; later in summer this gully is partly dry or bare ice and becomes the crux, especially in descent. Otherwise the first tower is passed on the right, either via an old fixed rope or by a lower traverse on loose ground. The ridge itself is mostly solid blocky rock and snow crests, with many crampon scratches showing the line: two rocky tops, an exposed snowy section where the north-face 'via degli inglesi' exits, and the fore-summit. The final obstacle is the Cavallo di Bronzo, a short exposed block (III-) climbed directly and left by a long step across a notch, just before the summit and its trigonometric marker. Descend the same way; parties often make a 15 m abseil near the first tower. Camptocamp gives about 1,120 m from the hut with 300 m of difficulties.
Start
Preda Rossa1,948 m
- Train to Morbegno or Ardenno (Valtellina line), bus up Val Masino to San Martino/Filorera; no public transport to Preda Rossa, so a taxi or car is needed for the last section.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Preda Rossa → Rifugio Ponti | 4.1 | 619 | 11 | 2h 36m |
| 2 | Rifugio Ponti → Monte Disgrazia | 3.8 | 1,146 | 24 | 4h 20m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Preda Rossa1,948 m
- Hut: Rifugio Ponti2,556 m
- Col: Sella di Pioda3,391 m
- Summit: Monte Disgrazia3,678 m
Key Passages
- Crevassed Preda Rossa glacier (35–40° on the left side)
- Gully or first tower to gain the ridge above the Sella di Pioda
- Exposed snowy crest on the upper ridge
- Cavallo di Bronzo (III-)
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
A 3,678 m pyramid of five ridges and five glaciers standing apart from the main Bregaglia–Bernina chain between Val Masino and Val Malenco. The normal route from Rifugio Ponti combines a shrinking glacier with an exposed mixed ridge (PD+, one step of III-), a serious but classic two-day climb.
Monte Disgrazia rises on its own spur south of the main ridge of the Western Rhaetian Alps, so its pointed shape is visible from much of Valtellina and the Lombard Prealps. Its key col is the Passo del Muretto, and its parent peak is Piz Bernina. Five glaciers and five ridges radiate from the summit: the west-north-west ridge above the Preda Rossa glacier carries the normal route, the narrow snow crest of the Corda Molla drops north-east towards Val Malenco, and the north face holds classic ice routes.
Most climbers approach from Val Masino: a two-hour walk from the Preda Rossa plain to Rifugio Ponti, then a long summit day on glacier and ridge. Crowds are moderate compared with the big western classics, especially midweek. The climbing is never hard, but the ridge is long and exposed, and the glacier at its foot has retreated markedly; by August the access gully to the ridge is often dry or bare ice.
Climbing Notes
You need glacier skills including crevasse rescue, sure cramponing on 35–40° snow or ice, and the ability to move together on an exposed ridge with steps of II–III in crampons. Fitness for about 1,150 m of ascent and the same descent on the summit day is essential. Local guides (for example in Val Masino and around Lake Como) run it as a two-day trip.
Typical itinerary: day 1, Preda Rossa to Rifugio Ponti (about 2 hours, 600 m); day 2, leave before dawn, cross the glacier while it is frozen, climb the ridge and return to Preda Rossa. Early summer (late June–July) usually gives the easiest conditions, with snow in the gully below the Sella di Pioda. Later in the season carry ice screws and expect loose ground near the first tower. Avoid the ridge in storms and when it is plastered with fresh snow.
History
The first ascent was made in August 1862 by Leslie Stephen, Edward Shirley Kennedy and Thomas Cox with the guide Melchior Anderegg, by the Preda Rossa glacier and the west ridge; Kennedy's account opened the first volume of the Alpine Journal in 1863. The first winter ascent, from the Forno hut, was made on 15 February 1896 by Mrs E. Main with Christian Schnitzler and Martin Schocher. In 1881 Count Francesco Lurani Cernuschi built the first hut in Val Masino, the 'Capanna Disgrazia'; it was replaced in 1890 by the Capanna Cecilia and rebuilt in 1928 as Rifugio Cesare Ponti (CAI Milano). The NNE ridge (Corda Molla) was first climbed in full in August 1914 by Ignazio Dell'Andrino and Baccio De Ferrari.
Season
Best Jul- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; hut closed (winter room only)
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Spring ski-mountaineering to the Sella di Pioda for experienced parties
- Apr
- Ski-mountaineering season; summit ridge on foot
- May
- Late spring snow; hut closed
- Jun
- Rifugio Ponti opens in late June; good snow on glacier and gully
- Jul
- Best conditions usually; glacier shrinking (edge about 3,150 m in July 2026)
- Aug
- Gully to the ridge often dry or bare ice; open crevasses
- Sep
- Dry ridge, icy glacier; hut closes in late September
- Oct
- Hut closed; early snow
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Ponti (60 places, winter room 6): book directly with the hut via rifugioponti.it.
- Fees
- Hut fees at Rifugio Ponti with CAI and reciprocal-club discounts
- Getting There
Val Masino (San Martino, Filorera); Morbegno in Valtellina
Milan Bergamo (BGY) or Milan Linate (LIN)
- Car: SS38 through Valtellina to Ardenno, SP9 up Val Masino to Filorera, then the narrow road to the Preda Rossa car park
- Train to Morbegno or Ardenno-Masino, bus up Val Masino; taxi for the last section to Preda Rossa
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,559 m
Rifugio PontiHutStaffed
60 beds · Late June to late September (Camptocamp: 25 June – 23 September); 6-place winter room