David Dewar joined Mark for five days of alpine rock in the Bergell Alps in southeastern Switzerland. This area is known for its fine granite towers, including the famous Piz Badile.

Its been a few years since David and Mark climbed, and it was nice to get out in the hills together again.

We started at the very comfortable Albigna hut, easily accessed via a cable dar ride to the Albigna dam, and then a short walk to the hut.

Typical view in the Bergell. We are looking southwest towards the Cima della Bondasca, and the glacier, Vadrec da l'Albigna.

For our first climb, undertaken the afternoon of our arrival at the hut, we chose the South Ridge of Piz Balzat. This is a fun route, some ten or so pitches long, never extreme, but scenic and on good rock.

Mouse over to see the route.

David on one of the easy upper pitches of Piz Balzat.

Finishing the climb early, we returned to the hut for a great lasagna lunch, then did one more climb on the slabs below the hut, this one called "Wassersymphonie", four pitches of friction on clean granite.

On the next day we climbed "Modern Times", a very fine route on Punta Albigna. Unfortunately, the evening prior to our climb was stormy, and this made for a few rather moist pitches. But we managed to tip-toe around most of the water, and had a fine outing none-the-less.

Mouse over the photo to seen the general line of the route.

David on one of the pitches about mid-way up the climb.

On the summit of Punta Albigna.

Here we have Al Gal on the left and Vergine on the right. On our way back down to the campground in Vicosoprano, we made a quick traverse of the latter.

Mouse over for the route.

David on the Vergine.

The last of several short rappels off the various towers of the Vergine.

The next day, we hiked up to the Sciora hut. Pizzi Gemelli in the sunshine behind.

A view from the Sciora hut. The peaks behind are, left to right, Sciora Dafora, Punta Pioda, Ago di Sciora, and Sciora Dadent.

We climbed a few pitches at a nearby "Klettergarten" then this route (mouse over to see). It was a fun climb, some 5 pitches, called "Lililu".

David relaxing at the hut, after our climbs.

On the hike out, we pass below the impressive northeast face of the Piz Badile.

Not far from the car park.