Klein Matterhorn (Piccolo Cervino)

Klein Matterhorn (Piccolo Cervino)

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 45.93915°N / 7.72978°E
Additional Information County: Aosta Valley, Zermatt, Italia, Svizzera
Activities Activities: Mountaineering
Additional Information Elevation: 12746 ft / 3885 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Little Summits, but high mountain, not remarkable from South in slope from Aosta Valley, but in sight from North with North-northwest, Northeast and East-northeast Faces in evidence. Reduced because of greats Glaciers Breithorn in East and rocky pyramid of the Matterhorn in West, appeared secondary summit. Very good lookout with greats Westerner views towards the Dent d'Hérens, Matterhorn, Dent Blanche and to "Giants" of the Vallais.
Piccola sommità, ma alta montagna, poco appariscente da Sud sul versante valdostano, ma ben in vista da Nord con le sue pareti Nord-nordovest, Nordest ed Est-nordest in evidenza. "Schiacciata" dalle masse glaciali dei Breithorn ad Est e dalla piramide rocciosa del Cervino ad Ovest, pare cima secondaria. Ottimo belvedere verso Occidente sulla Dent d'Hérens, sul Cervino, sulla Dent Blanche nonché sui "Colossi" del Vallese.

First Ascents

"in the traces of Bénedict Horace De Saussure"
  • First in the summit: Bénedict Horace De Saussure and mountain guides J. M. Couttet, J. B. Erin and five mountain guides, (Aug 13th, 1892).
  • In winter: H. Biehly, R. Helbling and F. Wagner, (Jan 02th, 1889).
  • W Face (Direct Route): Gilberto Carnevali and Franco Goglio, (Dec 08th, 1953). * First Replay: Section of Aosta of the C.A.I., (Jun 25th, 1967).
  • W Face: A. Carpignano, N. Cottalorda and R. Montaldo, (Aug 17th, 1971).
  • W Slope and N-NW Crest: F. T. Wetheredg and mountain guides of Zermatt J. M. Biner and J. J. Truffer, (Jul 29th, 1877).
  • S-SW Wall of rocky Great Shoulder and N-NW Arête in terminal part: C.A.I. Aosta Section, by Ilario Antonio Garzotto, Fracasso Dino and Genola Piero (Guides), Faggion E (Carrier), Giuseppe Polo, Vittorio Manella, Giovanni De Paoli, Gianni Bortolotti, Vanni Florio, Gianni Junod, Tullio Omezzoli, Renato Faval, (Jun 25th, 1967), with three different routes: on W Slope Carnevali-Goglio Direct Route, Great Shoulder of N-NW Crest and "English Route" on N-NW Arête.
  • N-NW Arête: Berthie Neuhaus and mountain guides Oskar Supersaxo and Ambros Supersaxo, (Jul 27th, 1904).
  • N Face: Oskar Eckstein and Wunderlick, (1879).
  • Little Gully North: Rolando Albertini and Cesare Roberto, (Aug 04th, 1973).
  • NE Wall: Gino Gandolfo and mountain guide Bruno Bich, (Jul 28th, 1948).
  • E-NE Face: Vittorio De Tuoni and mountain guide of Valtournenche Mario Barmasse, (Dec 07th, 1986).
  • Great Tour Gobba di Rollin-Breithorn West-Central-West-Klein Matterhorn-Testa Grigia: Osvaldo Cardellina, Eugenia Comé, Marco Cossard, Camillo Roberto Ferronato, Giuseppe Lamazzi, Sandro Plat and Raffaella Pellizzari, (Aug 10th, 1980. * Replay: Osvaldo Cardellina, Christian Cardellina, Imperial Eusèbe and return with Robert Chester, (Aug 06th, 1986).

Getting There

BY CAR:
  • From Torino, Milano, etc: Motorway A5. Exit at Chatillon.
  • From Switzerland: through the Grand Saint Bernard Tunnel or the namesake pass.
  • From France: through Mont Blanc Tunnel or Petit Saint Bernard Pass. It isn't necessary to take Motorway A5: you can drive on SS.26, in the direction of Aosta.
BY PLANE:
  • Aeroporto "Corrado Gex" Saint Christophe (Aosta).

Approach

From the exit of the Motorway of Chatillon to continue on the SR.406 along the Valtournenche Valley, after having overcome the Countries of Antey Saint André (1.074m), Valtournanche (1.528m) Breuil Cervinia is reached (2.006m), where almost to center of the country it is situated the "funivia" also cableway (with ample parking lot), that reaches Plan Maison (2.548m) and to the Plateau Rosà up to the Testa Grigia (3.480m), from where the itinerary begins.
 
Dall'uscita del Casello Autostradale di Chatillon proseguire sulla SR.406 lungo la Valtournenche, dopo aver superato i Paesi di Antey Saint André (1.074 m), Valtournanche (1.528 m) si raggiunge Breuil Cervinia (2.006 m), dove quasi al centro del paese è situata la funivia (con ampio parcheggio), che porta a Plan Maison (2.548 m) e al Plateau Rosà sulla Testa Grigia (3.480 m), donde inizia l'itinerario.

Route

From the "Testa Grigia" (3.480m; Rifugio Guide del Cervino); for the Glacier of the Plateu Rosà to address him to East on numerous traces toward the Breithorpass or Hill of the Breithorn (3.818m), of few to Northern of the Gobba (= Hump) of Rollin (3.899m). To Pass (500 meters~ before) to turn to North and to cover Plateau Rosà Glacier and following Breithornplateau towards the Saddle (3.796m) and trough the easy South-southwest bach to reach the Summit climbing elementary littles rocks (falling rocks for transit numerous mountaineers; 0h'45/1h'20 from Plain Maison Superior Station, on summit of the Testa Grigia (3.480m).
 
Dalla Testa Grigia (3.480 m; Rifugio Guide del Cervino); per il Ghiacciaio del Plateu Rosà indirizzarsi ad Est su numerose tracce verso il Breithorpass o Colle del Breithorn (3.818 m), di poco a Settentrione della Gobba di Rollin (3.899 m). Dal Colle (un 500 metri~ prima) volgere a Nord e percorrere il Ghiacciaio del Plateau Rosà ed il successivo Breithornplateau verso la Sella (3.796 m) e per la facile "groppa" Sud-sudovest raggiungere la vetta con qualche roccetta elementare (caduta sassi per transito di alpinisti; 0h'45/1h'20 dalla Stazione Superiore di Plain Maison, in cima alla Testa Grigia (3.480 m).

Difficulty

The routes can be rated as EE/A/F.
 
L'itinerario è classificato EE/A/F.

Gear

High mountain gear: rope, iceaxe, crampons.
 
Da alta montagna, corda, piccozza, ramponi.

Huts

Klein Matterhorn (Piccolo Cervino)
West face of Breithorn
The tiny gondola is almost at the Klein Matterhorn top station
Klein Matterhorn (Piccolo Cervino)
On the glacier plateau

Campings

Remember that free camping is forbidden (except for emergency reasons, over 2.500m, from darkness until dawn).

Mountain Conditions

  • You can get meteo information at the official site of the Regione Valle d'Aosta:
  • Valle d'Aosta Meteo

Webcam

  • WEBCAM on Aosta Valley:
  • Webcam

Books and Maps

BOOKS:
  • "Guida dei Monti d'Italia - Alpi Pennine (Vol.2)" di Gino Buscaini - Club Alpino Italiano/Turing Club Italiano, Luglio 1970 (In Italian).
  • "Diari Alpinistici" di Osvaldo Cardellina e Indice Generale accompagnato da Schedario Relazioni Ascensioni 1964-2019 (inediti).
  • "Guida delle Alpi Occidentali" di Giovanni Bobba e Luigi Vaccarone C.A.I. Sezione di Torino Volume II (parte II), 25 Maggio 1896.
  • "Rifugi e bivacchi in Valle d'Aosta", di Cosimo Zappelli aggiornata da Pietro Giglio, Musumeci Editore, Luglio 2002.
  • "I Rifugi della Valle d'Aosta" di Stefano Ardito, Ed. Guide iter, Febbraio 2003.
MAPS:
  • Kompass "Breuil/Cervinia-Zermatt" Carta turistica 1:50.000.
  • I.G.C. Istituto Geografico Centrale Torino "Cervino e Monte Rosa" 1:50.000.
  • Studio F.M.B. "Cervino Monte Rosa" Bologna 1:50.000.
  • I.G.C. Istituto Geografico Centrale Torino "Monte Rosa Alagna e Macugnaga" (n° 10), 1:50.000.

Important Information

Useful Numbers

  • Protezione Civile Valdostana località Aeroporto n° 7/A Saint Christophe (Ao) Tel. 0165-238222.
  • Bollettino Valanghe Tel. 0165-776300.
  • Bollettino Meteo Tel. 0165-44113.
  • Unità Operativa di Soccorso Sanitario Tel. 118.