Piz Nuna

Overview

Piz Nuna seen from Val Laschadura

At 3124m Piz Nuna is the highest mountain of the Macun Subgroup of the Sesvenna Group, itself a part of the Rhaetian Alps. The subgroup is located at the western tip of the triangular Sesvenna Group between the Inn and Spöl Valleys, high above Zernez, the main village of the area. It is most famous for the Macun Lakes, glacier formed lakes, lying in the cirque which is formed by the horseshoe-like subgroup. Piz Nuna is located a bit to the east of the horseshoe, and lies at the ends of three valleys: Val Nuna, Val Sampuoir and Val Laschadura.

Piz Nuna is made up from main dolomite, like much of the rest of the Sesvenna Group, which is also dubbed as Engadin Dolomites. When seen from the north its three peaked summit looks very impressive while the eastern and western aspects are rather tame. To the north of the mountain, to its north-western slopes you can find one of the last glaciers of the area, Vadret da Nuna, which like the somewhat larger Sesvenna glacier is vanishing fast. At the end of the summer season only little remains to be seen of it while the bulk is buried beneath the debris of rockfall. Rockfall, indeed, is one of the main hazards in the Sesvenna Group which is notorious for the brittleness of it rock.

Given its location and elevation, Piz Nuna is considered to be one of the most important lookout peaks of the area with exceptional views to the Ortler / Ortles Group, the Bernina Group and the Silvretta Group, all of which are among the most important mountain ranges of the eastern Alps. Reaching the summmit, however, turns out to be quite an undertakking. The shortest route starts at the Ofenpass / Pass dal Fuorn Road, at the mouth of Val Laschadura, about 3km east of Zernez. As the starting point is located at some 1750m a huge elevation difference has to be scaled. The normal route leads to Fuorcla Stragliavita from where an exposed traverse of the south-east ridge leads to the summit (sections of UIAA II). Also very recommendable: the ridge traverse from Piz Nuna across Piz Macun to the north. And last but not least: the normal route is also a popular ski tour with the descent through the couloir's on the north-eastern side.

Getting There

From South Tyrol / Alto Adige

• Take SS38 from Bozen / Bolzano through Meran / Merano and Vinschgau / Val Venosta.
  
• At Spondinig / Spondigna turn onto SS40 to Schluderns / Sluderno.
  
• Here turn onto SS41 which leads into Switzerland.
  
• Called B28 there the road leads across Ofenpass / Pass dal Fuorn.
  
• The designated parking area is at Prada Laschadura, 1748m

From Lombardia

• Take SS38 direction Stilfser Joch / Passo di Stelvio.
  
• At Bormio turn onto SP301, to Livigno and onto B28, the Ofenpass / Pass dal Fuorn Road.

From Switzerland (Zürich)

• Take motorway A3 east to Vaduz.
  
• At exit Bad Ragaz take B28 to Davos and across Füelapass to Zernez.
  
• Stay on B28 direction Ofenpass / Pass dal Fuorn

From Austria

• From Landeck take B180 across Reschenpass / Passo di Resia into South Tyrol / Alto Adige.
  
• The road, SS40 in Italy, takes you to Mals / Malles Venosta.
  
• Here, turn onto a side road through Laatsch / Laudes, which heads for Switzerland, joining SS41 several kilometres in front of the border.
  
• Called B28 in Switzerland it crosses Ofenpass / Pass dal Fuorn and leads to the parking area at Prada Laschadura, 1748m.

Red Tape

Piz Nuna and the surrounding western tip of the Sesvenna Group belong to Schweizerischer Nationalpark / Parco Nazionale Svizzero which has severe restrictions. For instance you are not allowed to leave trails or to park cars only in designated areas.

Find more information on the websites of the parks:

• Schweizerischer Nationalpark / Parco Nazionale Svizzero

Weather Conditions

Accommodation

• Münstertal / Val Müstair
  
  • Müstair
    
  • Lü
    
  • Fuldera

• Unterengadin
  • Lavin
    
  • Guarda
    
  • Ardez
    
  • Scuol
    
  • Ramosch

Maps & Books

Maps

• Digital Maps
  • www.swissgeo.ch
  • www.mapplus.ch
  • map.search.ch
• Regular Maps
  • Unterengadin-Nationalpark Kompass Map WK 98 1:50.000 ISBN: 3-85491-331-1

Books

• Unterengadin Rudolf Weiss / Siegrun Weiss Rother Verlag ISBN: 3-7633-4043-2

In Memory of Cyrill Rüegger

A note from the SP staff
Cyrill Rüegger, the member we all used to know as Cyrill and Digitalis, died on June 13th 2009 in an avalanche on the summit ridge of Piz Palü together with his wife Tanja and a common friend. They were swept down by the avalanche into a couloir underneath the east summit and died instantly. Their bodies were retrieved from the Palü Glacier by helicopter a day after the accident.

Cyrill joined SP in March 2006 and soon was one of the most prolific contributors on the site with almost 70 mountain and 5 range pages to his profile. He was an accomplished climber, bagging almost 1000 summits in not quite seven years. Among them are 35 4000ers and 272 3000ers, almost all of them in his home country Switzerland.

While contributing a lot on SP, Cyrill's real internet home was www.hikr.org where he contributed 585 mountain profiles and reports in his native language German. Cyrill also posted on www.bergsteigen.at and other climbing sites, often under his real name but also under the pseudonym Digitalis. He was a botanist by profession and also contributed his knowledge about medical plants to different websites. Cyrill will be greatly missed by all.

This page will be kept in honour of Cyrill, one of SP's most prolific members and most active mountaineers.

Rest in peace, brother!

The picture above was taken on the summit of Piz Nuna on June 28th 2006.

Images

View Piz Nuna Image Gallery - 16 Images