With Antoine, I climb the north ridge of Piz Badile: beautiful granite, uncertain weather and an improvised return to Sasc Furä after a very full day.
Piz Badile: the north ridge with Antoine
For this new outing with Antoine, we’re turning things up a notch… Until the last moment, Tonio has no idea what I’m planning. That’s the least of his worries, though: he’s busy finding a way to reach our meeting point in the Engadine, having suddenly found himself without a car! A suitably chaotic start, with plenty of twists on his side!
Day 1 — Sasc Furä hut and a look at the Badile
We head over to Piz Badile, one of the Alps’ iconic mountains. At a modest altitude of around 3,300 m — not even as high as Pic d’Arsine! — its north face nevertheless offers some substantial outings.
For our first night, we stay at Sasc Furä hut, a lovely spot where we’re treated like royalty. There’s still time to walk up to the foot of the Badile and get a feel for the terrain…
After some deliberation, the forecast sensibly steers us towards the north ridge. We won’t regret that choice for a moment, especially after speaking on our return to a team who were winched off the Cassin route. Caught in a thunderstorm, they had called for rescue after battling waterfalls in the chimneys…
Day 2 — Piz Badile’s north ridge and an improvised return
Things go a little better for us. The wake-up isn’t particularly encouraging, though: it’s raining. That wasn’t part of the deal!
One team decides to stay at the hut. I catch glimpses of stars behind the clouds: we’ll give it a go, and turn back if conditions aren’t right. Eventually, the sky clears during the night and we get a few hours of good weather.
A relief! Once the initial nerves of setting off in the dark have passed, the Antoine machine gets going and we make swift progress towards the summit, enjoying the wonderful climbing. Probably one of the finest ridges in the Alps, if ranking them served any purpose!
We make short work of it: six hours after setting off, we’re on the summit of the Badile. While we’ve been climbing, the cumulus clouds have been growing. We’re pleased to be clear of the difficulties before things deteriorate!
Our return isn’t particularly convenient as a day outing. We had planned to spend the night at the Gianetti hut below the south side, then climb another route the following day before heading back. The alternative would be a long, expensive taxi journey.
A small hitch: Gianetti is full! And the hut keeper doesn’t seem inclined to find us a solution… So we have a few beers to soften the blow.
Either we descend into the valley and work out how to get back to the car, or we push on towards the Pedroni bivouac, risking a soaking. The weather seems to be improving, the beer is doing its job: we try the bivouac.
Finding it almost full, with drinking water in short supply, and tempted by a good meal at Sasc Furä, we finally decide to return that same day. A proper slog, dispatched in less than four hours… And a lovely reward when we collapse beneath the hut’s comfortable duvets!
Day 3 — The south ridge of Pic Balzet
The following day, we choose a more modest outing on Pic Balzet and its lovely south ridge. We certainly don’t mind the cable-car-assisted approach!
Practical Info / Route Topo
Day 1 — Sasc Furä hut and reconnaissance
- We reach Sasc Furä and walk up to inspect the foot of Piz Badile. The forecast steers us towards the north ridge rather than the face.
Day 2 — Piz Badile’s north ridge
- After an uncertain start, we make the most of a clear spell and reach the summit six hours after setting off. With Gianetti full and the Pedroni bivouac offering limited comfort, we extend the day and return to Sasc Furä.
Day 3 — The south ridge of Pic Balzet
- We finish with a shorter climb on Pic Balzet’s south ridge, with a cable car making the approach easier.
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