Monte Cresto

Monte Cresto
Elevation	2,548 m (8,360 ft)[1]
Prominence	335 m (1,099 ft)[1][2]
Parent peak	Monte Mars
Listing	Alpine mountains 2500-2999 m
Location
Monte Cresto Location in the Alps
Location	Piedmont / Aosta Valley, Italy
Range	Alpi Biellesi
Coordinates	45°40′54″N 7°54′36″E / 45.68167°N 7.91000°E / 45.68167; 7.91000Coordinates: 45°40′54″N 7°54′36″E / 45.68167°N 7.91000°E / 45.68167; 7.91000

Monte Cresto, at 2,548 m, is the third highest peak of the Province of Biella (Piedmont, NW Italy) after Monte Mars (2,600 m) and Monte Bo (2,556 m).

Geography

The mountain seen from South (M.Pietra Bianca)

The mountain is located on the water divide between the Valle del Lys (Aosta Valley) and the Cervo Valley (Province of Biella).

Administratively is divided between the comunes of Issime (Aosta Valley, western faces) and an exclave of the Piedmontese comune of Sagliano Micca (Eastern faces).

Access to the summit

It can be ascended following the water divide starting from Piedicavallo either from South, passing through the Colle del Lupo (literally Wolf's pass,2,342 m) or from North, passing by Colle della Vecchia (Old Woman's pass, 2,185 m).

A classical climbing route which reaches the summit strarts from Rifugio della Vecchia and is rated PD in the IFAS system .^[3]

Mountain huts

• Rifugio della Vecchia (1,872 m)

SOIUSA classification

According to the SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain can be classified in the following way:^[4]

• main part = Western Alps
• major sector = North Western Alps
• section = Pennine Alps
• subsection = Southern Valsesia Alps
• supergroup = Alpi Biellesi
• group = Catena Tre Vescovi - Mars
• code = II/B-9.IV-A.1

References