Piz Bacun
3,244 m
Switzerland
Also known as Pizzo BaconeAlso known as
Pizzo Bacone
- Elevation
- 3,244 m
- Prominence
- 306 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
AdvisoryReported 7 Oct 2026 · until 16 Oct 2026
Albigna cable car 2026 season: daily from 13 June to 16 October 2026, 07:00–11:30 and 13:15–16:45; closing may vary with weather and operations.
bregaglia.chAdvisoryReported 2 Oct 2026 · until 11 Oct 2026
Capanna da l'Albigna is open for the 2026 season until Sunday 11 October 2026, around 14:00.
albigna.ch
Routes
1Sources differ: WS- (SAC), climbing passages III- / 2C (gipfelbuch.ch route 15395)
A quiet, rarely climbed alpine tour from the Albigna basin: trackless moraine past the small lakes at P.2652 to the Furcela dal Riciöl (about 3,040 m), then a steep ramp or a cairned traverse of the loose north face onto the east ridge and broken granite to the summit, with a short chimney near the top (III-). About 1,200 m and 5 hours from the dam.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 10.4 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,599 m
- −450 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,244 m
- Time Up
- 7h 32m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 6h
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Take the cable car from Pranzaira to the Albigna dam. Either go straight up the trackless Riciöl valley from the end of the dam to the foot of Piz Balzet's south ridge and follow good traces to the Furcela dal Riciöl, or (if staying at the hut) go from the Capanna da l'Albigna past the small lakes at P.2652 to the same col (about 3,040 m). Early in the season there is snow in the upper couloir; in a dry summer the col can be reached without crampons. From the col traverse level northwards to a steep ramp that leads onto the flat section of the east ridge, then follow the ridge to the summit with varied, broken climbing. If the ramp looks unappealing, descend slightly east, follow the lowest of three scree ledges up to the deepest notch in the east ridge and cross the north face on cairns, bypassing a slabby tower (or climb it with your own protection), back up to the ridge. A short summit chimney is the crux; it is easier in ascent than in descent and a rappel cord has been found in place. Descend the same way; parties have reported two rappel anchors on the east ridge, though a fast party may not need them. Allow about 5 hours up from the dam and plan the descent around the last cable car at 16:45, or stay at the hut.
Start
Albigna2,095 m
- ewz Albigna cable car, Pranzaira to the Albigna dam; daily mid-June to mid-October, 07:00–11:30 and 13:15–16:45.
- Train to St. Moritz or Chiavenna, then PostBus line 4 (Chiavenna–St. Moritz) to the stop Pranzaira, Albigna.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albigna → Capanna da l'Albigna CAS | 2.3 | 236 | 0 | 1h 04m |
| 2 | Capanna da l'Albigna CAS → Piz Bacun | 8.2 | 1,363 | 452 | 6h 28m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Albigna2,095 m
Top station of the Pranzaira–Albigna cable car, by the dam
- Hut: Capanna da l'Albigna CAS2,333 m
- Feature: P. 26522,095 m
Small lakes on the way from the hut to the col
- Col: Furcela dal Riciöl3,041 m
- Summit: Piz Bacun3,244 m
Key Passages
- Trackless moraine of the Riciöl valley
- Couloir to the Furcela dal Riciöl (snow early season)
- Steep ramp onto the flat section of the east ridge, or cairned north-face traverse
- Slabby tower
- Summit chimney (III-)
Equipment
0/9 packedDownloads
Route confidence 50%Overview
A secluded 3,244 m granite peak between Lake Albigna and the Forno glacier in the Swiss Bregaglia. Rarely climbed, it offers a trackless, broken-rock ascent from the Albigna basin with short grade III- climbing near the top.
Piz Bacun (Pizzo Bacone in Italian) rises on the ridge east of the Albigna reservoir, separating the Albigna basin from the Forno glacier and looking down on Vicosoprano in the Val Bregaglia. Small glaciers once covered its flanks; they have disappeared, leaving shattered, broken rock. The exception is the south face of its western fore-summit, a compact sheet of reddish granite with a handful of short rock climbs.
It is one of the least visited summits around the Albigna hut. There is no path above the hut, few published route descriptions and few recent condition reports. The usual line climbs moraine and a couloir to the Furcela dal Riciöl, then the east ridge, with a short summit chimney as the crux. A 200 m south ridge (4a) and an adventurous south-west ridge are the main alternatives for climbers.
What it offers is solitude and a broad view over the Bregaglia granite: the Sciora, Cengalo and Badile group to the south-west, Cima di Castello to the south and the Forno glacier to the east.
Climbing Notes
This is a route for experienced alpinists comfortable on loose ground and route-finding without a path. Expect about 1,200 m of ascent and 5 hours up from the Albigna dam, with easy climbing to III- on the ridge and in the summit chimney; carry a rope, a small rack and rappel material. Snow in the couloir in June and early July calls for an ice axe and crampons; by midsummer the col is usually dry.
Typical itinerary: cable car to Albigna and a night at the Capanna da l'Albigna, then an early start for the peak and back to the hut or the last cable car down (16:45). Doing it in a day from the first cable car (07:00) is possible for a fast party but leaves little margin. There are few recent reports, so ask the hut guardians about conditions.
History
The first ascent was on 27 August 1883 by Theodor Curtius and L. Bernus with the guides Christian Klucker and Johann Eggenberger, up the north-east side and east ridge and down the south chimney. Curtius and Klucker made the second ascent by the north ridge on 27 August 1885. Mansueto Barbaria, Anton von Rydzewski and Klucker climbed the east ridge on 26 June 1891; accounts of all three climbs appeared in the SAC yearbook.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; cable car closed
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Winter conditions
- Apr
- Spring snow; cable car closed
- May
- Heavy snow on the approach
- Jun
- Cable car and hut open mid-June; snow in the couloir and on the north-face ledges
- Jul
- Best period; snow clearing from the couloir
- Aug
- Usually dry; afternoon thunderstorms
- Sep
- Often stable; shorter days
- Oct
- Hut and cable car close in mid-October; early snow
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Capanna da l'Albigna: online reservation through alpsonline.org (linked from albigna.ch) or by phone (+41 81 822 14 05).
- Fees
- Albigna cable car: CHF 22 return, CHF 15 one way for adults (2026)
- Hut overnight fees, with discounts for alpine club members
- Rules
- The Albigna cable car is also a working lift for the ewz hydro plant; the last trip down is at 16:45 and the timetable can change with weather or operations
- Getting There
Vicosoprano (Val Bregaglia, Switzerland)
Milan Bergamo (BGY) or Milan Malpensa (MXP); Zürich (ZRH)
- PostBus line 4 Chiavenna–St. Moritz to the stop Pranzaira, Albigna; free parking at the cable car valley station near Vicosoprano
- Albigna cable car to the dam (2,100 m); about 45 minutes on to the hut, or about 3½ hours on foot from Pranzaira
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Remoteness
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,336 m
Capanna da l'Albigna CASHutStaffedBooking required
94 beds · Staffed mid-June to early/mid-October (to 11 October in 2026) and at Easter; winter room with 14 places
Book Capanna da l'Albigna CASWebsite of Capanna da l'Albigna CAS