Punta Vittoria

Punta Vittoria

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 45.89754°N / 7.87591°E
Additional Information County: Piedmont
Activities Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering
Seasons Season: Summer
Additional Information Elevation: 11270 ft / 3435 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Punta Vittoria is a massive shoulder at south of Punta Giordani, the most meridional summit of Monte Rosa range, an elegant ridge connects this two peaks with a steep rock wall falling directly over the tormented Pioda Glacier and signing the Western border of the savage Sesia cirque.
Its slopes have a negligible prominence on the West side, where it appears like a small rock emerging from Bors glacier, but its East flank is a continuous succession of big cliffs with its climax in the huge East pillar, a massive structure of solid rock with an height of 850 meters climbing directly to the top.
From the summit a long ridge descends towards south forming the pinnacle called “ La Malfatta” and sinking then in the green meadows near Crespi Calderini hut, at 1829 meters.
Punta Vittoria is rarely climbed, It doesn’t belong in fact to the royal family of the “4 thousands” of the group, but its East Buttress is one of the most interesting rock climbing route of this side of Monte Rosa and the normal trail to the summit from the savage Bors Valley is a pleasant and long scramble in a solitary environment and can be an alternative during summer to the other over crowded routes of the range.

Punta Vittoria, East face.Punta Vittoria, the East pillar

Getting There

The starting point is Alagna Valsesia, the most important centre of Sesia valley under Monte Rosa.
To get there follow the Highway A26(milano-Genova) till the exit of Romagnano, then by the main road of Valsesia you can reach Alagna in 45 minutes.
In Alagna you find a cable-lift that can be used to reach Salati pass at 3000 meters or the plane of Pianalonga at 2000 meters, both possible trailheads to climb Punta Vittoria from the easy west side.
If you are instead interested in climbing the huge east buttress, or if you want to enjoy the
Long scrumble along the entire Bors valley, the trailhead is the locality called Acqua Bianca, “white water” in English, 1500 meters, located at the end of the main road of Valsesia, ten kilometers at North of Alagna.
The access to Acqua Bianca is restricted from 8 AM to 7 PM, during this ours you can not get to the trailhead by your car but there is a bus service every half of an our during the summer months.

Huts

Rifugio Crespi Calderini(1830m), at the gate of Bors Valley is the most useful support point for who approaches the mountain from Acqua Bianca.

Rifugio Pastore(1600m) can also be used for the same purpose and has a small camping adjacent to the hut building.

Early morning over Monte Rosa south faceThe south flank of Monte Rosa group

Routes

From Bors Valley and Bors glacier.
This is the normal route. No technical difficulties are present along the way, but the crossing of the wide Bors Glacier requires the use of crampons and, due to global warming, during summer the surface of the ice field can be very tormented.
If you are interested to this trail there are three possibilities for the start line:

From Acqua Bianca and the entire Bors valley: From the parking of Acqua Bianca follow the indicated path to Pastore and Crespi Calderini, enjoyng the fascinating view on the upper Sesia Cirque and the South face of Monte Rosa.
From Crespi Calderini take the trail to Bocchetta delle pisse, when you reach the old station of the cable-lift that was once used to recover the skiers descending along the fancy free-ride route of “La Balma”, take the path that climbs directly to the upper cirque of Bors Valley (West direction, the trail that continues toward South leads to Bocchetta delle Pisse).
From the cirque scramble following the signs on the rocks in the direction of the Bors Glacier, initially toward west then when you get under the rocky cliff of Punta Indren toward north.
Once you have reached the Glacier you have to choose by your self the most rational route to approach the easy western rocks of Punta Vittoria and climb to the summit.
This is a veeery long trail, 2000 meters of elevation gain, but you can sleep at Crespi Calderini or at Pastore, and the place deserves a visit.

From Pianalonga, Bocchetta delle pisse and Bors Valley: from the Pianalonga arrival of the cable-lift from Alagna, scramble over the traces of the skiing route from bocchetta delle Pisse till the pass at 2300 meters.
From here a path runs in plane under the East flank of Cimalegna till alpe La Balma, at the entrance of the upper cirque of Bors Valley.
From here you have to follow the trail from Crespi Calderni described before.

From Salati pass: starting at 3000 meters, this is a quite quick ascent.
Follow the trail to Gnifetti hut, along the normal route to Punta Gnifetti.
Once you have reached the proximity of Punta Indren, the old arrival of the famous cable-lift used by skiers to approach the slopes of Bors Valley and the route of “La Balma”, go on heading East and crossing the Bors Glacier get to the summit.

Punta Vittoria. Bors Valley route.Punta Vittoria and Bors valley route


East Pillar. IV and V, UIAA scale.
The East Pillar is a massive rocky spur with an height of 850 meters that dominates the severe profile of Punta Vittoria facing the wild Sesia cirque.
The rock is firm, especially in the more difficult parts, and the risk of falling rock is low.
To engage the route follow the trail that from Crespi Calderini leads toward the Western branch of Piode Glacier and scrumble to the basis of the pillar.
The route just follows the profile of the edge of the pillar.

Punta Vittoria. Map.Map

External Links

Alagna.
Home site of Alagna Valsesia.
Sleeping possibilities, lift, trails and huts informations.

Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.

ValsesiaMountains & Rocks
 
Monte Rosa groupMountains & Rocks
 
Pennine AlpsMountains & Rocks