Schafberg - Piz Minschuns

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 46.58057°N / 10.48353°E
Activities Activities: Hiking
Seasons Season: Summer, Fall, Winter
Additional Information Elevation: 9629 ft / 2935 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Schafberg - Piz MinschunsOrtler view from Schafberg summit (02-11-2007)

Schafberg or Piz Minschuns (the rhaetoromanic name) is part of the northwestern subrange of Ortler group, called Fallatsch ridge, wich starts at Stilfser Joch / Passo Stelvio and bears Rötlspitze, Korspitze, Tartscher Köpfe and Furkelspitze south of Schafberg. North of Schafberg are Piz Sielva, Piz Chavalatsch, Plaschweller and Glurnser Köpfl. The range, marking the swiss - italian border, ends above Glurns in the upper Vinschgau valley.

West of this range is Val Müstair, east of it is Stilfser and Trafoi valley, which leads up to Stilfser Joch.

Generally the eastside is the best accessible side of the ridge. There are some very nice panoramic trails, such as "Almenweg" high above the village of Stilfs or "Goldseeweg", departing from Furkelhütte up to Stilfser Joch.

Rötlspitze, Furkelspitze, Schafberg and Piz Chavalatsch can be summited by marked trails. All summits can be climbed without great difficulties and the whole ridge can be traversed in full length (more than a day !), in parts with rock scramble, UIAA grade I or II, mostly as a hike on partly marked, partly not maintained trails and partly without a trail.
On the swiss side of the ridge there are only few trails, none of them leading to a summit.

Getting There

Schafberg - Piz MinschunsAscent to Furkelhütte (02-11-2007)

Schafberg is a ski hiking tour in winter, done from the swiss side because of moderately steep slopes. For more informations, see the Piz Minschuns in winter link.

In summer and autumn you should chose the eastside for climbing Schafberg.
There are two good trailheads: Trafoi or Platztal valley above Stilfs.

To reach Trafoi, follow the road number 38 from Prad / Upper Vinschgau Valley direction Stilfser Joch. The road has two switchbacks in the village of Trafoi, try to find a parking lot at the second / upper one. You can take the trail number 17 out of Trafoi to reach Furkelhütte or you use the cableway from Trafoi up to Furkelhütte.

To reach Platztal valley, follow the road number 38 from Prad direction Stilfser Joch until you reach Gomagoi. Take the road on the right hand side direction Stilfs / Stelvio village. This road ascends, levels and descends a little before reaching Stilfs village. Before it descends to the village and before it crosses Mareccia creek take the road to the left up to the locations Platz and Fraces. Fraces is a quite remote Farmhouse. After the switchback at Fraces continue on the now dirtroad for another 300 m. You reach at the next switchback a hikers parking area. The road is now closed for public traffic. Follow the road and the trail number 2, which makes some shortcuts, up to Prader Alm and Furkelhütte.


Red Tape

Schafberg - Piz MinschunsAscent to Furkelhütte (02-11-2007)

None as far as I know.

As you walk along the italian / swiss border be shure you have your ID with you - you never know ....

Routes

Schafberg - Piz MinschunsAscent to Schafberg summit (02-11-2007)

From Furkelhütte there are three different trails going up to Schafberg, all of them using the Prader Alm valley.

The south trail via Schäferhütte: Follow trail number 20 from Furkelhütte until you reach after 200 m the valley station of a ski-lift. Follow the right hand trail which runs up parallel to the ski slope, follows the crest of a moraine and reaches an old sheepherder hut. At the hut it traverses the valley and heads up to the trail junction with the middle trail.

The middle trail uses the lower south slopes of Schafberg above Prader Alm Valley. It starts right at Furkelhütte and goes up to the trail junction with the south trail. Then it zigzags very steep up to Fallasch Joch (2742 m), the saddle between Furkelspitze and Schafberg.
From Fallasch Joch you can start a marked traverse of Furkelspitze (UIAA grade I and easier, watch out for snow and ice conditions in late autumn).
From Fallasch Joch, the Schafberg trail turns north and follows the ridge up to the summit.

The north trail starts at Furkelhütte and goes up to the Schafeck - Dosso delle Pecore ridge, a west - east running subridge of Schafberg. It follows this subridge up to the northridge of the summit and unites with the two other trails. Its the trail with the best views.

From Schafberg you can follow the main ridge to the north, descending to a col 2842 m and ascending to Piz Sielva. There is a very old, not maintained trail with scarce markings and some easy rock scrambling (class 2 / below UIAA grade I). From Piz Sielva you can traverse the whole ridge until you reach Piz Chavalatsch (unmaintained trail, rocks, UIAA grade I / class 2 - 3) or you use the steep eastern subridge (without trail, class 2 - 3) from Piz Sielva down to trail number 4, which leads you back to Furkelhütte and the chosen trailheads.

Maps and Books

Schafberg - Piz MinschunsBernina view from Schafberg summit (02-11-2007)


The best map is:

Tabacco, topographische Wanderkarte 1 . 25.000, Blatt 08, Ortlergebiet and Blatt 044, Vinschgau / Sesvenna. You will get them in nearly every bookshop or supermarked

Schafberg and some other Fallatsch ridge summits are mentioned in:

Peter Holl, Ortleralpen, Alpenvereinsführer, Bergverlag Rudolf Rother.



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.