Normal route from Refuge Berni

Normal Route to Pizzo Tresero

08th August 2006.
Early morning I parked the car close to Refuge Berni ( 2541m.) on the road to Passo del Gavia.
The temperature was close to zero and the sky completely clear. The first not cloudy day since one week. In the parking I met a team with the same destination so we decided to go together.
We took direction 25 on a easy path that with some up and down in short time lead to the Ponte dell’Amicizia ( Friendship Bridge ) over Rio Dosegù.
We crossed the bridge and started to follow path 41 clearly indicated by red and white marks on stones.
Now the path starts to be steep and in short time on grassy slopes we gained a plateau at 2800m.







From now on the grass was substituted by scree and the climbing was a little bit more complicate.



At about 3000m we found a couple of small lakes.














On the right we could see the Dosegù glacier with Punta S. Matteo and, far on direction east, the Adamello Group.













At about 3100m. we started to find snow. Time to use crampons, ice axe and rope.
On the ridge at our left it was clearly visible the Seveso Bivy at about 3400m.
We started to walk on the Pedranzini Glacier between Pizzo Tresero and Punta Pedranzini.





The climb on the glacier was easy till about 3400m. We had only to make some detours to avoid crevasses.
The crevasses on this small glacier aren't usually big but, due to the high temperature of the summer period, the snow bridges weren’t safe and, where possible, we preferred to walk on the rocks on the left side.
Then we had to reach the ridge and things started to be more complicate.
We followed an open couloir on the flank.

The path was steep ( min. 35° max 50° ) and the fresh snow over unstable scree asked us to be careful.
Furthermore some clouds started to cover the sky and rocks and snow frequently rumbled down close to us.
We increased the pace and in short time we reached the ridge.
Then, in the fog, we climbed the final rocks till the summit cross.
Climbing time about 4 hours including stops for eating and shooting pictures.
Unfortunately, due to the clouds, we couldn’t enjoy the wonderful view towards Forni Glacier and the peaks around it.
It must be pointed out that the absence of snow on the ridge and the reduced tickness of the glacier made summiting more difficult then supposed. Old trip reports cannot be considered reliable and it is better to ask to local people informations about the climb.
The weather changing forced us to go down quickly so we remained on the summit only a quarter.
In a couple of hours we descended back to the car parking.

Images

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