A historical itinerary, one of the most appreciated and repeated in the entire Castello-Provenzale Group. At the time of its opening (1936), the Tower attracted the interest of some strong climbers, including Giusto Gervasutti – who brought the King of Belgium – and the Swiss climbers Rham and Rivier. The route by Castiglioni and Bramani marked a step forward in climbing difficulty and remained for a long time one of the hardest in the Cottian and Maritime Alps. It was originally opened with a handful of pitons (including belay stations), but over the years it was reworked. A few years ago, the first bolts began to appear—initially only at the belays, and now also along the pitches. The route still retains a distinctly alpine character and, although it has changed over time, it continues to be “la classica della Castello.”

• Difficulty: D+
• Mandatory & max grade: V+
• Length: 150 mt per la sola via. 250 mt. totali abbinata alla “Via del Camino Est” per l’accesso.
• Time: 4/5 ore
• First ascent: Ettore Castiglioni e Vitale Bramani il 12 Settembre 1936

Gear: Quickdraws, 60 m ropes, a set of friends and/or nuts. The route has been revised over time and now features bolted belays and some occasional bolts along the pitches.

Approach: Go past the village of Chiappera and park in a clearing at the end of the paved road heading towards Grange Russet. Take the trail to Colle Greguri, ascending past Rocca Provenzale, to the visible wall on the left. Cross rocks and meadows to reach the wall (1.5 hours). Alternatively, continue driving to Grange Russet, park, and follow the trail from the north that reaches Colle Greguri. Then descend to the base of the wall (1.5 hours).

To follow the full original route, access is via the “Camino Est” (3 rope lengths, max grade IV+ – 100 m). The start of the Camino Est is located directly below the notch separating Torre Castello from Punta Figari, where the Castiglioni route begins.

Often combined with the “Fessura Brunilde” for a more aerial and homogeneous climb, also more direct, though it reaches the “Spigolo Castiglioni” a couple of pitches from its original start.

Google Maps link to parking

From the notch

L1: Climb the ridge keeping right to a small ledge (III+ 30 m)
L2: Traverse left and climb more easily to the base of the actual ridge (III+ 40 m)
L3: Traverse right of the edge and approach a whitish overhang, then traverse left towards the ridge (old belay with 3 pitons), and follow it to a ledge (V, V+ 30 m)
L4: Go straight up (bolt and piton) then oblique left. Traverse further left (bolt) under an overhanging section, then traverse left of it. Use good holds to move up diagonally right, ignore the old piton belay (on the left) and continue more easily for 10 m to the bolt belay, not visible from below but noticeable thanks to tufts of grass. (V, V+ 25 m)
L5: Climb the vertical, very exposed but juggy wall and finish on the summit plateau with a final traverse to the left (IV+, V 20 m)

Descent: One 30 m rappel down “Placca Gedda” to the notch between the Tower and Rocca Castello. From here, several descent options by rappel, including the “Via Diagonale Est” or the “Alpi Ovest” route (6 rappels).