Pizzo Campo Tencia
3,072 m
Switzerland
Also known as Campo Tencia, პიცო-კამპო-ტენჩაAlso known as
Campo Tencia · პიცო-კამპო-ტენჩა
- Elevation
- 3,072 m
- Prominence
- 754 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: T4+ (SAC route portal (Capanna Campo Tencia – Pizzo Campo Tencia – Prato)) · I+ (VieNormali.it (EE - A - I+ - F; one II- move near the waterfall))
The highest summit wholly in Ticino by its standard line: a 3-hour hut walk up Val Piumogna from Dalpe to the Capanna Campo Tencia (2,140 m), then a white-blue marked alpine route with rock steps, short cables and grade I scrambling to the Bocchetta di Crozlina (about 2,865 m) and along the blocky NW ridge to the 3,072 m top. About 1,900 m from Dalpe.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 10.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,928 m
- −64 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,072 m
- Time Up
- 7h 54m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 25m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Dalpe (about 1,190 m) above the Leventina, a forest road leads to the Polpiano car park (1,365 m) in Val Piumogna. A red-and-white path climbs through larch forest to Sgnòi (about 1,650 m), crosses the stream, zigzags steeply up to the Alpe Crozlina and crosses a second footbridge to the Capanna Campo Tencia CAS (2,140 m); the SAC gives 3 hours from Dalpe (T2). Above the hut, white-blue markings lead south over meadows and boulders to point 2271 and towards a waterfall. A short, slightly exposed rock step (about II- on one move, with a ladder, cable and bolts for belaying on the descent) and a narrow ledge lead onto grassy, rocky ground and up a spur with some hands-on sections to the basin of a small lake at about 2,642 m, below the remnants of the Ghiacciaio Grande di Crozlina. The path then bears south-west up scree to the Bocchetta di Crozlina (about 2,865 m). Just before the gap, turn left onto the long NW ridge of large blocks and follow it, mostly on or just left of the crest, with grade I moves to the broad summit; in early summer the ridge is often snowy. The SAC gives 2½ hours and 950 m from the hut. Descend the same way (about 1¾ hours to the hut). The route through the rock steps is easy to lose above the hut; follow the markings closely. A longer traverse descends the east ridge to the 2,974 m saddle and south through Val di Prato to Prato Sornico in Valle Maggia (SAC, 4 hours down from the summit).
Start
Dalpe1,207 m
- Train to Faido or Airolo, bus to Dalpe; walk the forest road to Polpiano (about 1,365 m) or start from the village
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dalpe → Capanna Campo Tencia | 7.9 | 983 | 51 | 4h 22m |
| 2 | Capanna Campo Tencia → Pizzo Campo Tencia | 2.9 | 945 | 13 | 3h 32m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Dalpe1,207 m
Bus from Faido or Rodi-Fiesso
- Parking: Polpiano1,365 m
Car park at the end of the forest road from Dalpe via Cleuro
- Feature: Sgnòi1,677 m
- Feature: Alpe Crozlina1,993 m
- Hut: Capanna Campo Tencia2,139 m
- Col: Bocchetta di Crozlina2,862 m
- Summit: Pizzo Campo Tencia3,072 m
Key Passages
- Cabled rock step and ledge above the hut
- Spur to the lake basin at 2,642 m
- Bocchetta di Crozlina
- Blocky NW summit ridge (I)
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
At 3,072 m the highest summit lying entirely in Ticino, a rocky pyramid between the Leventina and Valle Maggia. The normal route from the Capanna Campo Tencia, the oldest hut in the Ticino mountains, is a marked T4 alpine route with short cabled steps and an easy blocky ridge.
Pizzo Campo Tencia rises at the head of Val Piumogna above Dalpe, between the Valle Leventina to the east and the Valle Maggia (Val di Prato and Val Lavizzara) to the west. It is the culminating point of the Campo Tencia group and the highest mountain whose summit lies wholly within the canton of Ticino. On its north side the Ghiacciaio Grande di Crozlina has shrunk to a small ice plate, and glacier retreat has made the normal route a rock and scree affair.
The usual approach is from Dalpe through larch forest to the Capanna Campo Tencia CAS (2,140 m), built in 1912 and run by CAS Ticino. From the hut a white-blue marked route climbs rock steps with a ladder and cables, then a spur to a small lake basin and up scree to the Bocchetta di Crozlina, from where a long ridge of large blocks leads to the summit. It is a serious mountain walk rather than a climb, but there are grade I moves and a few exposed spots.
The quieter western approach from Prato Sornico through the narrow Val di Prato is long, and the Capanna Soveltra there burned down in 2017. Experienced parties also traverse the Cresta dei Corni or link the summit with the Pizzo Penca.
Climbing Notes
Most parties walk to the Capanna Campo Tencia in the afternoon (3 hours from Dalpe, less from the Polpiano car park) and climb the summit the next morning: 2½ hours up, about 1¾ hours back to the hut. Fitness for about 1,900 m of ascent over the two days and sure-footedness on rock and scree are needed; there is no glacier on the normal route.
The crux is the short step near the waterfall above the hut, with a ladder, cable and bolts for belaying on the descent. Markings are easy to lose in the rock steps, so take a map or GPS track and avoid the route in mist. In early summer the NW ridge is often snow-covered; an ice axe and crampons are then useful. The hut keepers are a good source of current conditions.
History
The SAC route portal gives 1867 as the year of the first ascent; no climbers' names were found. The Capanna Campo Tencia, opened in 1912, is described by CAS Ticino as the first hut in the Ticino mountains.
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: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Hut closed; winter room (16 places) open
- Feb
- Hut closed; winter room only
- Mar
- Ski touring; hut partly open
- Apr
- Ski touring; hut partly open
- May
- Hut closed; snow on the route
- Jun
- Hut staffed from June; ridge often snowy, ice axe useful
- Jul
- Snow patches possible on the ridge early in the month
- Oct
- Hut staffed until about mid-October; early snow possible
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Capanna Campo Tencia CAS (CAS Ticino), 60 places, staffed June to about mid-October and partly in March–April; winter room with 16 places open all year. Book online via hut-reservation.org, by phone (+41 91 867 15 44) or by email (campotencia@casticino.ch).
- Getting There
Faido
Lugano Airport (LUG); Milan Malpensa (MXP) has more flights
- Train to Faido or Airolo, bus to Dalpe
- By car: A2 exit Quinto–Ambrì, cantonal road to Prato Leventina and Dalpe; at the village entrance turn right towards Cleuro and follow the forest road to the Polpiano car park (1,365 m)
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,140 m
Capanna Campo TenciaHutStaffedBooking required
60 beds · Staffed June to about mid-October, partly open March–April; winter room (16 places) open all year