Piz Duan
3,131 m
Switzerland
Also known as Pizzo della DuanaAlso known as
Pizzo della Duana
- Elevation
- 3,131 m
- Prominence
- 482 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: T5-, L (SAC Clubführer, as quoted) (hikr.org (2012)) · T4+ (SE ridge); T5 for the upper W ridge (hikr.org (2020))
The route of the first ascensionists and, per the SAC guide, the easiest: from Casaccia below the Maloja up the quiet Val Maroz to Alp Maroz Dent and the high Val da Cam, then steep grass and broken rock to the south-east ridge, over or around the east summit to the top. Mostly a scramble on a worn trail, with one steeper summit wall.
About 2% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 3 check notes
- summit reached only via terrain-checked gaps (176 m past mapped ground)
- Val da Cam → Piz Duan: corridor (detour; 176 m of gaps, 2.8 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Pt. 2903, East summit (OSM match off-route)
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 10.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,715 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,131 m
- Time Up
- 7h 03m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 49m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the free car park in Casaccia (1,458 m) a path climbs steeply through the forest for the first 300 m (the longer farm track is closed to walkers because of rockfall risk), then the track continues past Alp Maroz Dora (1,799 m) and a good path leads up the Val Maroz to Alp Maroz Dent (about 2,035 m), 1½–1¾ hours. Cross a boggy rock labyrinth to the signpost beyond the stream and climb a steep, well-made path to the five cairns at the entrance of the Val da Cam (about 1 hour). The Lägh da Cam (2,391 m), with its view across to the Badile and Cengalo, is a popular bivouac spot. At about 2,400 m leave the path to the right and climb the steep grass of the east flank, which gives way to broken rock below the south-east ridge, reached at about 2,800 m. A mostly well-trodden path on the earthy east side of the ridge passes the large cairn at Pt. 2903; at about 2,980 m the ridge steepens, and a trail just left of the crest regains the ridge, which leads easily to the east summit (about 3,085 m), 1½–2 hours from the Val da Cam (T4+). Climb down from the east summit or bypass it on the north or south side (delicate), continue on or north of the ridge to the south saddle and climb the steep summit wall, awkward after fresh snow, to the top in another 15–30 minutes. Descend the same way, or traverse the west ridge (T5, exposed and slippery in its upper part) to the Pass da la Duana and down to Soglio, a long and rewarding day.
Start
Casaccia1,458 m
- PostBus St. Moritz–Maloja–Chiavenna to Casaccia, Villaggio
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Casaccia → Piz Duan | 10.0 | 1,715 | 42 | 7h 03m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Casaccia1,458 m
PostBus stop and free car park near the main road
- Feature: Maroz Dora1,800 m
- Feature: Maroz Dent2,039 m
- Feature: Val da Cam2,370 m
Entered at five large cairns at the top of the steep step; leave the path at about 2,400 m
- Summit: Piz Duan3,131 m
Key Passages
- Steep step into the Val da Cam
- Grass and broken rock of the east flank to the south-east ridge
- Ridge step at about 2,980 m
- Passage of the east summit
- Steep summit wall
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 60%Overview
A remote 3,131 m peak on the north side of the Val Bregaglia, facing the granite north walls of the Badile and Cengalo. A long but technically modest T4–T5 ascent from Casaccia through the Val Maroz and the flower-rich Val da Cam leads to one of the finest viewpoints in Graubünden.
Piz Duan rises between the Val Bregaglia to the south, the Val Maroz to the north-east and the Val da la Duana to the north-west, in the municipality of Bregaglia. Its isolated position makes it an exceptional viewpoint: directly opposite stand the Bregaglia granite peaks around the Pizzo Badile, the ice of the Bernina lies to the east, and on clear days the view reaches as far as Monte Viso. The Giacometti family's inn at Stampa was named after the mountain, and Augusto Giacometti painted it.
The usual routes all start from Casaccia below the Maloja Pass. The south-east ridge, reached from the Val da Cam, is the line of the first ascent and the easiest; the north side, past the dwindling glacier remnant above the Lägh da la Duana, is mainly used by ski-tourers; and the long west ridge leads down to the Pass da la Duana and Soglio, making a classic traverse. None of these is more than a demanding alpine walk with easy scrambling, but they are long and largely unmarked.
The Val da Cam, with its lake on the edge of a 1,400 m drop into the Bregaglia, is a beautiful place to bivouac, known for marmots and large numbers of edelweiss on its limy soils.
Climbing Notes
Expect about 1,700–1,800 m of ascent and 8–9 hours for the round trip from Casaccia, or split it with a bivouac at the Lägh da Cam (there is no hut). You need to be comfortable on steep grass, scree and broken rock with some exposure; most rock steps can be bypassed, but the passage of the east summit and the summit wall need care, especially with fresh snow. The traverse to Soglio by the west ridge is harder (T5) and longer but finishes in one of the most attractive villages of the valley.
Summer and early autumn are best. The approach paths hold snow into June, and on the north side ski-tourers use the glacier remnant in spring.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Ski tours from Casaccia by the north side in safe conditions
- Apr
- Spring ski touring
- May
- Snow on the approaches
- Jun
- Snow lingering in the Val da Cam and on the summit wall
- Jul
- Best season; edelweiss in the Val da Cam
- Aug
- Good; afternoon thunderstorms
- Sep
- Often clear and stable
- Oct
- Possible until the first snow; short days
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Fees
- Paid parking in Soglio if finishing the traverse there; the car park in Casaccia was free in 2020
- Rules
- The farm track up the lower Val Maroz is closed to walkers because of rockfall risk; use the forest path
- Getting There
Casaccia and Vicosoprano (Val Bregaglia); St. Moritz over the Maloja Pass
Milan Malpensa (MXP) or Zurich (ZRH)
- PostBus St. Moritz–Maloja–Chiavenna to Casaccia, Villaggio
- By car: Maloja Pass road to Casaccia; car park about 100 m from the main road
- From Soglio (end of the west-ridge traverse): PostBus Soglio–Promontogno
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Remoteness