North-east ridge | Mountain hiking | Swiss Alpine Club SAC
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North-east ridge Piz d'Urezza 2905 m

  • Difficulty
    T4
  • Ascent
    4:15 h, 1480 m
  • Descent
    2:45 h, 1480 m

The unknown local mountain of Zernez

The peak is a splendid vantage point with a wide ranging view to Upper and Lower Engadine, and especially into Val Tantermozza (meaning „mill hopper“), which is within the border of the Swiss National Park. However, there are no trails, nor markings up to the summit, which means that every hiker must use his or her own orientational skills to find their way up and down. Various variants of ascent and descent promise an adventurous hiking day. Urezza means «lofty knoll», «high altitude pasture».

Route description

Zernez – north of the bifurcation at P. 2158
At the beginning of this tour one must take the new underpass to cross the railway lines. On the other (eastern) side branch off left and cross the river En (Inn). Right after the bridge follow a small path to the right along the En. After ca. 400 m ascend to the larger forest trail and follow the serpentines up God Tretschinas (god meaning „forest“) and past Las Ognas. The trail up this forest is marked white-red-white; follow the signpost showing the way to Pradea. You reach the bifurcation at P. 2158. There you turn right (north) towards Alp Munt. But already after ca. 300 m, before the trail starts descending, leave the marked trail and pathless ascend westward.
North of the bifurcation at P. 2158 – Piz d’Urezza – descent on the north ridge to La Plazza
300 m north of the bifurcation at P. 2158. Before the trail starts descending, leave the marked trail and pathless ascend westward. A few rocky ledges in the beginning are easy to bypass, then you ascend almost exactly westward on a large grassy ridge. Some rocks between 2500 m and 2600 m are bypassed through a valley to the right. The grassy slopes become schrofen terrain. Do not attack the secondary summit (P. 2841) visible from below, but rather keep to the right from ca. 2700 m. Thus you reach the secondary summit’s north-east ridge through slightly less steep terrain. Follow this ridge to the secondary summit and continue across a saddle and on a scree ridge (faint path) to the main summit. At first descend back to the secondary summit, then continue north-eastward and north on the ridge to the small hut at 2294 m. Short stretches on scree on the ridge are rather tiresome (faint path now and then). From the hut hike south-eastward on a distinct path to P. 2203. Now turn north and east to La Plazza. Between P. 2203 and La Plazza on several stretches the path is hardly visible.
La Plazza – Zernez
At La Plazza you meet another marked mountain trail. Follow it via Alp Munt and Plan Munt (on this stretch the path is hardly visible) to the bifurcation at P. 1597, where you get back to the route of the ascent. Back to Zernez on the same route.
Alternative descent through the upper Val Sparsa
From the summit hike back to the saddle before the secondary summit and descend north-westward to Val Sparsa and the small lake at ca. 2630 m and the wetland at ca. 2480 m. Between this plain and ca. 2300 m you encounter several trails which lead to the small hut at 2294 m. From here back to Zernez on the main route. Only slightly longer than the main route, T4–.

Additional information

Departure and arrival point

Zernez, Bahnhof (1471 m)

Difficulty / Material

There are long stretches with no path, nor markings. The grassy and schrofen slopes are steep and precarious when wet. In midsummer it can be very hot.

Author

Fredy Joss

Sabine und Fredy Joss

Alpine hiking, climbing and other mountain sports Sabine and Fredy Joss's passion. They have been writing and photographing for the SAC publishing house and the club magazine Die Alpen for many years. Sabine is also a biologist and tour guide; Fredy a proofreader and editor for various magazines.

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