General
Among the Denti della Vecchia |
In the south of
Tessin / Ticino to the east of
Lugano you can find a ridge of dolomite rocks called
Denti della Vecchia, translated Hag's Teeth, sometimes also known as
Canne d'Organo / Organ Pipes. The towers are located on the border between Switzerland and Italy, the ridgeline between
Monte Bre in the west and
Cima di Fojorina in the west. They dominate
Val Sonvico in the south and attract attention thanks to their vertical rock faces which tower high above the valley.
Their appearance of rotten teeth is misleading. The dolomite rock is rock solid with lots of good holds so that early on the
Denti della Vecchia have been established as the first climbing area of Switzerland's southernmost canton
Tessin / Ticino. Today they constitute Switzerland's southernmost climbing area with a multitude of routes in 31 different sectors.
The highest of the towers is
Sasso Grande, which reaches 1492m. Unlike the other towers it can be reached by a moderate but exposed UIAA II+ scramble through the east face, often making use of dwarf pines for protection. A hiking trail winds between the towers, often making use of ledges around them. It is very popular among hikers and there is no Tessin / Ticino Guidebook which leaves out this hike.
The
Denti della Vecchia are formed by an old geological coat: that of the triassic period which is composed of dolomite. Between the Denti and the
Pairolo Hut you find conglomerates
Verrucani dating back to a time even more remote. In the bottom of the valley line of
Val Colla, there are rocks covered by gravel, sand and clay that were originally ancient moraines of the ice age.
Getting There
Denti della Vecchia from the east
From
Lugano (Ti - CH) follow the cantonal road into
Val Colla.
Trailheads are at
Sonvico,
Cadro,
Rosone and
Villa Luganese. The hiking path leads south-east across
Baita del Luca) and
Capanna Pairlo, from where it turns west to the ridgeline.
Climbing Routes
Denti della Vecchia
The
Denti della Vecchia Climbing Area was the first climbing area fo Tessin / Ticino. Established in the 1930s it was used as training ground by well known alpinists like
Emilio Comici and
Ricardo Cassin. The local
Gruppo degli Scoiattoli has established and documented most of the routes on the Denti. Today the area is divided into 31 sports climbing sectors with almost 300 different routes.The longest routes have up to five pitches. Difficulties range between 3a and 8a (French rating).
kletterdorf.de gives a good overview of the area (German). And of course
Gruppo Scoiattoli is the homepage of the Denti.
Red Tape
The mountain is located on the international border between Italy and Switzerland. Though there are no customs controls anymore, carrying an ID is mandatory.
Also, the ridge between the
Denti della Vecchia is famous for its rare flowers. Take care where you step.
Accommodation
[img:568122:aligncenter:medium:Capanna Pairolo
]
There is plenty of accommodation to be found on the web, mainly apartments or holiday homes. However, Tessin / Ticino has become very expensive so you will have to carefully plan your vacation. Most expensive are the cities (Lugano, Locarno, Ascona) but also the villages on the shores of the lakes can burn deep holes in your pockets. In general the higher up and the better the view the more expensive.
A good alternative is agritourismo - farm holidays, either in the valleys or in one of the spring / autumn settlements at an elevation of around 1000m.
You can find accomodation of any type using the following url:
http://www.ticino.ch
Huts:
Alpe di Castello
Capanna Pairolo SAT
Alpe Bolla
Weather Conditions
Maps & Books
Maps
- Digital Maps
- Regular Maps
- Malcantone
Carta Escursionistica 286 T
Ufficio Federale di Topografia Swizzeria
1:50.000
ISBN: 9783302302867
Books
Hiking
- Tessin
M. Hempel
Kompass Guidebook WF997
Kompass Verlag
ISBN: 3-85491-771-6
- Tessin
H. Bauregger
Rother Verlag
ISBN: 978-3-7633-4078-1
- Tessin
E.E. Hülsler
Bruckmann Verlag
ISBN: 978-3-7654-3653-6
Climbing
- Denti della Vecchia - Guida alle arrampicate
Gruppo Scoiattoli Denti della Vecchia
2004
Language: Italian, German, English
- VARESE E CANTON TICINO - Falesie e vie moderne
Davide Mazzucchelli
Editioni Versante Sud
2011
Language: Italian, German
ISBN 978-88-96634-14-1
- Arrampicate Sportive e Moderne fra Varese e canton Ticino
Capucciati, Corti, Fiorucci, Pina
Editioni Versante Sud
1998
- Guida d'arrampicata - Topo d'escalade - Kletterführer: Ticino e Moesano
Glauco Cugini
Edizioni Club Alpino Svizzero CAS
2006
ISBN 3-85902-253-9
External Links
In Memory of Massimo Comotti
A note from the SP staff
Massimo Comotti, known to the SP community by his username
mamo, died on New Years Eve 2009 in an avalanche during a ski tour to Rothorn / Corno Rosso di Trinitè. The avalannche, about 100m wide swept him onto the surface of a frozen lake at about 2700m of altitude. The iced surface broke and Massimo drowned in the lake. Any help came too late. His two ski touring partners survived the accident as if by miracle, one of them seriously hurt. Weather conditions were very serious with high winds and huge amounts of snow.
Massimo grew up in Gressoney in Aosta Valley, the site of his untimely death. In recent years he had moved to Porlezza, near Lake Como, where he made his living as an architect. Aged 44, he leaves behind his wive and a young daughter.
Mamo joined SP in April 2004 and took part in the community until ten days before his death. He contributed several mountains and routes, among them
Rothorn / Corno Rosso di Trinitè, the mountain which was to be his last.
This page will be kept in honour of mamo, an excellent ski alpinist.
Rest in peace, Massimo!