Punta di Pietra Rossa
3,275 m
Italy
Also known as Cima di Pietra RossaAlso known as
Cima di Pietra Rossa
- Elevation
- 3,275 m
- Prominence
- 657 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Aug–Sep
- Routes
- 1
AdvisoryReported 9 Aug 2026
The former Bivacco Linge reopened early as the staffed Rifugio Linge (20 beds) on the weekend of 9 August 2026, initially with the bar only; rooms were expected from the end of August. It is no longer a free bivouac.
vocecamuna.it
Routes
1Approximate line — not for navigation
The start of this route could not be located, so the line begins partway up and parts of it are approximate. Use it for planning only, with a map and a guidebook.
Why? 4 check notes
- truncated: first waypoint unresolved, ~0.2 km missing
- ascent 1138 m vs net gain 898 m (+27%)
- Rifugio Linge → Punta di Pietra Rossa: bridge (snap_failed; one off-graph gap, 4.6 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Gavia road trailhead (track to Bivacco Linge), North ridge notch, North fore-summit, Plateau below Punta Valmalza (OSM match off-route)
Sources differ: F+ (VieNormali.it (EE, II+, F+)) · PD+ (On-Ice.it) · III+ (On-Ice.it (III obligatory))
A long, rarely climbed day: from the Gavia road down to Rifugio Linge, up a 230 m loose scree gully to a notch on the north ridge, then along a sharp, partly loose granite crest over a fore-summit to the top. The crux is a 10 m downclimb on a slab with few holds. About 1,050 m of ascent, plus 150 m of re-ascent on the way back.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- ≈ 7.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- ≈ +1,138 m
- −240 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,275 m
- Time Up
- ≈ 5h 11m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- ≈ 3h 59m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Drive over the Gavia Pass from the Valtellina side and down 3–4 hairpins on the Brescia side to a dirt track signed for Bivacco Linge, about 150 m before a road tunnel (about 2,440 m; very limited roadside parking). The track drops to the Lago Nero (about 2,390 m), then a waymarked path traverses pasture and zigzags down a steep grassy slope, with a short chained step past a rock rib, to the grassy flat at Rifugio Linge (about 2,280 m), the former bivouac. Signposts give 50 minutes to Linge. From Linge follow the waymarks of the Alta Via Camuna west then north-west over pasture humps to a wide grassy and stony plateau at about 2,700 m. Where the marks bear right below Punta Valmalza, leave them and cross left to the obvious steep gully that splits the east face from smaller outcrops on its right. Climb about 230 m of tiring, loose scree (up to about 45° at the top) to the notch at about 2,980 m, the lowest point of the north ridge. Drop 30–40 m on the far side into a hollow that often holds hard morning snow, traverse a broad ledge south for about 200 m, climb a short easy gully and a long scree slope to the north ridge. Follow the crest, mostly easy but with poor rock on the bypasses; where it narrows, turn a large reddish boulder on the right and regain the airy crest to the north fore-summit, only a few metres lower than the summit. The crux is the descent from the fore-summit: about 10 m of slab with few holds (II+ in the main report; another party rated the whole route PD+ with III obligatory). A steep, narrow ridge with good holds leads to the summit cairn. Allow about 5¼ hours up and 10 hours for the round trip; descend the same way, regaining about 150 m from Linge to the road.
Start
Lago Nero2,377 m
- No practical public transport to the Gavia road; buses reach Ponte di Legno and Santa Caterina Valfurva.
Waypoints
- Waypoint: Lago Nero2,377 m
- Hut: Rifugio Linge2,291 m
- Summit: Punta di Pietra Rossa3,275 m
Key Passages
- Chained step on the descent to Linge
- 230 m loose scree gully to the north-ridge notch
- Snow hollow and ledge traverse beyond the notch
- Turning the reddish boulder on the narrow crest
- 10 m slab downclimb below the north fore-summit (crux)
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 60%Overview
An isolated rock pyramid of reddish granite at the head of the Valle delle Messi, south-west of the Gavia Pass, and the second-highest summit of the Sobretta–Gavia group. Seldom climbed: the easiest way is a long, partly loose scramble up the north ridge with one II–III step.
Punta di Pietra Rossa (also Cima di Pietra Rossa) is the highest point of the ridge that divides the Valle delle Messi, a side valley of the upper Val Camonica, from the Valtellina side of the Gavia Pass. Seen from the Gavia road it is a steep pyramid with an east face of about 600 m and a much higher north face; the summit area is made of the reddish granite that gives it its name. It is only a few metres lower than Monte Sobretta, the high point of the group.
There is no waymarked route to the top. The normal line uses the Alta Via Camuna path from the Gavia road down to Rifugio Linge (the former Bivacco Linge), then a loose scree gully to a notch on the north ridge and a sharp crest of mixed solid and shattered rock over a fore-summit. It is a long day of about 10 hours, in wild and rarely visited country inside Stelvio National Park, and suits experienced scramblers who are at ease downclimbing unprotected rock. In return it gives a summit view from the Ortler–Cevedale group to the Adamello, Presanella and Bernina.
Climbing Notes
You need a good head for heights, experience of loose ground and the ability to downclimb about 10 m of slab with few holds (II+ to III depending on the report). Many parties go unroped, but a short rope and slings let you protect the slab. A helmet is essential in the scree gully and on the ridge bypasses. The route above 2,700 m is unmarked: carry a GPS track and only go in clear weather. The return involves about 150 m of re-ascent from Linge to the Gavia road.
Most parties do it as a single 9–10 hour day from the road. Staying at Rifugio Linge splits the effort; check with the new operator whether rooms are available before relying on it. The best period is mid-July to the end of September, after the gully and the hollow behind the notch have lost most of their snow; carry an ice axe early in the season.
History
No first-ascent record was found. A trip report notes that after the Second World War there were plans to bring the rare reddish granite of the summit area down to the valley with a cableway; the project was abandoned. In 2026 the Comune di Ponte di Legno converted the old Bivacco Linge below the peak into a staffed refuge with 20 beds, funded by the Comuni Confinanti fund and Stelvio National Park.
Season
Best Aug–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Not advisable
- July: Good
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; Gavia road closed
- Feb
- Winter; Gavia road closed
- Mar
- Winter; Gavia road closed
- Apr
- Winter conditions
- May
- Gavia road usually closed; deep snow
- Jun
- Snow in the gully and on the ridge
- Jul
- From mid-July; snow may remain in the hollow behind the notch
- Aug
- Best conditions; afternoon thunderstorms
- Sep
- Usually dry and stable
- Oct
- Early snow and verglas possible; Gavia road may close
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Linge reopened as a staffed refuge in August 2026 (bar first, rooms possibly from the end of August); contact the operator through the Comune di Ponte di Legno or local tourist office before relying on a bed.
- Rules
- Inside Stelvio National Park; follow park rules on camping, dogs and drones
- Getting There
Ponte di Legno
Milan Bergamo (BGY)
- Car: SS300 Gavia road from Ponte di Legno or from Bormio and Santa Caterina Valfurva; park by the road on the Brescia side a few hairpins below the pass, near a track signed for Bivacco Linge about 150 m before a tunnel (space for very few cars)
- The Gavia road is closed in winter
- Buses reach Ponte di Legno (from Edolo, on the Brescia–Iseo–Edolo railway) and Santa Caterina Valfurva (from Bormio); no regular service over the pass was confirmed
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Remoteness
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,280 m
Rifugio LingeRefugeStaffed
20 beds · Summer; opened in August 2026 after conversion from the CAI bivouac