Bregaglia Range
Encyclopedia
The Bregaglia Range is a small group of mostly granite
mountains in Graubünden
, Switzerland
and the Province of Sondrio
, northern Italy
. It derives its name from the partly Swiss, partly Italian valley, the Val Bregaglia
, and is known as Bergell in German. Other names which are applied to the range include the Val Masino
Alps and, to describe the main ridge, Masino-Bregaglia-Disgrazia. Vicosoprano
(1,067 m) is the main settlement in the Swiss part of the range.
The range is a popular mountaineering destination, and includes such peaks as Monte Disgrazia
, Piz Cengalo
and Piz Badile
. Well-known mountaineers who are associated with the area and have made significant first ascents in the range include Leslie Stephen
, D. W. Freshfield, W. A. B. Coolidge
, Christian Klucker
, Paul Güssfeldt
and Riccardo Cassin
.
A cable-car service runs from Pranzaira to the Albigna lake
, and the Albigna hut (2,331 m) is a further 30–45-minute walk up the east side of the barrage.
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
mountains in Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and the Province of Sondrio
Province of Sondrio
The Province of Sondrio is in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the town of Sondrio.It has an area of 3,212 km², and a total population of 176,856...
, northern Italy
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
. It derives its name from the partly Swiss, partly Italian valley, the Val Bregaglia
Val Bregaglia
The Val Bregaglia or Bergell Tal is an alpine valley of Switzerland and Italy at the base of which runs the river Mera River...
, and is known as Bergell in German. Other names which are applied to the range include the Val Masino
Val Masino
Val Masino is a comune in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 90 km northeast of Milan and about 20 km northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland...
Alps and, to describe the main ridge, Masino-Bregaglia-Disgrazia. Vicosoprano
Vicosoprano
Vicosoprano is a former municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and is the largest village in the Val Bregaglia. It's now part of the municipality of Bregaglia.-Geography:...
(1,067 m) is the main settlement in the Swiss part of the range.
The range is a popular mountaineering destination, and includes such peaks as Monte Disgrazia
Monte Disgrazia
Monte Disgrazia is a mountain in the Bregaglia range in the Italian Alps. It is the highest peak in the Val Masino group, situated south of the Bernina Range.It has five glaciers and five wild ridges and is a demanding climb....
, Piz Cengalo
Piz Cengalo
Piz Cengalo is a mountain in the Bregaglia range of the Alps on the border between the Swiss canton of Graubünden and Italy.The first ascent of the mountain was by D. W. Freshfield and C. Comyns Tucker with guide F...
and Piz Badile
Piz Badile
Piz Badile is a mountain in the Bregaglia range in the Swiss canton of Graubünden and Italy, the border between the two countries running along the summit ridge. Its northeast face is considered one of the six great north faces of the Alps....
. Well-known mountaineers who are associated with the area and have made significant first ascents in the range include Leslie Stephen
Leslie Stephen
Sir Leslie Stephen, KCB was an English author, critic and mountaineer, and the father of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell.-Life:...
, D. W. Freshfield, W. A. B. Coolidge
W. A. B. Coolidge
William Augustus Brevoort Coolidge was an American historian, theologian and mountaineer.Coolidge was born in New York as the son of Frederic William Skinner Coolidge, a Boston merchant, and Elisabeth Neville Brevoort of the Netherlands. He studied history and law at St...
, Christian Klucker
Christian Klucker
Christian Klucker was a Swiss mountain guide who made many first ascents in the Alps, particularly in the Bernina Range, the Bregaglia and the Pennine Alps.Amongst his first ascents were:...
, Paul Güssfeldt
Paul Güssfeldt
Dr Paul Güssfeldt was a German geologist, mountaineer and explorer.-Biography:Güssfeldt was born in Berlin, where he also died almost 80 years later...
and Riccardo Cassin
Riccardo Cassin
Riccardo Cassin was an Italian mountaineer, developer of mountaineering equipment and author.-Life:Born at San Vito al Tagliamento, Friuli, Cassin was one of the leading mountaineers of the inter-war period; in all, Cassin made a total of 2,500 ascents, of which over 100 were first ascents...
.
A cable-car service runs from Pranzaira to the Albigna lake
Albigna lake
Albigna Lake is a reservoir in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It is located in the municipality of Vicosoprano at an elevation of 2,163 m on the southwest side of the Bregaglia valley, northeast of Pizzo Cacciabella. The lake has a surface area of 1.13 km²...
, and the Albigna hut (2,331 m) is a further 30–45-minute walk up the east side of the barrage.
Significant peaks
| Mountain/peak | Height (metres) |
|---|---|
| Monte Disgrazia Monte Disgrazia Monte Disgrazia is a mountain in the Bregaglia range in the Italian Alps. It is the highest peak in the Val Masino group, situated south of the Bernina Range.It has five glaciers and five wild ridges and is a demanding climb.... |
3,678 |
| Cima di Castello Cima di Castello Cima di Castello is the second highest mountain in the Bregaglia Range, located on the border between Italy and the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-External links:*... |
3,375 |
| Cima di Rosso Cima di Rosso The Cima di Rosso is a mountain in the Bregaglia Range , located on the border between Italy and Switzerland.-External links:*... |
3,369 |
| Piz Cengalo Piz Cengalo Piz Cengalo is a mountain in the Bregaglia range of the Alps on the border between the Swiss canton of Graubünden and Italy.The first ascent of the mountain was by D. W. Freshfield and C. Comyns Tucker with guide F... |
3,367 |
| Cima dal Cantun Cima dal Cantun Cima dal Cantun is a mountain in the Bregaglia Range , located in Graubünden, Switzerland.-External links:*... |
3,354 |
| Monte Sissone Monte Sissone Monte Sissone is a mountain in the Bregaglia Range , located on the border between Italy and Switzerland.-External links:*... |
3,330 |
| Piz Badile Piz Badile Piz Badile is a mountain in the Bregaglia range in the Swiss canton of Graubünden and Italy, the border between the two countries running along the summit ridge. Its northeast face is considered one of the six great north faces of the Alps.... |
3,308 |
| Sciora di Dentro | 3,275 |
| Cima della Bondasca Cima della Bondasca The Cima della Bondasca or Pizzo del Ferro centrale is a mountain in the Bregaglia Range , located on the border between Italy and Switzerland... |
3,267 |
| Piz Bacun Piz Bacun The Piz Bacun is a mountain in the Bregaglia Range , located in Graubünden, Switzerland.-External links:*... |
3,244 |
| Punta Pioda Punta Pioda The Punta Pioda is a mountain in the Bregaglia Range , located in Graubünden, Switzerland.-External links:* *... |
3,238 |
| Pizzi Gemmelli | 3,223 |
| Monte del Forno Monte del Forno Monte del Forno is a mountain in the Bregaglia Range , located on the border between Italy and Switzerland.-External links:*... |
3,214 |
| Ago di Sciora Ago di Sciora Ago di Sciora is a mountain in the Bregaglia Range , located in Graubünden, Switzerland. It forms a sharp needle in the middle of the Sciora group.-External links:*... |
3,205 |
| Monte di Zocca | 3,175 |
| Piz Badilet | 3,171 |
| Sciora di Fuori (Sciora Dafora) | 3,169 |
| Piz Cacciabella Piz Cacciabella Piz Cacciabella is a mountain in the Bregaglia Range , located in Graubünden, Switzerland.-External links:*... |
2,980 |
| Torre Innominata | 2,969 |
| Piz Trubinasca | 2,918 |
| Monte Spluga | 2,841 |