Capanna Margherita (4554 m)

Gnifetti Peak

Duration: 5 days
Price: 1000 € per person
Level: advanced
When: mid June-mid September
Max-min persons: 2-4 persons per one guide
Included: Transfer, 4 nights in hotel/refuge, 4 dinners, 4 breakfasts, guide, technical equipment, lifts.

Extra: Lunches and all that is not mentioned in the included section.

Punta Gnifetti is nearly highest up on the Monte Rosa, Europe's second highest mountain after the Mont Blanc. Capanna Margherita is a Rifugio, with sleeping rooms and a restaurant, and it is used by alpinists during their expeditions. It lies at the amazing height of 4554 m above the sea.
This a technically easy climbing to go there, but you need good physical conditions because of the length and the height. And you must not be afraid of the exposure of the trail. The view from here is astounding, with the entire Alps around you and a sea of clouds down under your feet. The stars in the night are brighter then we are used to see in our over lighted cities. This is wilderness on a high level, but with the Italian food and wines culture as a bonus!

Program proposal
  • Day One and Two
  • Day Three and Four
  • Day Five
  • Other information
Punta Gnifetti and Capanna Margherita

Day One

Arrival to Milan airport. Transfer to Valtournenche, in the valley of Cervinia. Meet with the guide, followed by a short walk of 20 minutes to a little enchanting old village, Cheneil 2000m, where we stay in a classic mountain guest house for the first night.

Day Two

We start with breakfast in the pension and go for a long, very wild trek to the pass of Nana at 2700m, with the possibility to spot both ibex and eagles. The view is astounding from here. The pass is between the valley of Valtournenche and the valley of Champoluc/Ayas. At 2500m lies a Refugio that awaits our arrival: Grand Tournalin. Here we stay for the night.

Trekking in Monterosa

Day Three

We will meet our guide and wear all the necessary equipment for the tour. We take the Gondola of Punta Indren or climb up the mines of the Stolemberg and on glaciers and rocks to Rifugio Mantova (3500m) or Capanna Gnifetti (3600m) where we will stay for the night. It is a technically easy tour, but on partially exposed trails and we go with a mountain guide. We sleep here if we can sleep (it can be difficult to sleep at this height) and wake up early for a good breakfast. In the refuge we are going to meet alll kind of alpinists from all over the world.

Day Four

In the morning we will start our tour very early, before down, and we will climb up the 1000m left to Capanna Margherita. The trip is long and it is very heavy to go at this height, but the view over the mountain, becoming red for the strikes of the first rays of light, is magical. It is nearly a spiritual experience! After a while at this magnificent rifugio, really hanging over a thousand-meter cliff, it is time for us to go back to civilisation again. We go to Punta Indren around 3200m and from here we take the cable car in the afternoon to Alagna and to our Hotel Montagna di Luce to restore our tired bodies.

Capanna Margherita trekking

Day Five

We go around for shopping and touristing in Alagna and prepare us for our way back home.

Alta Via 1 tour in Monterosa
Required: Good physical condition, backpack and high mountain trekking shoes.
Special programs: We can tailor your tour to Capanna Margherita as you wish.
Other information: We arrange also the summit to Polluce and Castor for not experienced persons, and will be happy to help with summit preparation and program for experienced mountaineers for the other peaks of Monte Rosa, as well as for Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso. Contact us for more details.