UKH

When's the best time to do a route such as the Cassin ? Looking at logs, mid July onwards seems like the start of the season.

The snow slab on the approach sounds quite bad early season. Would people recommend taking lightweight crampons and an axe ?

Suggested rack ? doubling up on cams ? 

Seems like a 50:50 split on north ridge vs into Italy descent, What does the Italian descent involve ? I've read enough about descending via the ridge. Any experience on getting public transport around ?

Finally what's the best guidebook for the area ? 

Thanks 

Aled

Hi Aled. I've only ever climbed on Piz Badile in September and I think there's a lot going for the first half of that month - generally a bit quieter, and you know there won't be any snow issues (either in ascent or on the path back around) so trainers are fine. Weather can be a bit more stable than the peak hot spells in August too. On the flip-side, less light. In terms of descent, I'm in the down-to-Italy-and-round camp. The descent is really straightforward and well marked, involving a combination of downclimbing and short abseils - very quick if you're reasonably efficient on that sort of terrain. From the Gianetti, I've always regretted not going prepared for another route if you've the time/energy (e.g. Spigolo Vinci has a good reputation). In terms of getting back from there, this probably isn't popular opinion, but I actually really enjoyed the walk around Porcellizzo/Trubiscana and thought that doing it that way really added to the experience (though I'd probably not do that unless late season as there are some stubborn neves on one of the cols which are unpleasant earlier on). I have also descended into the val masino and it's a lovely walk, but does leave you pretty stranded. Guidebooks - if you want let me know (email me through here?) and you can wander up to mine and borrow copies of various Cassin descriptions/topos, plus Plaisir Sud.

Honestly, you need to google a little harder.  Nevertheless:

Yup; July/August is peak - but crowded

Well, it's killed at least one person.  I'd say recce it the evening before and decide whether to leave kit in the hut.  Crampons also means heavier boots.  You know the approach to the hut is now very long since the landslide?

No, ordinary mountain rack.  All the hard pitches are wide anyway!

The north ridge is a long abseil-fest but a rope trap.  The Italian descent has several short abseils and is quite complicated when you're tired/it's misty.  Then you can either walk back over the passes, which is pretty horrible - steep and loose - or hitch, but better to hitch to the start. 

Plaisir Sud has a topo but there are lots online

I did it in September. I've heard it can get very busy in July/August but we had it to ourselves which was great. Only issue was that the upper chimneys were pretty icy despite giving it several days after a spell of bad weather (though I imagine the same issue could arise in July/August). We stayed in the summit hut and then descended the north ridge, but I would not recommend this - the abseils were a pain in the arse and it took ages!

Here you go Aled

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/expedition+alpine/piz_badile_cassin_and_c...

Not sure why this gets negative reactions as the advice is spot on

I downloaded a topo from the internet

Plenty of good advice above

We took a different approach in 2016 just before the Bondo landslide. To avoid the early afternoon rain we went past the hut and descended down to the start of the route in the late afternoon and up to the original Cassin bivi in the evening. There's water there. We fixed two pitches then did a no sleeping bags bivi on the ledge. This was ok at first we woke up cold.

Coffee from the jetboil then up the ropes and finished via the slab variant due to verglass in the crack system. On top for 10.30 and we could see the hoards below.

We descended into Italy (5 abs and lots of traverse) to the Gianetti for a beer. We had no crampons and we're fine.

We got a lift down to Ardenno then got the train to Chiavenna and bus to Aquafraggia

We took a dozen wires and 5 cams, to supplement the in situ stuff which is plentiful 

Enjoyed it all - have a good one

Did it 2 years ago this summer I think.

We took 2 60m ropes, full set cams, full set nuts, lots of slings, maybe 10 to 12 quickdraws. You can link pitches together, climb together abit in places. If well within your grade 2 ropes probably not needed for the climbing. We considered a 70m single which was suggested to us.

The snow patch at the bottom wasn't there so no ice gear was needed. I'd suspect it's rarely there in summer but don't know.

We abbed the ridge. Mostly 40m abs. Apparently fine with a 70m rope to ab but need to do some easy down climbing. It was a bit of a maze but not horrendous. We got confused near the bottom not realizing you ab near bottom down north face abit. Study diagrams etc close maybe. Bolted belays.

We walked into hut the new way....well marked....4h? And out via old way which involved crossing the river in a shallow steady bit for us. To be honest I think both ways are long and grim.

We stayed in the hut and had early start. Topped out 5pm maybe.....several hours abbing, stumbling around, swearing at each other etc.

Another vote for September,

To be honest it also depends if you need to book a long time in advance or can wait till last min when you know the conditions are good. (this maybe hard in summer due to bookings at the hut)

We waited until conditions were good in September, I think we had the last week the refuge was open. We had great conditions and only 2 other parties on the wall which is perfect. plus no snow on the ledge.

In terms of gear its a bit personal on how confident you are with run out. There are quite a few pegs etc on the harder pitches, I personally don't think you need that much pro, a normal mountain rack is fine. Please don't take the the wrong way its only advice, but if you are planning on lacing up every pitch, then you will be slow and that is maybe more of a risk. Just some thing to think about in your planning and prep.

For descent 

The ridge is more faff and longer, with a good chance of getting the rope stuck and having epics. But many do it ok.

Down to Italy and the refuge is easier for the night and a shorter day. From there you can walk back hard going I understand. Or you can descend in to the valley and get a taxi back round. this is the easier option but there is a cost involved, and you need to take everything from the refuge on the climb.

The weather´s certainly more stable in September. We did it in early August, thunderstorms were supposed to arrive in the early evening so we got on it early but still got hit by a huge thunderstorm at 10 am. Luckily we were already above the chimneys (the whole top part of the face is a huge funnel leading into them), raced up the top slabs, hit the ridge at 11 am and then spent 7 hours abbing the N ridge with frozen ropes in the hail and lightning.

We took single sets of wires and cams plus plenty of slings and a few draws. We used 50m twin ropes, which may have saved us from having to spend the night on the ridge.

We moved together a lot, most of the climbing being well below the grade of the couple of crux pitches. Definitely another factor in ensuring that we got down in good shape.

It was my comment about googling a bit harder rather than just feebly asking.  UKCers are a delicate bunch it seems!  I think STFF is (tough) love.

I climbed it last July, didn't take any winter gear or boots and it was no problem. The first snow patch was avoidable by an easy ledge 20m below it, the second was easy to climb around the back of. No snow or ice was encountered for the rest of the way.

The new approach is long but scenic. Plenty of guides and others taking the old route.

We did Another Day in Paradise (TD)  on the Badile in mid July, and approach shoes were fine for walking in (though of course this might vary in different years). If you're not completely set on the Cassin, ADIP has a number of benefits, in particular fewer queues (we had the route to ourselves whilst a dozen teams were threading their way up the Cassin) and an abseil descent straight back into those approach shoes (rather than chancing benightment coming down the North Ridge). It's also a very fine climb (the clue's in the name!) 

https://rockaroundtheworld.co.uk/2017/07/15/another-day-in-paradise-ne-face...

Cheers, Dom 

Like a gigantic Wen Slab E2