Pizzo Forno


Publiziert von Stijn , 2. Oktober 2016 um 14:33.

Region: Welt » Schweiz » Tessin » Bellinzonese
Tour Datum:24 September 2016
Wandern Schwierigkeit: T4 - Alpinwandern
Wegpunkte:
Geo-Tags: CH-TI   Gruppo Pizzo Campo Tencia   Gruppo Madöm Gross   Gruppo Pizzo Barone   Gruppo Pizzo Campolungo 
Zeitbedarf: 2 Tage
Aufstieg: 2200 m
Abstieg: 1800 m

"Of all the excellent viewpoints in this guidebook, the Pizzo Forno might be the number one," writes SAC Alpinwandern/Gipfelziele Gotthard. "The ascent is best left for an autumn day with clear weather." Check and check. Or so we thought, until a cloud came out of nowhere to reach the summit Pizzo Forno summit at exactly the same time as us. It stopped us from getting the full 360° panorama, but thankfully, the gaps in the cloud still gave us spectacularly clear views from Monte Rosa to Ringelspitz.

Compared to the description in the SAC guidebook (with an overnight stay at the Capanna Campo Tencia) we went in the opposite direction (staying at the Rifugio Alpe Sponda). The advantages were slightly more convenient public transport connections to Zürich and "only" 1800m of descent (instead of 2200m) on day two. The downside is that the rougher terrain on the northern side of the Passo di Ghiacciaione has to be dealt with on the way down.

Day 1
Chironico - Rifugio Alpe Sponda
1200m ascent, 3h, T2

The first 2 km from Chironico are along an asphalted road. Then we join a mulattiera that zigzags its way up to the pretty hamlet of Cala (don't miss the frescoes in the chapel). Of the two signposted paths from Cala to Alpe Sponda, we choose the one via P. 1537 with the official white-red-white markings.

The rifugio Alpe Sponda used to be self-service hut, but since the renovation in 2012 there is now usually a warden present. You can still cook your own food, or make a reservation with half board included. We enjoyed the latter option and we were very well catered for by the friendly Alpe Sponda team. Besides us, there were only three other guests in the hut. This on a weekend where half the country seemed to have gone into the mountains and many of the more famous huts were fully booked! If you are looking for a quiet hut with great service, then the Rifugio Alpe Sponda can be highly recommended.

Day 2
Rifugio Alpe Sponda - Pizzo Forno - Senda del Ghiacciaio - Dalpe
1000m ascent, 1800m descent, 7h30, T4

The hiking path from Alpe Sponda to the Passo di Ghiacciaione (abundantly marked with a mix of white-blue-white and white-red-white) goes in a rather direct line, yet with a surprisingly pleasant incline. There is plenty of opportunity to enjoy the beautiful autumn colours of the scenery. Only the final 150m of ascent to the pass is significantly steeper.

At the Passo di Ghiacciaione, we leave the marked hiking paths and head east towards the Pizzo Forno. Almost immediately, we leave the ridge again and descend slightly into the south-west face. Some cairns and a vague scree-path bring us to the summit slopes, were you can scramble up over (somewhat loose) heaps of rocks to the top of the Pizzo Forno (T4). The views (ever changing as light clouds are blowing over from the south) are as stunning as was promised.

We take the same route back to the Passo di Ghiacciaione, where descend on the northern side towards the Capanna Campo Tencia. The hiking path here (the "Senda del Ghiacciaio") is also marked white-blue-white, not quite as clearly as on the southern side of the pass, but still good enough if the visibility isn't too bad. After a steep descent over rough terrain, the path starts to traverse towards the Capanna Campo Tencia above a vertical wall with waterfalls. This traverse is spectacular but also rather strenuous, with lots of little up-and-down over small boulder fields and across several streams. The conditions on the Senda del Ghiacciaio are excellent. We don't encounter any snow on the path and the streams that need to be crossed are benign at this time of year.

We reach the main Capanna Campo Tencia path some 60m below the hut itself. We descend along the easy path to Dalpe. The "Villaggio" bus stop is currently not served due to road works. (No mention of this on the SBB timetable!) Luckily, we see the notice and we have enough time to walk to the next bus stop ("Dalpe, Campiano"). Not that it matters much, because a bad connection in Airolo and an additional 30 minute train delay mean that we could as well have taken the next bus from Dalpe, without arriving in Zürich any later...

Tourengänger: Stijn
Communities: English


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Kommentare (2)


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Obviously hat gesagt:
Gesendet am 1. März 2017 um 10:21
I've never seen such well-labeled photos! Every peak is tagged and labeled - good on you. Either that took a long time or you have a great mental map!

Stijn hat gesagt: RE:
Gesendet am 3. März 2017 um 22:18
Thanks. It does take a long time, but https://www.peakfinder.org/ is a brilliant tool to help me as well.


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