Schwarzhorn

4,321 m

Italy

Also known as Corno Nero, Tête Noire, +1

Corno Nero · Tête Noire · Шварцхорн

Elevation: 4,321 m
Prominence: 42 m
Difficulty: 5/10; Easy alpine
Best Season: Jul
Routes: 1

Routes

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AlpinePD+GlacierNormal route

Sources differ: PD (SummitPost)

The usual way up the Corno Nero: the Ludwigshöhe approach over the crevassed Lys Glacier to the Zurbriggenjoch, then a short but steep (about 50°) snow or ice slope and a few metres of rock to the narrow summit with its Madonna statue. Usually abseiled on descent and often combined with the Ludwigshöhe and Balmenhorn.

Elevation Profile

approximate line

Distance: 4.9 km; one way
Ascent: +1,088 m; start → summit
High Point: 4,321 m
Time Up: 4h 19m; DIN 33466
Time Down: 2h 54m; DIN 33466 · same way back

Day one: lifts from Staffal or Alagna to Punta Indren (3,275 m), then about 1½ hours over the Indren glacier, the fixed-rope rock band above the Rifugio Città di Mantova and the Garstelet glacier to the Capanna Gnifetti (3,647 m). Day two: from the hut, rope up and follow the track north up the Lys Glacier below the Pyramide Vincent; the first section behind the hut is heavily crevassed. In the basin below the Balmenhorn (about 4,000–4,150 m, with the Bivacco Felice Giordano and the Christ statue), leave the main track about 100 m before the Lisjoch and head right to the Zurbriggenjoch (4,272 m). Cross the bergschrund and climb the north face, preferably on its right side: about 50 m of 50° snow, which can be hard ice later in summer, then easy rock and an airy snow crest to the Madonnina on the summit. Allow 2–3 hours from the hut. Descend by one 40 m abseil or two 20 m abseils from the summit belay (around the statue or on the crest) back to the col, then follow the ascent track; about 2 hours to the hut. The Ludwigshöhe is 70 m above the same col and is usually added. An alternative from the Colle Vincent climbs the west side over 40–45° snow and rock up to II.

Start

Punta Indren3,269 m

Staffal–Gabiet–Passo dei Salati gondolas and Passo dei Salati–Punta Indren funifor (summer 2026: 30 May – 23 August for the Staffal lifts, Indren until 13 September)
Train to Pont-Saint-Martin, then bus up the Gressoney valley to Staffal; or train to Varallo and bus to Alagna Valsesia. Lifts from Staffal (via Gabiet) or Alagna to Passo dei Salati and Punta Indren.

Stages

Day	Stage	km	m ascent	m descent	Time
1	Punta Indren → Capanna Gnifetti	2.2	357	13	1h 29m
2	Capanna Gnifetti → Schwarzhorn	2.7	728	23	2h 49m

Waypoints

Lift:
Punta Indren3,269 m
Top station of the Passo dei Salati – Punta Indren funifor
Hut:
Rifugio Città di Mantova3,448 m
Hut:
Capanna Gnifetti3,616 m
Bivouac:
Bivacco Felice Giordano4,177 m
On the Balmenhorn; route passes just below it
Col:
Zurbriggenjoch4,283 m
Foot of the 50° north face (not on route line)
Summit:
Schwarzhorn4,321 m
Madonnina statue on the summit

Key Passages

Crevassed Lys Glacier above the Gnifetti hut
Bergschrund below the north face
50° north-face snow/ice slope
Airy summit crest and rocks to the Madonnina
Abseil back to the Zurbriggenjoch

Equipment

0/11 packed

Downloads

Route confidence 85%

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Overview

The Schwarzhorn (Corno Nero, 4,321 m) is a small dark rock tower on the south side of Monte Rosa, rising only about 50 m above the Lys Glacier plateau. Its normal route is a short but steep 50° snow or ice face from the Zurbriggenjoch, usually abseiled, and graded PD to PD+.

The Schwarzhorn, better known in Italy as the Corno Nero, stands on the side ridge that runs south from the Ludwigshöhe to the Pyramide Vincent, dividing the Gressoney valley from the Valsesia. It lies entirely in Italy, on the Aosta Valley–Piedmont boundary. From the Lys Glacier it is a small black rock pyramid with a statue of the Madonna on its narrow top; from the Valsesia it is part of a 700 m wall above the Piode glacier.

It is climbed from the same base as the Ludwigshöhe — the Punta Indren lift and the Gnifetti and Mantova huts — and the two are almost always done together, often with the Balmenhorn and Pyramide Vincent as well. With about 42 m of prominence it is a minor summit, but it is the most technical of this group: the final 50 m is a 50° snow slope that can turn to hard ice by late summer, followed by a few metres of rock and an airy crest. Most parties abseil the face on the way down.

The main hazards are the crevassed Lys Glacier, the altitude for climbers who come straight up from the lift, queues on the short face on busy days, and weather on the open plateau.

Climbing Notes

Beyond basic glacier skills, you need to be confident front-pointing or using an axe on a short 50° slope, to place an ice screw if the face is icy, and to set up an abseil. Acclimatise with a night at the Gnifetti or Mantova hut or on lower peaks before going above 4,000 m.

The usual plan is the Ludwigshöhe approach: lift to Punta Indren and walk to the Gnifetti hut on day one; next morning climb the Lys Glacier to the Zurbriggenjoch (2–3 hours), climb the face, abseil back to the col and add the Ludwigshöhe before returning to the hut and the lift. Go early to avoid queues on the face and softening snow on the glacier. Gressoney and Alagna guides lead it regularly. Check the lift calendar: in 2026 the Staffal lifts closed on 23 August, while the Indren funifor ran until 13 September.

History

The first ascent was made on 18 August 1873 by Marco Maglioni and Albert de Rothschild with the guides Peter and Niklaus Knubel and Eduard Cupelin, climbing the north-east ridge and descending the south side. William Martin Conway climbed the north side in 1884, and the south ridge was first climbed in 1894 by Agostino Ferrari with Andrea Pellissier and Bernardo Pession.

Season

Best Jul

January: Not advisable
February: Not advisable
March: Possible
April: Good
May: Possible
June: Good
July: Best (best window)
August: Good
September: Possible
October: Not advisable
November: Not advisable
December: Not advisable

Jan: Winter; lifts serve the ski area only and the huts are closed
Feb: Winter conditions
Mar: Ski-mountaineering season begins
Apr: Ski-mountaineering ascents from the Gnifetti hut; face usually snowy
May: Late ski season; summer lifts from late May
Jun: Good snow on the face; crevasses often hidden
Jul: Main season
Aug: Face may be hard ice; Staffal lifts close in late August
Sep: Icy face; huts and Indren lift close mid-September
Oct: No lifts or staffed huts
Nov: Winter conditions
Dec: Winter conditions

Access & Permits

Hut Booking

Capanna Gnifetti: online at booking.rifugimonterosa.it, +39 348 1415490 or info@rifugimonterosa.it. Rifugio Città di Mantova: booking.rifugiomantova.it, +39 351 459 4158 or info@rifugiomantova.it.

Fees

Lift ticket Staffal or Alagna to Punta Indren
Hut fees at the Capanna Gnifetti or Rifugio Città di Mantova (half board)

Rules

The Bivacco Felice Giordano on the Balmenhorn is unstaffed and recommended mainly as an emergency shelter

Getting There

Gressoney-La-Trinité (Staffal), Aosta Valley; Alagna Valsesia, Piedmont

Turin (TRN) or Milan Malpensa (MXP)

Train to Pont-Saint-Martin, then bus up the Gressoney valley to Staffal (about 1 h 10 min)
Car: A5 Turin–Aosta motorway, exit Pont-Saint-Martin, road to Gressoney-La-Trinité and Staffal (car park at the lift station)
From Piedmont: A26 to Romagnano Sesia, road via Varallo to Alagna Valsesia
Lifts from Staffal via Gabiet, or from Alagna, to Passo dei Salati, then the funifor to Punta Indren (3,275 m)

Hazards

Glacier
Crevasses
Altitude
Exposure
Weather

Huts & Shelters

Rifugio Città di MantovaRefugeStaffed
30 May – 13 September 2026
Website of Rifugio Città di Mantova
3,498 m
Capanna GnifettiRefugeStaffed
176 beds · Summer (roughly June to mid-September, tied to the lift season) and spring ski-touring season; 4-place winter room
Book Capanna Gnifetti Website of Capanna Gnifetti
3,647 m
Bivacco Felice GiordanoBivouacUnstaffed
6 beds · Year-round, unstaffed; mainly for emergencies
Website of Bivacco Felice Giordano
4,167 m