Cima Madriccio (Madritschspitze) from Val Martello via Valle del Pozzo

This route was done on December 7, 2023, and all subsequent observations and considerations are fully valid only for that day.

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From the valley end parking lot, you follow an easy path to Rifugio Corsi, then (on trail markers 103-150) you ascend by traversing and bypassing the ridge that leads onto the long and gentle plains where at the beginning there is the old Bau retention dam.

Skip the summer trail diversion to Rifugio Martello and also pass the start of the following steep slope, which is the winter route to Rifugio Martello.

In this first part of the large valley flat there are several streams, today partly covered by a lot of snow but not yet completely frozen because the severe cold had just arrived: in fact I "soaked" my snowshoes twice in water due to snow layer collapse.

This to say that, if it isn't already there, you need to create your track visually without strictly following any previous GPS recording.

You continue for a long time gaining little altitude, staying to the left uphill direction relative to the main valley watershed, up to the area called "IN DER KACHEL" which on the 4LAND map is translated as Lago dei Detriti (Lake of Debris).

Before a sharp slope change in the main valley (leading towards Rifugio Casati), on the right there is the outlet valley of the Rio del Pozzo or Butzenbach that slips between two bands of rocks.

From here I write how I saw and interpreted it today with a lot of snow.

The initial narrow section in Rio del Pozzo is of moderate slope and not difficult, then you have to turn right to avoid some "roughnesses" that cannot be snowshoed.

You enter (already inside the actual Valle del Pozzo) a wide low slope heading towards a band of rocks: here you have to start interpreting... if no one has already done so before.

At some point you have to slightly turn left or northeast and ascend Valle del Pozzo almost straight, deciding what to do among the various bumps and hollows that follow.

I stayed more to the right to maintain a constant diagonal with little altitude loss before the small ascents, aiming to minimize effort in deep snow.

With more transformed and compacted snow it might be more fun to follow the gentle and scenic winding small valleys that go around the bumps.

Anyway, calmly and enjoying the MANDATORY (for these altitudes) beautiful day, you arrive under the triangular final south slope of Cima Madriccio.

It is a slope with gentle steps, with medium stretches interrupted by short more restful sections: today with deep snow you had to... take it philosophically.

In general, the snow, although deep, was very stable as assured by the avalanche bulletin, but it is understood that it can be a problem with snowshoes if the snow "tends to give way" in the various small hollows passed.

You naturally reach the ridge just to the left of the summit, and following the snow lines among the rocks I reached the Cross without problems with snowshoes on.

Only 5 minutes at the summit because it was very late for December 7: I had taken over an hour more compared to the ascent to Cima Marmotta, and Cima Marmotta should be longer under the same conditions.