Diga del Luzzone 6a+

And now for something completely different….

Is it silly? Perhaps. Is it nevertheless worth doing? Definitely. The exposure on this sheer, concave wall is incredible. Following the plastic is a straightforward yet, particularly in the final two overhanging pitches, awesome experience.

The route is 165 meters in length, with five pitches. You have to pay a small fee for the pleasure, which you do at the little restaurant at the top of the dam. That is also where you can get a key that unlocks a ladder you’ll need to access the route (which begins a good distance off the ground).

The dam is at around 1400 meters above sea level, and is west-facing.

When you get to the top (final belay is the railing that runs across the top of the dam), you walk back across the damn to the restaurant, and back down the road to the carpark at the base of the dam.

More information and topos can be found in the Schweiz plaisir-sud or the SAC Ticino guidebook.

From Blenio, a small road provides access to Campo and from there on to Aquilesco. At Aquilesco a very small, windy road climbs up out of the valley floor and makes its way to the base of the dam, before continuing up to the reservoir above.

The route is very well protected with bolts.