Poncione di Pesciora

Overview

Between the Nufenen Pass and the Gotthard Pass a long high ridge with many important but low known summits
(only Monte Rotondo is quite known) offer a lot of amusing possibilities for climbing and ski-mountaneering.
Almost in the middle of this ridge another ridge goes down toward NW till the Furka Pass.
Poncione di Pesciora is the pivot point and belongs to 3 different swiss Cantons : Ticino, Uri and Wallis.
It offers the finest and longest ski descent of this area along its SE slopes from few meters under the summit till the bottom of val Bedretto.

Getting There

Three different ways to get it :

from Ticino : Airolo (on the southern limit of Gotthard tunnel) fast to get here from Milano, Luzern or Zurich along the Gotthard highway.
From Airolo follow the Nufenen Pass road till All'Acqua where you must start to walk.

from Uri : Andermatt follow the Furka Pass road till Realp and then (road not always open) Höhenbül (1846m)
where from you can reach the Rotondo Hut (2571 m)

from Wallis : Oberwald along the Gerenthal (don't know about accomodation possibilities)

Ski-route

Not to be understimated - 5 hours walk - BSA - warning with unsafe snow or fog in the first part of the descent
(risks of route mistake and dangerous slopes)

From Capanna Piansecco cross toward ENE (steep slopes) till the valley coming down from Passo Rotondo.
Follow these slopes till the pass (2764 m)
Down toward north and, bordering the Pizzo Rotondo, turn around two spurs till you reach the Gerengletscher.
Pass over a big spur (coming down from summit 3078) and get the small saddle between this spur and Poncione di Pesciora.
Last short slopes are hard to be done with skis.
Along the SW ridge to the summit.
Coming down from the saddle toward SSW till about 2900 m then toward south till 2700 m and now relax and enjoy this fantastic descend
(west of the wood) till Ronco.
Now you have to walk to get back your car :))

When To Climb

fantastic in spring (ski)
fine and amusing in summer

Accomodation

Accomodations
Needed only for ski-mountaneering route from Val Bedretto - Capanna Piansecco - 1980 m - open in weekends
from All'Acqua (on the road from Airolo to Nufenen Pass) in less than 1 hour

Red Tape

no problems

Images

View Poncione di Pesciora Image Gallery - 17 Images