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Andi + Ken got great snow conditions + weather for skiing the Buuch icefall and climbing the summit of the Piz Bernina (4049m), highest peak in the eastern Alps - [ report ]

early start on the glacier
 

safely across one glacier, climbing toward the next
 

climbing south toward the Bellavista, but soon we will leave the ridge to get into the Buuch icefall
 

west to the Piz Bernina, with the Spallagrat ridge on the left and Biancograt ridge on right - (the Spallagrat is the normal climber's route, the Biancograt is more difficult)
 

dawn light across the Bellavista, with the Crast Agüzza rock far right. We're climbing up, but there are also tracks coming down the lower Fortezza ridge
 

dawn light on the Piz Bernina -- we climbed to the Fuocla Crast Agüzza pass on its left, then up the Spallagrat ridge, leaving our skis about halfway up the ridge
 

Andi leading into the Buuch icefall
  

ski tracks crossing a crevasse whose bridge collapsed - ? during or after the crossing ?
 

skis left behind lower, Ken climbing on the Spallagrat, with Piz Zupo beyond
 

looking east down across the Buuch icefall, which we somehow climbed thru -- Piz Palü right of center, Bellavista terrace to right
 

north along the Spallagrat to the Piz Bernina summit
 

south to our climbing tracks on the narrow snow ridge of the Spallagrat, which we will also descend on foot.

(see also more photos of Piz Bernina climbing up + slide show on Picasa)