Alpinism

Nearby areas

High peaks

Car time [min]	Area	Description
105	Alagna Valsesia	The closest gateway to 4000ers! A cable car brings you to Punta Indren offering quick access to the peaks of the Monte Rosa Massif. This include the classic routes for beginners such as Punta Giordani, Piramide Vincent or Capanna Margherita. The short distance and the cable car make possible to reach a high peak tour in a single day.
150	Staffal	Staffal, the final village in the Gressoney Valley, offers another option for reaching Punta Indren via cable car. It also serves as the gateway to the Quintino Sella Hut, the starting point for the normal routes to Lyskamm and Castore.
150	Breuil-Cervinia	One of the most iconic locations in the Alps, this spot marks the starting point of the normal route to the Matterhorn via the Leone Ridge. Besides, the Plateau Rosa cable provides access to the Breithorn, one of the easiest high peaks.
150	Courmayeur	The birthplace of alpinism. The Skyway cable car brings you to the Torino hut, the gateway to the Mont Blanc Massif. From Courmayeur gives also access to the Veny Valley, starting point of the Mont Blanc Italian route, and the Ferret Valley, starting point to the Grandes Jorasses normal route.
160	Saastal	From Saas-Grund, a cable car provides easy access to the Weissmies, Fletschhorn, and Lagginhorn peaks. From Saas-Fee, another lift carries you to the trailheads for the normal routes leading up to the 4,000-metre summits of the Mischabel group.
170	Pont	Starting point for the Gran Paradiso normal route — the only 4,000-meter peak lying entirely within Italian territory. For the purist and romantic alpinist, this is among the least human-altered valleys, untouched by cable cars or major roads. The summit can be reached from either the Chabod Hut or the Vittorio Emanuele II Hut.

Rocky alpinism

Car time [min]	Area	Description
75	Monte Moregallo	Starting from Valmadrera, the Cresta OSA to Monte Moregallo (AD) offers a great opportunity for beginners to practice protecting traditional routes using slings, cams, and nuts. For more experienced climbers, an alternative is the Cresta 50 CAI.
90	Grigne group	The Grigna Group offers an ideal setting for practicing alpine climbing techniques in rocky terrain. Routes such as the Canalone Porta to Grignetta (PD) and the Cresta Piancaformia to Grignone (PD) provide excellent entry-level opportunities to develop rope-handling skills. For intermediate climbers seeking a greater challenge, the Cresta Segantini (AD) delivers a rewarding ascent. In winter, the Grigna Group undergoes a complete transformation, revealing a playground of icy gullies and snowy ridges perfect for practising winter alpinism techniques.
90	Campelli group	Starting from Piani di Bobbio, the Cresta Ongania to Zucco di Pesciola (AD) is an excellent route for practicing rocky alpinism in summer and mixed climbing in winter. During the colder months, the entire north face of the Campelli group becomes a unique playground for winter alpinism.
95	Biellese Alps	Starting from Oropa, the Biellese Alps offer a range of alpine routes over rocky terrain in a secluded setting—from the Cresta al Monte Camino & Monte Rosso (PD) to the more demanding Cresta Carisey to Monte Mars (AD). In winter, the north face of Monte Mucrone presents numerous challenging mixed climbing lines.

Planning platforms

Platform	Description
Gulliver	Italy’s largest collaborative platform for outdoor sports featuring an extensive collection of alpinism routes with up-to-date comments on route conditions. Interactive map to filter routes by grade, exposure, orientation or elevation gain.
VieNormali	Collaborative platform that maps Italy’s mountain peaks, offering detailed information on each route, including difficulty ratings, exposure, and required equipment."
Scuola Guido della Torre	Website offering detailed topos of classic alpine routes—both rock and ice—across Italy.
montagnabiellese	Website developed by Gianni Lanza and Dafne Munnareto offering a detailed description of the wide range of alpinism and climbing routes available in the Biellese Mountains such as Monte Mars or Mucrone.
On-Ice	Collaborative platform offering comprehensive, up-to-date descriptions of alpine climbing routes on rock and ice, including their conditions and difficulty

Difficulty scale

The CAI classifies the alpinism routes based on a grading system of French origin.

Grade	Description
F, F+ (Facile/Easy)	These routes present no particular difficulties, requiring minimal technical skill and occasional rope use.
PD-, PD, PD+ (peu difficile/Slightly Difficult)	Expect rock climbing sections up to Grade II and III. There might also be snow and ice slopes up to 35-40 degrees.
AD-, AD, AD+ (assez difficile/Fairly Difficult)	Routes in this category feature rock climbing sections reaching Grade IV. You may also encounter snow and ice slopes up to 40-50 degrees.
D-, D, D+ (difficile/Difficult)	These climbs involve rock sections up to Grade V, with potential snow or ice slopes up to 50-70 degrees.
TD-, TD, TD+ (trés difficile/Very Difficult)	This indicates high mountaineering difficulties, with rock sections up to Grade VI. Snow or ice slopes can be as steep as 70-80 degrees.
ED-, ED, ED+ (extremement difficile/Extremely Difficult)	These are routes with extreme mountaineering difficulties, reaching Grade VII and VIII on rock. Expect sustained snow and ice slopes, potentially up to 90 degrees.
ABO (abominable)	Exceptional climbing difficulties on both rock and ice; overhanging ice and rock walls, climbing grade 7b and higher. Particularly precarious protection.