Pizzo Badile
3,308 m
Switzerland, Italy
Also known as Piz Badile, Pizzo Badile / Piz BadileAlso known as
Piz Badile · Pizzo Badile / Piz Badile
- Elevation
- 3,308 m
- Prominence
- 262 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: PD (Camptocamp (3b)) · AD- (2025 trip report summarised by search results) · IV- (VieNormali.it (Castelli-Piatti chimney, often wet))
The easiest way up the Badile, from the Italian Val Masino: a 3–3½ hour walk to Rifugio Gianetti (2,534 m), then about 800 m of ledges, gullies and short chimneys on good granite (mostly II–III, one chimney III+/IV-) up the south side to the summit. Intricate route-finding; descent mostly by abseil.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 8.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,164 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,308 m
- Time Up
- 8h 17m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 25m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Bagni di Masino (about 1,170 m) the path climbs a steep mule track to Alpe Corte Vecchia (1,405 m), traverses right, fords the Val Sione stream and reaches the Piano del Porcellizzo (1,899 m), then climbs pastures and granite slabs to Rifugio Gianetti (2,534 m): about 1,350 m and 3–3½ hours. From the hut, follow cairns north up moraine and scree to the foot of the big buttress below the south ridge (about 45 minutes); the climbing starts at about 2,930 m beside an obvious dihedral. A rising ledge (II) leads right onto the crest; skirt an overhang on the right by crawling under a roof (the 'passo del gatto'), then climb a 15 m chimney with old fixed slings (III+ to IV-, often wet) to the Croce Castelli-Piatti. Above, easy gullies lead to a long, slightly descending traverse right along grass and scree ledges to the foot of the great south gully. Climb the gully (II+) for 60–80 m, exit left by short gullies and an airy spur (III), then cracked rock and a scree ledge lead to the summit ridge and the top, with the Bivacco Redaelli just below. Allow 3–4 hours from the hut. Descend by equipped abseils (rings, about 25–40 m) down the gully, reverse the traverse ledge back to the Croce, and abseil the chimney and lower step. Faded red paint marks are easier to see in descent; memorise the line on the way up. The rock is excellent granite, but there is loose material on the ledges and below the face. Early in the season snow in the gullies may need an ice axe and crampons.
Start
Bagni di Masino1,166 m
- Train to Morbegno, bus to San Martino in Val Masino; seasonal connections towards Bagni di Masino.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bagni di Masino → Rifugio Gianetti | 6.3 | 1,387 | 20 | 5h 28m |
| 2 | Rifugio Gianetti → Pizzo Badile | 1.9 | 776 | 0 | 2h 49m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Bagni di Masino1,166 m
- Hut: Rifugio Gianetti2,535 m
- Bivouac: Bivacco Redaelli3,298 m
not on route line
- Summit: Pizzo Badile3,308 m
Key Passages
- Passo del gatto (crawl under a roof)
- Chimney below the Croce Castelli-Piatti (III+/IV-)
- Long ledge traverse to the south gully
- Airy spur exit (III)
- Abseil descent
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
A granite tower on the Swiss–Italian border in the Bregaglia, famous for its north ridge and the Cassin route on the north-east face. Even its easiest route, from Rifugio Gianetti in the Val Masino, is a real rock climb with grade III passages and abseils.
Pizzo Badile (Piz Badile in German and Romansh) stands on the frontier between the Val Bondasca in Swiss Graubünden and the Val Masino in Lombardy. Though the neighbouring Pizzo Cengalo is higher, the Badile is the defining mountain of the Bregaglia: a shovel-shaped block of Bregaglia granite (its name means 'shovel') with a north-east face of more than 700 m between two small glaciers and a clean north ridge that runs straight down towards the Sasc Furä hut.
There is no walking route. The normal route on the south side, from Rifugio Gianetti, is an intricate scramble and climb on ledges, gullies and chimneys, mostly grade II–III with one move of III+/IV-, followed by abseils. Route-finding is the main difficulty. On the Swiss side the North Ridge (Nordkante) is one of the most popular long rock routes in the Alps, and the Cassin route on the north-east face is one of the six classic great north faces.
The Swiss approaches have been shaped by the Piz Cengalo rockfalls: in August 2017 a huge rock avalanche and debris flows swept the Val Bondasca and reached Bondo, killing eight hikers. Paths in the valley were closed and rerouted, and the hazard is still monitored. Check access with the SAC Bregaglia section or the municipality before planning a Swiss-side approach.
Climbing Notes
For the normal route you should lead confidently at grade III on granite, be fast at moving together, and be competent at abseiling and route-finding on complex terrain. Fitness for about 800 m of climbing and scrambling from the hut (2,100 m from Bagni di Masino) is needed. A helmet is essential. Many parties hire an Italian or Swiss mountain guide.
Typical itinerary: walk up from Bagni di Masino to Rifugio Gianetti (3–3½ hours), climb next morning (3–4 hours up) and descend to the hut by abseil, then to the valley. The North Ridge is a two- to three-day outing: approach the Capanna Sasc Furä from Bondo, climb the ridge (7–8 hours), descend the south side to Gianetti and return to the Val Bregaglia, or abseil the ridge.
The summit is a lightning magnet; watch for afternoon thunderstorms. The Bivacco Redaelli just below the summit gives emergency shelter. Early in the season, snow in the south-side gullies and on the approaches calls for an ice axe and crampons.
History
The first ascent was made on 26 July 1867 (27 July in some sources) by the American W. A. B. Coolidge with the Chamonix guides François and Henri Devouassoud, by the south side. The first ascent by a woman, Hermine Tauscher, followed on 31 July 1880. The east ridge was climbed in 1893 by Christian Klucker, Émile Rey and Anton von Rydzewski. The north ridge was first climbed on 4 August 1923 by Alfred Zürcher with the guide Walter Risch, and the north-east face from 14 to 16 July 1937 by Riccardo Cassin, Vittorio Ratti and Gino Esposito together with Mario Molteni and Giuseppe Valsecchi of Como; Molteni died of exhaustion on the summit and Valsecchi during the descent, shortly before the hut. The Cengalo rockfall of 23 August 2017 killed eight hikers in the Val Bondasca.
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 ascents only for experts
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Winter conditions
- Apr
- Snow on ledges and gullies
- May
- Snow on the routes; huts closed
- Jun
- Huts open mid-June; snow in the gullies
- Jul
- Main season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season; busy on the North Ridge
- Sep
- Good rock conditions, colder; huts close mid to late September
- Oct
- Huts closed (winter rooms only); short days, verglas possible
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Gianetti (CAI Milano, about 78 places, staffed mid-June to mid-September): book directly with the hut (tel. +39 0342 645161); the attached Bivacco Piacco is always open. Capanna Sasc Furä (SAC Bregaglia) for the North Ridge: book with the hut.
- Fees
- Parking at Bagni di Masino may be paid
- Hut overnight fees; half board at Rifugio Gianetti about EUR 60–75
- Rules
- Val Bondasca (Switzerland): parts of the valley have been closed or rerouted since the 2017 Piz Cengalo rockfall; the old path below the Cengalo and the 'Viale' link between the Sciora and Sasc Furä huts must not be used. Follow current signage and SAC Bregaglia guidance
- Getting There
Val Masino (San Martino) on the Italian side; Bondo and Promontogno (Bregaglia) on the Swiss side
Milan Bergamo (BGY) or Milan Malpensa (MXP); Zurich (ZRH) for the Swiss side
- Italy: by car via Morbegno into the Val Masino to Bagni di Masino; bus from Morbegno station to San Martino
- Switzerland: PostBus between St. Moritz and Chiavenna stops at Promontogno, near Bondo
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
3- 1,904 m
- 2,534 m
Rifugio GianettiHutStaffed
78 beds · Mid-June to mid-September; Bivacco Piacco (winter room) always open
- 3,288 m
Bivacco RedaelliBivouacUnstaffed
Always open (unstaffed emergency shelter)