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1474 Hits
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10 Votes
Page Type:
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Mountain/Rock |
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Lat/Lon:
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46.04648°N / 9.63363°E |
Activities:
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Hiking |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter |
Elevation:
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7113 ft / 2168 m |
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Overview
 Pizzo delle Segade seen from the east |
I have a special relationship to Pizzo delle Segade though I can't decide whether my experience was bad or good. In 2015 we stayed at Chiavenna, north of Lago di Como for our fall vacation. On the second day we escaped forecasted cloudy weather on the Alpine main ridge and drove to Passo San Marco in the Alpi Orobie. We wanted to hike east along the ridgeline of the range. The first summit was Pizzo delle Segade, which we reached barely half an hour after our start. We hiked on towards Monte Fioraro, then descended towards the south when clouds started to develop. After a few hours we returned as it didn't make sense to go on in this weather and after passing Pizzo delle Segade decided to hike back up to the ridge and follow it back to the pass.
The end to a vacation - broken finger to the leftThere are two minor summits on that short stretch and as we crossed the first of them, Judith slipped above the steepest section and fell down the south face for some 60m, seemingly unable to stop herself on the steep grass slope. I quickly joined her picking up all the debris of her fall. She was dazed and hurting and we soon realized she had broken her hand. Only her hand I have to add. A long night followed with hospital, x-rays and the realization she would have to be operated on. Thus we broke off the vacation, headed back home and had her hand operated next day. Probably the shortest vacation we ever had...
Pizzo delle Segade is the first named summit east of Passo San Marco, a road pass south of Morbegno in Valtellina / Veltlin. It belongs to the Alpi Orobie Main Ridge but turns out to be only a minor summit. Moreover it is less than 200m higher than the pass and only about 1km to the east of it so that it can be reached in little more than half an hour.
Pizzo delle Segade seen from the Monte Fioraro south slopesThus it is rarely climbed for itself but rather as a peak to be bagged on the way to the higher and easily more impressive Monte Fioraro to its north-east. Still, its position on the ridge makes Pizzo delle Segade an excellent lookout peak with wide ranging views towards the Val Massino Alps, the eastern part of the Alpi Orobie as well as the Gringe Range.
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North of Pizzo delle Segade there is a very impressive saddle, which separates it from the greater bulk of Monte Fioraro. The connecting ridge turns into a knife edge and here the main hiking trail drops down an impressively steep couloir to circumvent a lower Fioraro side summit. A path reminiscent of some of the finest trails in the faraway Julian Alps...
One last comment: it's easy access and good views should make Pizzo delle Segade one hell of a spot to watch (or photograph) sunsets.
Getting There
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Trailhead for Pizzo delle Segade is Passo San Marco.
- From Milano take SS36 passing Monza and Lecco along the eastern shore of Lago di Como
- After Curcio switch to SS38 into Valtellina / Veltlin
- In Morbegno follow the signs for Passo San Marco (SP8)
- Alternatively take motorway A4 from Milano to Bergamo
- Switch to SS470 to its end at Piazza Brembana
- Stay on the road (SP1 / SP8) which leads across Passo San Marco.
- Valtellina Accommodation
- Morbegno Accommodation
- Digital Maps
- Regular Maps
- Lecco, Val Brembana
Kompass Map WK105
Kompass Verlag
1:500000
ISBN: 978-3-85026-463-1
- Lecco, Val Brembana
- Veltlin
Reto Solèr, Maria Schabel
Rother Verlag
ISBN: 978-3-7633-4373-7
- Comer See
Eugen E. Hüsler
Rother Verlag
ISBN: 978-3-7633-4040-8
Red Tape
All your important summits of the Val Massino AlpsThere's no red tape here. Parking is a bit of a problem in the Passo San Marco area. Either come early to take one of the two or three spot on the pass or be creative up and down the road on either side.