Punta Marinelli 3182m

From the parking lot below Rifugio Poschiavino, we walk down the paved road to the dam (of Lago di Campo Moro) and cross it. A gravel road leads down in three hairpin bends to the foot of the northern dam wall. There, the hiking trail to Rifugio Carate branches off on the right. The path briefly leads through a rocky area secured with a railing, then the rooty, craggy path winds up the wooded west flank of Sasso Moro to a high plateau. The wide cirque (Sette Sospiri) beyond is crossed in long hairpin bends over several terrain levels up to Rifugio Carate just below Bocchetta delle Forbici (700m ascent, 2 hours). The ascent of Monte delle Forbici (approx. 300m ascent) in just under 1 hour is recommended.

A few meters above the hut, the memorial chapel at Bocchetta delle Forbici is reached. Now it goes gently downhill on the west flank of Cime di Forbici (approx. 100m descent) and later in a wide right curve to the small glacier lake of Vedretta di Caspoggio. You can also reach here from Btta. delle Forbici via the Monumente degli Alpini (additional 100m ascent). The path to the notch with the memorial site is well walkable; from the monument to the lake it mostly goes off-trail and very steep but is well marked over a rough rocky slope. Shortly after the lake, you cross the glacier stream and ascend on the gradually steeper hiking trail at the foot of the rock on which Rifugio Marinelli sits, eastwards through scree until a steep hollow appears on the left, where the path winds up to Rifugio Marinelli Bombardieri (300m ascent, 1 hour).

From Rifugio Marinelli, it goes slightly down into a scree cirque on the right of the rock ridge. Then briefly up a steep gravel path to an intermediate level (water cistern) and over a block steep step to the signposts at the junction. Marked paths go left up to Passo Marinelli Occidentale (Rif. Marko e Rosa, Piz Bernina), but we continue right around a rock block (initially unmarked). Soon, the first of numerous cairns appear, which you can follow to the summit. A rock formation is bypassed to the left curve. We briefly descend into a stream gorge. In a wide hollow to the right of the stream, it goes slightly sandy uphill, then we turn slightly right and reach a small open ridge over blocks and slabs. Through a tangled valley, we head to the long north ridge of Punta Marinelli just above Passo Marinelli Orientale (large cairn). There we turn south. Now it goes somewhat left of the cliff edge of the north ridge, easily over coarse scree and slabs up to the north summit of Punta Marinelli with summit Madonna and memorial plaque (400m ascent, 1:30 hours). It is more beautiful, however, to ascend slightly to the right directly on the ridge edge over stable slabs. Beautiful panorama of the Bernina south side.

Descent along the ascent route.