Vincent Pyramid
4,215 m
Italy
Also known as Piramide Vincent, Vincent-Pyramide, +2Also known as
Piramide Vincent · Vincent-Pyramide · Pyramide Vincent · Пирамид-Винсент
- Elevation
- 4,215 m
- Prominence
- 128 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jun–Aug
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: PD (Wikipedia)
The easiest 4,000 m summit on Monte Rosa's Italian side: from the Punta Indren cable car (3,275 m) to the Mantova or Gnifetti hut, then up the crevassed Lys/Garstelet glacier below the seracs of the south-west face towards the Colle Vincent, and up a snow slope of up to 35° to the top. About 940 m from the lift; usually split with a night in a hut.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 4.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +988 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 4,215 m
- Time Up
- 3h 56m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 41m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Access: from Staffal (Gressoney) or Alagna Valsesia take the lifts to the Passo dei Salati and the cable car to Punta Indren (3,275 m). Cross the Indren glacier and snowfield and follow a partly equipped path over rock and scree to the Rifugio Città di Mantova (3,498 m) and, a little higher, the Capanna Gnifetti (3,647 m), reached by a suspension footbridge; allow 1.5–3 hours. Fit, acclimatised parties can go to the summit and back in a day from the first cable car, but most sleep at one of the huts, which also helps acclimatisation. Summit day: from the Gnifetti hut cross the footbridges onto the Lys glacier (from the Mantova hut, up the Garstelet glacier). Go north across the crevassed plateau below the south-west face of the Pyramid, keeping clear of its seracs, towards the Colle Vincent (about 4,087 m). Before reaching the col, turn south and climb the broad north-west slope (sections of 35°) to the snowy summit. Allow 2–3 hours from the hut and 1.5–2 hours back down. Descend the same way. Many parties add the Balmenhorn (with the Cristo delle Vette statue and Bivacco Giordano) from the Colle Vincent by a fixed rope and metal steps, or continue to other summits of the Monte Rosa. The crevasses on the glacier plateau are large and sometimes hidden; rope up even on a good track.
Start
Punta Indren3,269 m
- Staffal or Alagna to Passo dei Salati, then the Passo dei Salati–Punta Indren cable car (summer 2026: 30 May – 13 September, 08:00–16:45)
- Train to Pont-Saint-Martin and bus to Gressoney/Staffal, or train to Varallo and bus to Alagna Valsesia; then the Monterosa Ski lifts to the 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 → Vincent Pyramid | 2.4 | 628 | 29 | 2h 26m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Punta Indren3,269 m
Top station of the Passo dei Salati–Punta Indren cable car
- Hut: Rifugio Città di Mantova3,448 m
- Hut: Capanna Gnifetti3,616 m
- Col: Colle Vincent4,083 m
The route turns south just before the col
- Summit: Vincent Pyramid4,215 m
Key Passages
- Indren glacier crossing and equipped path to the huts
- Suspension footbridge at the Gnifetti hut
- Crevassed Lys glacier plateau below the seracs of the south-west face
- 35° north-west summit slope
Equipment
0/9 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
A 4,215 m snow summit on the Italian side of Monte Rosa, above Gressoney and Alagna. With a cable car to 3,275 m and staffed huts at 3,500–3,650 m, its F-graded north-west slope is one of the most accessible 4,000 m climbs in the Alps.
The Vincent Pyramid (Piramide Vincent) is a large buttress on the south side of the Monte Rosa massif, on the border between the Aosta Valley and Piedmont, and one of the few Monte Rosa summits lying entirely in Italy. It rises above the Lys and Garstelet glaciers, with the Balmenhorn and the Colle Vincent to its north and Punta Giordani (4,046 m), a separate entry on the 4,000 m list, on its south-east ridge.
The normal route is a glacier walk: the Punta Indren cable car from the Passo dei Salati lands you at 3,275 m, a partly equipped path leads to the Mantova and Gnifetti huts, and from there a crevassed glacier plateau and a 35° snow slope lead to the summit in 2–3 hours. Fast, acclimatised parties do it in a day from the lift; most sleep at a hut and often combine it with the Balmenhorn, Punta Giordani or other Monte Rosa summits over several days. For rock climbers, the south-facing Cresta del Soldato over Punta Giordani is a fine AD alternative.
The main hazards are large crevasses on the plateau below the south-west face, the seracs of that face, and the altitude itself: the lift makes it easy to arrive at 3,600 m without acclimatisation. In poor visibility the wide glacier is easy to get lost on.
Climbing Notes
Technically this is a straightforward glacier climb, but you still need to know how to move roped on a crevassed glacier, walk in crampons on 35° snow and perform a crevasse rescue, or go with a guide. Fitness for about 1,000 m of ascent at altitude is enough.
Acclimatisation is the main issue. A sensible plan: lifts to Punta Indren, walk to the Mantova or Gnifetti hut (1.5–3 hours) and sleep there; next morning climb the Pyramid (2–3 hours), add the Balmenhorn if you like, and descend to the lift. Many people use it as the first step of a Monte Rosa hut-to-hut trip towards the Margherita hut. Check lift dates and the last cable-car descent time: in 2026 the Staffal–Passo dei Salati gondolas ran until 23 August and the Punta Indren cable car until 13 September. Guides from Gressoney and Alagna lead it regularly.
History
First ascent on 15 August 1819 by Nicolas and Joseph Vincent of Gressoney-Saint-Jean, after whom the peak is named.
Season
Best Jun–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Possible
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Ski mountaineering; Gnifetti may open in spring
- Apr
- Spring ski-mountaineering season
- May
- Spring snow; lifts open 30 May in 2026
- Jun
- Huts and lifts open; good snow cover
- Jul
- Main season; busy
- Aug
- Main season; more open crevasses late in the month
- Sep
- Gnifetti closes around 21 September; Indren cable car until mid-September
- Oct
- Lifts and huts closed
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Capanna Gnifetti: info@rifugimonterosa.it, +39 0163 78015. Rifugio Città di Mantova: info@rifugiomantova.it, +39 0163 78150.
- Fees
- Monterosa Ski lift tickets to Punta Indren (single or return)
- Capanna Gnifetti / Rifugio Città di Mantova: half board (see hut websites)
- Rules
- Capanna Gnifetti: reservation required
- Lift timetables limit day trips: the Punta Indren cable car runs about 08:00–16:45 with a midday break
- Getting There
Gressoney-La-Trinité (Aosta Valley) or Alagna Valsesia (Piedmont)
Milan Malpensa (MXP) or Turin (TRN)
- Gressoney: train to Pont-Saint-Martin, bus up the Lys valley to Staffal; gondolas Staffal–Gabiet–Passo dei Salati (2026: 30 May – 23 August)
- Alagna: train to Varallo, bus to Alagna Valsesia; lifts to the Passo dei Salati (daily in summer)
- Passo dei Salati–Punta Indren cable car (2026: 30 May – 13 September, 08:00–13:00 and 14:15–16:45)
- On foot from Staffal via the Mantova hut to the Gnifetti hut: about 5.5 hours and 1,700 m (crampons needed on the glacier)
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Altitude
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
2- 3,498 m
- 3,647 m
Capanna GnifettiRefugeStaffedBooking required
177 beds · About 30 May – 21 September; also spring openings