A trip to the Adamello mountain range to climb the Adamello peak (3,539m) in the Brenta range.
Approach to the hut.
The plan was to spend a night in the Adamello hut, so we started late morning on the hike up to the hut. Weather was perfect & it was a wonderful easy hike with fantastic scenery. We never saw a soul all day and on reaching the hut found there was only a couple of other people staying there.
Perfect weather & a very early start.
The forecast for our climb to the Adamello summit was good. It was another very early start at 05:30 to ensure we crossed the glacier at the best time for stability and cooler temperatures. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and it was a gloriously still, day, the dawning light casting a pink glow across the glacier to the mountains in the distance as we stepped onto the snow just after first light. The route was not marked though it is not difficult in good weather to find you way to the summit. At this time of year there is enough snow to cover the crevasses though we roped up to be sure.
The route follows a path below the Cresta Croce (upon which the cross and the Cannon are to be found), steers below the Lombardia Trentino-Alto Adige for a short while and then veers off towards the base of the Corno Bianco. The views across the glacier were stunning and very intermittently the piercing light would be shadowed by thin cloud that would obscure our view though thankfully this was always short-lasting. It added to the eerie sense of isolation as we were the only two souls in the vast landscape, not setting eyes on any other climbers the whole time. We did hear faint voices in at one point in time and briefly caught sight of three other climbers as specks in the distance though we were never to see or hear them again. Just beyond here there is a steep slope that takes you to the Ghiacciaio dell’Adamello. From here the Adamello summit is in full view and we were advised to head towards the M.Falcone peak and then follow the snow line to the left all the way below the ridge that leads to an obstacle of rocks.
This is a short steep scramble (aided by a fixed rope) of about 100m and two further snow slopes that leads to the summit standing at 3,539m. We arrived at 10:45am, 4 ½ hrs from the start. By 11:00 we had left the summit after taking in the glorious views and some much needed refreshment. We followed our same route back although now the full aspect of the midday sun meant that the surface melting snow hampered our return slowing our progress. We returned to the Rifugio at 14:30 to pick up the gear we had left behind & rested on the veranda before setting off again for the return home.
This time the path leads down the same snow slope below the Rifugio but then bears off to the right down a very steep slope that leads to the edge of the glacier itself. Here we walked along its edge criss-crossing the small crevasses that are visibly open at this lower level due to less snow cover before crossing the glacier to the other side. The glacier at this point is mainly ice but care is still needed for the crossing. On the other side the path then leads to the Rifugio Mandrone, a hut that is superbly situated further down the valley with the expansive mouth of the glacier as its focal point. After another quick stop there is a vast amount of height to lose in order to descend to 1640m at the Rifugio Bedole, which means endless switchbacks across the valley as you descend into the forest. All in all it was a tremendously long day as we arrived, finally and exhausted at 20:00 hrs after 12 ½ hrs walking !