UKC

I am looking for any useful beta for the Gaiser-Lehmann route on the Cengalo. I am planning to climb it in August. Any tips/advice much appreciated. 

not sure if val bondasca is open at all... 

Indeed, the hudge rockfall / landslide might still affect things on the north side of the mountain chain.... not to mention even the route might have been affected.

The path to the hut was destroyed in the rockfall; it's closed but you are allowed to (try to) use it at your own risk.

The north side of the Piz Cengalo itself is still unstable, with an estimated one million cubic meters of rock moving very slowly. Nevertheless, there are a couple of accounts of ascents of the pillar in 2021 on German and Swiss sites. They, and many accounts from before 2017, all mention the dangerous and unpleasant first 1/3 of the route: loose, wet, and with sometimes difficult route finding.

Thanks for the info, very much appreciated. I have since spoken to the guardian at the sasc fura hut and she said it has had a few recent accents and is still definitely in a climbable condition. 

The first 1/3 loose and wet has made me think about other options in the area. 

Thanks again 

The top 2/3 does sound magnificent though. I did the Cassin in the early 90s and we gazed over to the Cengalo pillar at every belay, vowing to come back soon; it unfortunately never happened.

This account (11 months after the 2011/12 rockfall) has loads of pics - the glacier approach and bergschrund look to be fun...

https://forum.rocksports.de/showthread.php?tid=775

I'd quite honestly go for it if I had the chance, it looks to be a magnificent route. Do let us know how it went!

PS probably worth Google-translating the pic captions; Sch... is short for Scheisse

PPS: quoted equipment list:

60m double ropes

10 quickdraws (several of them long) 

8-10 slings

1 set of wires

1 set of cams, 0.3 - 3

The usual belay and abseil gear

The motivation to climb it also comes off the back of climbing the Cassin route 10+ years ago! The line looks fantastic from that perspective. I'll let you know if we manage to scramble up it. 

Thanks for the link and the kit list. 

All the best 

I did this route over 25 yrs ago so some of the approach details may have changes especially the trek up to the hut. The Lindsay Griffen guide to the Bregaglia stated that the Gaiser-Lehmann route was one of the best in the Bregaglia and rivalled anything of comparable length in the Western Alps. The route was climbed on the same day as the Cassin route on the Badile, and is now recognised as a popular classic. Everyone has commented that the lower part is scrappy and route finding problematic but the route sheltered from rock fall.

The big rockfall which affected the Cengalo happened on the ENE face and took out most of those routes as well as changing the walk up to the hut.

One reason for the lower part of the route being loose is that it probably lay at the upper limit of the glacier and so was affected by freeze thaw action more than further up, which is steeper and so cleaner. Also as the Cassin route became more popular (5 North Faces etc), traffic which would have cleaned the lower part just didn't happen and so the route remained dirty. As the route got a reputation for being dirty people didn't do it and headed over the the Cassin, which cleaned up, had a well travelled path, known belays, in situ gear, (the popularity circle). Lots of topos and articles of how to climb the Cassin are around on the internet. In the right conditions the Cassin can be done without axes, boots and crampons with the abseil descent down the North Ridge.

Doing the Gaiser- Lehmann route is an old style 'up and over' route with a long and scenic return from the Italian side.  If you do do the route, spend an extra day at the Gianetti Hut and do the South Ridge before walking back.

Good luck