1862
3,678 m
Leslie Stephen, Melchior Anderegg, Edward Shirley Kennedy, Thomas Cox
MONTE DISGRAZIA
Northwest Ridge (PD+, III)
Südtirolalpin
Certified Mountain Guide
IFMGA - Mountain Guides Associations
Mail suedtirolalpin@gmail.com
Prices from
610,- €
THE MOUNTAIN
Monte Disgrazia is the highest peak in the Bregaglia Alps. Its impressive shape and height make it visible from afar, inevitably inspiring climbers to climb it one day. The normal route through the Val di Preda Rossa to the northwest ridge and across it to the summit is a unique high-altitude tour. Beautiful, diverse, and yet rarely visited. A quaint valley, glaciers, and a long ridge that leads over the Bronze Horse to the highest point, offering a breath-taking and varied view. What more could a mountaineer's heart desire?
ABOUT THE TOUR
Monte Disgrazia - Normal Route: The tour to the summit of Monte Disgrazia starts in Preda Rossa, a side valley of the Val di Mello in the province of Sondrio. The name Preda Rossa will be encountered frequently on this climb. We first head through the Val di Preda Rossa to the Rifugio Cesare Ponti, where we will spend the night. The next day, the route leads to the "Ghiacciaio di Preda Rossa" glacier and onto the Sella Pioda. Here begins a wonderful ridge climb with memorable climbing passages such as the Bronze Horse (III) along the northwest ridge to the summit. From the top, we are rewarded with an unforgettable and breathtaking panorama of one of the highest peaks in the region.
INFO
Services
Included in the price:
- Entire organization and guidance by a state-certified mountain guide
- All necessary reservations are made in advance
Additional costs:
- 1 overnight stay with half board at Rifugio Cesare Ponti
- Transfer to and from the meeting point
- Mountain guide expenses (accommodation)
- Individual tips
* Rental equipment (€10 per piece of equipment)
Facts
Location:
Bregaglia Alps
Best time of year:
Mid-June - end of September
Duration:
2 days
Meeting point:
Preda Rossa car park in Val di Mello
What you need
Safety-relevant requirements
- Surefootedness
- Good fitness for the long ascent and descent on summit day
Requirements for enjoyment
- Freedom from vertigo
PRICING
PROGRAM
Day 1: Approach to Rifugio Cesare Ponti
The meeting point and starting point for the ascent of Monte Disgrazia is the Preda Rossa parking lot at almost 2,000 meters in the Val di Mello. Turn right after the village of Cataeggio. (An alternative meeting point can be arranged when booking, and we will drive to the starting point together.) We briefly check our equipment at the parking lot and set off towards Rifugio Cesare Ponti, which we reach after about 2 hours.
Day 2: Summit of Monte Disgrazia
The next day, the ascent takes us to the moraine ridge of the Preda Rossa Glacier, where we use the cairns to navigate our way through the scree field to reach the glacier. Continue over the glacier to the Sella Pioda, the beginning of the northwest ridge. From the saddle, we have a good 2 hours of top-notch ridge climbing ahead of us. The crux of the climb, the so-called "Bronze Horse," is rated at difficulty level III. The rest of the ridge is easier but very enjoyable. At the summit, we'll enjoy an impressive panorama before returning with full concentration to the ridge and descending into the valley.
A challenging, varied, and certainly unforgettable mountain tour to one of the most majestic, yet rarely visited, peaks in the entire Alps.
The story of the first ascent
Not much is known about the first ascent of Monte Disgrazia. Leslie Stephen, Edward Shirley Kennedy, and Thomas Cox, along with mountain guide Melchior Anderegg, certainly succeeded. The ascent route they chose on August 23, 1962—from Preda Rossa through the Val di Preda Rossa to the glacier of the same name and over the northwest ridge to the summit—is still the easiest ascent of Monte Disgrazia today and has accordingly become established as the standard route.
