Going to Europe, want to do something big - what should I consider?

Hi all,

Girlfriend's family is taking a trip to Lake Como September of 2020. She and I are planning on taking an extra week either before or after Italy just for ourselves, and while we're there, I'd love to do something incredible. I figure if we're taking the time to fly all the way over there, it would be great to climb something I may not ever get the chance to do again.

My first thought was the Matterhorn, but after looking into it and hearing a talk about climbing it from a local (US) guiding service, it seems more like a scramble/ hike vs a somewhat technical climb. I'm just really unfamiliar with options, so would love suggestions.

Ideally, would be near-ish to Lake Como so we don't have to travel a ton in our limited "non family" time, would love something that would require me to use some of my climbing skills, and the more "bucket list" the better. Definitely open to going with a guide.

Thank you!

1) Go to the dolomites, hire a guide and climb in the drei zinnen: https://www.mountainproject.com/area/106200473/tre-cime-di-lavaredo-drei-zinnen-group

2) Go to Chamonix and take your pick.

I'm new around there (milan) but just some ideas:

Check out the areas around Lecco (super close to como), but maybe also Val di Mello (I've heard it called the Italian Yosemity - big granite walls. I'm going next weekend to try a climb that has 14 40m+ pitches of bolts :D . Lecco has lots of sport and idk if there's anything as big as matterhorn - but multi-pitch sport, sprad, and trad on limestone, maybe. Also might be worth looking at Arco and Val d'orco - they have some medium to large routes. But def lots of climbing in all these areas as opposed to the scrambling on matterhorn.

Would help if you gave us an indication of what you "climbing skill" currently are and how hard a challenge you want.  

Eric Engberg wrote: Would help if you gave us an indication of what you "climbing skill" currently are and how hard a challenge you want.  

Currently at a mid 11's sport, just starting trad (~5.8 is probably what I'd feel comfortable leading). This climb doesn't necessarily have to be difficult from a climbing perspective, but more something that takes most of a day, if not a full day, and tops out on something spectacular.

What's your longest alpine climb?  Ahh...I see "just starting trad".  

If I was young and fit, I'd hit this (in your case, with a guide):

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/107770718/via-cassin

Gobs of multi pitch climbs in the area above Como.  Tons of single pitch cragging as well.

Brian in SLC wrote: What's your longest alpine climb?  Ahh...I see "just starting trad".  

If I was young and fit, I'd hit this (in your case, with a guide):

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/107770718/via-cassin

Gobs of multi pitch climbs in the area above Como.  Tons of single pitch cragging as well.

Ooooohhh, this looks really really fun! Thanks for the suggestion!

If you're going to Como, Val di Mello is very close.....there's a couple guidebooks for a walls there, the granite is flawless and being up high it stays cooler.  

http://www.climb-europe.com/RockClimbingItaly/Valtellina-and-Italian-Alps.html

Good thing you've got a year to prepare.  Before you try the Grepon you should probably work up to the Petit Grepon. 

Chris Johnson wrote: My first thought was the Matterhorn, but after looking into it and hearing a talk about climbing it from a local (US) guiding service, it seems more like a scramble/ hike vs a somewhat technical climb.

well . . . There are different routes for the Matterhorn. Perhaps the "climbing" sections on the normal route from Switz side are done mostly with fixed ropes. But I've heard that the normal route from the Italian side has some climbing. Tho generally the rock quality of the Matterhorn is not so good. And the summit panorama is missing something: a dramatic view of the Matterhorn.

Peak with better rock and longer more interesting climbing is the Zinalrothorn -- with a great view to the Matterhorn from its summit. Includes some alpine snow/ice to approach and descend, so likely hire a guide your first trip.

A nice 3-day alpine rock/ice/snow adventure with the Zinalrothorn might be to (1) hike up to the hut; (2) traverse the Zinalrothorn by climbing up the Kanzelgrat ridge and down the Normal route ridge to hut; (3) traverse of ridges across Wellenkuppe + Obergabelhorn peaks and descend Arbengrat ridge.
. . . (Or there's a multi-day traverse of the Zinalrothorn and the Weisshorn).

If hiring a guide, an amazing thing to do would be to climb the Grand Capucin "mythic tower" near Mont Blanc, after camping in tent on Combe Maudit (perhaps reached most easily from the Punta Helbronner lift up from the Italian side). With other granite towers nearby which would be climbed on other days from the same camp. Like a trip to Alaska for the price of a lift ticket. Crossing some of the bergschrunds might be very difficult in September nowadays -- perhaps better earlier in summer.

Ken

P.S. Another thing to experience during a week in Europe would be a "Via Ferrata" climb. At least two or three excellent VF routes near Como + Lecco -- which I would gladly do again.

P.S. And as someone else pointed out, some classic multi-pitch roped climbing on rather interesting rock around Lecco (SE lobe of the lake network from Como) which go to dramatic summits -- but perhaps not as _long_ as you seem to be looking for.

Phil Lauffen wrote: 2) Go to Chamonix and take your pick.

Really you can't "take your pick" around Chamonix unless solid leading alpine granite Trad say 5.10b, and able to "engineer" your way across some possibly-tricky glacier / ice / snow and bergshrunds. After having hauled full Trad rack and double-ropes across the ocean (on a family trip?).

Only a small number of multi-pitch alpine granite routes there around the 5.8 level.

. . . (Also nowadays September can be a difficult time for approaches to some alpine climbs).

If hire an (expensive) guide, consider spending like three nights at the Refuge de l'Envers hut.
. . . (Tho many of the classic routes there fail to reach a dramatic summit -- need to be in rather good shape to climb to the top of the Grepon or Aiguille de la Republique).

Or there's no shortage of other dramatic peaks around Chamonix that a paid guide could take you up.

Ken

Have you thought of Verdon?

Just a "heads up" on guides.  We were in Val de Fassa (Valojet Towers area) and Cortina (don't know how far those are from where you are) and other locations in Dolomites in Sept. 13-17 and all the guide services had closed down and the Valojet-hut was being swept out for closing. Too late in the year.

Now..if we had made "local inquires" I suppose we could have turned up an "independent" guide if we really wanted to hire one, but not easily; at least it seemed that way to me. (We took the bus and hike into the Valojet Towers on a "10+ day" and didn't see anyone that looked like a guided party.)  In fact, we didn't see anyone climbing at all, although still lots of hikers.    Also, that was back in 2006, so don't know if things have changed.

Matterhorn is not a scramble/hike. But very crowded. If you can make your week flexible you'll have better luck with the weather - this will be the show stopper. I'd recommend Chamonix personally.

Operating on the premise that the OP wants to be around Como, Verdon is nearly a 7 hour drive.  The local mountains, especially the stunning peaks on the border between Italy and Switzerland, are really close to Como.  Even the Italian side of the Matterhorn (Mont Cervino) is only a couple hour drive.

Bondo from the end of the lake is less than an hour's drive.

Albigna/Bergell areas.  Val Bondasca.

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/106090148/bergell

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/107770696/bergell

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/106551199/albigna-valley

Eric Engberg wrote: Would help if you gave us an indication of what you "climbing skill" currently are and how hard a challenge you want.  

Nice thing about this site is that when people fill out their profiles you can look and see.  OP's experience appears highly slanted towards single-pitch sport.  No idea what the girlfriend is capable of.

First off, he's only 28 years old so I have no idea why he thinks he'll never get a chance to go back.  Regardless, I think the girlfriend and he would be better suited and most wowed by doing something like a multi-day tour of the Brenta Dolomites, including some via ferrata and staying in the alpine huts where you get fed great meals.  A quick google gives something like this as a guided option: Via del Bocchette

OP, google image "Brenta Dolomites" and see if that wows you.  Closest part of the Dolomites to Como and very dramatic. 

ddriver wrote: google image "Brenta Dolomites" and see if that wows you.  Closest part of the Dolomites to Como and very dramatic. 

Well . . . the lift from the Italy up to the Rifugio Torino hut, which gives access to Combe Maudit camping and climbing the Grand Capucin - (could also climb Dent du Geant and S ridge of Aiguille de Rochefort from the Rifugio) - is about 2.6 hour drive from Como (quicker than Brenta Dolomites because faster roads).

For "dramatic" peaks, the Grand Capucin and Dent du Geant just blow away the Brenta Dolomites (not to mention the truly alpine "scene" around Rifugion Torino and Combe Maudit). For quality of alpine snow/ice climbing there's nothing in the Brenta Dolomites remotely like the Arete du Rochefort. And for sustained 5.9-10 rock climbing quality (following seriously interesting alpine approach) there's nothing close to the granite of the Grand Capucin.

. . . (and of course the Matterhorn and Dent d'Herens and Monte Rosa peaks are closer and more dramatic than the Brenta Dolomites).

Also most of the Via Ferrata routes in the Brenta Dolomites do not go to the tops of significant peaks (because they were constructed mainly for the purpose of giving _access_ to non-VF climbing on nearby peaks). While several of the Via Ferrata routes right around Lake Como and Lecco _do_ go to the tops of things (some with nice views over the lakes), and have surely more interesting climbing.

Once you learn to exploit a base around Como + Lecco for both Via Ferrata and non-VF climbing on interesting limestone (and abundant sport crags within 1.5 hr drive of other rock types), driving to the Dolomites does not add much.

Ken

I lived in Lugano for a while, and my favorite place to go was up in Valle Bedretto, to the west of Airolo in Switzerland. 

check out salbitschijen west ridge in the central swiss alps (close to gotthard pass), 30 pitches up to 5.10, one of the best climbs in the Alps and conveniently situated to be reached in about 2h from Como. plenty of other climbs to be done from the same hut.
https://www.mountainproject.com/route/108296185/salbit-westridge
http://www.climberland.net/salbit/salbit_en.htm

^ ^ ^
So I can that's better granite climbing than the Grand Capucin. (but not quite as good on alpine approach + setting?)

I sort of think many Swiss climbers wish you wouldn't post suggestions like that.
. . . (and of course I should not post silly ridge scrambles like
. . . . . https://www.mountainproject.com/route/115368107/east-arete 

Anyway most American visitors would not enjoy that style of granite.
Even if a visitor did enjoy it, that would be pointless because when they arrive back home the other climbers would all say,
"Huh? Never heard of it".

And of course Switzerland is ridiculously expensive and there's no point in figuring out a cheaper way to climb there.

American visitors should always go to
Chamonix
Dolomites
Verdon
or best of all . . .
Spain
. . . (if Chris Sharma lives there, it must be right).