Punta Torelli

An exciting route up a beautiful arete high in the mountains.

The initial few pitches follow a moderate line slanting to the right. There was ice and snow in this area when we climbed it in July. After that, follow your nose straight up for 9 or 10 more pitches. It's a well-defined arete, so the chances of getting far off route are minimal.

Pitch 4 is 10a face climbing with pins of various quality that look like they would hold a fall. Pitch 5 is 10a crack climbing right off the belay (fortunately, the belay actually has good bolts).

Pitch 10 deserves special mention. It is a 5.8 slab that takes zero protection and there are no bolts. It's very short, about 35 feet, and in the upper half you can grab the right edge of the fin you're climbing. The exposure at this point is remarkable as the wall drops roughly 1,000 feet clear to the bottom right of this edge. If you're not comfortable soloing this pitch, pick another route.

Hike up to Rifugio Gianetti from the valley (get a local trail map to find the path). Punta Torelli is a very prominent arete which can easily be seen from the hut. Take a look at the Bergell overview photo - it's the arete on the left, just right of the short (500 foot!) tower. Talk to other climbers there to pick out the correct line. It's a 45 minute hike (roughly) from the hut to the base. The standard descent is a hike off to the left. We improvised a series of raps and scrambles to avoid some narrow, ice-covered ledges.

A standard trad rack with a full range of cams and stoppers will get you through. I was missing my Aliens, which would have protected these cracks nicely.