Piz Vadret, Mountain summit in Grisons, Switzerland
Piz Vadret is a mountain summit in the Albula Alps reaching 3,229 meters in elevation within Graubunden. The Vadret da Grialetsch glacier sits at the base of its north face.
Piz Vadret rises northwest of Brail above the Val Punt Ota, a side valley of the Engadin. The 3,218 m Piz Vadret Pitschen lies about 200 metres south of the summit, and the Fuorcla Vallorgia separates the main peak from the Piz Grialetsch to the northwest. The mountain's east ridge, over half a kilometre long and falling almost vertically on both sides, is known as the 12-hour ridge.
The name combines Romansh piz (peak) with vadret, meaning glacier, referring to the Vadret da Grialetsch on the north face. The neighbouring 3,218 m summit is called Piz Vadret Pitschen, "Little Piz Vadret", a naming habit common among Grisons peaks.
The usual start is Brail in the Engadin, from where the route climbs through Val Punt Ota to the small glacier southeast of the summit; the Grialetschhütte is an alternative start via Fuorcla Vallorgia. All routes demand solid climbing skill and alpine experience. The easiest line, the southeast couloir, is rated at least WS+, II, with a steep step climbed at III or bypassed on the left.
About 200 metres south of the summit stands Piz Vadret Pitschen, a secondary top of 3,218 metres. The two are separated by a small saddle, and climbers coming from the Grialetschhütte over the Fuorcla Vallorgia pass between them on the way to the southeast couloir.
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