Adula - Rheinwaldhorn

Comment (Automatic translation in english)

This hike starts at the Compietto Dam, where there is a car park just before the barrier. If the car park is full there is another one a little further down.
From the dam, continue on foot along the dirt road that crosses the entire Carassino Valley to the Termine Chapel. Here you can descend for a moment to the Capanna Adula CAS, or ascend directly to the Capanna Adula UTOE, along a well-marked but rather steep path. Past the hut, continue to the beginning of the moraine, where you meet the path coming from the Passo del Laghetto. Once past the fork, the red and white signs disappear, but the path is still clearly visible. We thus reach an altitude of 2700 metres, where there is a short, more difficult passage (T4) that leads us to the plateau above.
On reaching an altitude of 2,800 metres, the path gradually begins to disappear, but is replaced by numerous stone cairns, which first point towards the Cima della Negra and then slowly turn towards the glacier, which is reached at around 3,000 metres. Here, crampons are donned and the ascent begins, along snow-covered slopes, towards the summit, which is listed at 3253 metres. When you get close to it, turn almost southwards and continue under the ridge, paying attention to the material released by the latter, until you reach below the Adulajoch. Here there is the famous crevasse, which is, however, still fairly closed at this time and does not oblige hikers to make the long jump. Once over this, you climb a little further and reach the crevasse at an altitude of around 3300 metres. At this point, the route continues on the Graubünden side and the last 100 metres are climbed either over ice or rock to the summit.
If taken in the right period, the glacier does not pose any particular problems. In fact, at this time of year, there is no more snow at the bottom of the trail, but at the same time the glacier has not yet melted, which makes it easier to ascend. There is also an easy track across the glacier and the crevasse below the Adulajoch is not yet open.
As far as water is concerned, there is only the river with its numerous tributaries in Val Carassino. Then going up towards the Adula UTOE Hut there is still a river and finally in front of it there is a fountain. Climbing further up, you come to a stream at an altitude of around 2940 metres, which may, however, be covered by snow if you ascend too early. From here to the summit there is only snow from the glacier.