Prequartera

Cascate di Prequartera Last Update: 12.06.2026 by Daniel Sturm
Country: Italia / Italy
Region: Piemonte
Subregion: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola
Town: Ceppo Morelli
v4 a1 IV
7h4
2h
5h
4min
1570m
870m
700m
x
75m
2x 80m
17
1000m
Rating:
★★★★★
3.8 (2)
Info:
★★★
0 ()
Belay:
★★★
0 ()
Summary:
Very open stream, with an extremely long sequence of consecutive high rappels. The waterfalls are clearly visible from the road (along the section between the two iron bridges) that climbs the Anzasca Valley. It is a steep-sided gully starting at an elevation of 1,560 m and descending very steeply above the village of Prequartera. It is certainly not a memorable route, but it is quite unique and scenic: overall, a beautiful and very wild outing with limited length. There is very little walking, a lot of rope work is required (watch out for rope retrievals!), and there is a significant amount of downclimbing.
June - October
South
Granite
Summary:
Very open stream, with an extremely long sequence of consecutive high rappels. The waterfalls are clearly visible from the road (along the section between the two iron bridges) that climbs the Anzasca Valley. It is a steep-sided gully starting at an elevation of 1,560 m and descending very steeply above the village of Prequartera. It is certainly not a memorable route, but it is quite unique and scenic: overall, a beautiful and very wild outing with limited length. There is very little walking, a lot of rope work is required (watch out for rope retrievals!), and there is a significant amount of downclimbing.
Access:
Take the A26 Voltri–Gravellona Toce motorway and continue until it becomes the SS33 state road (Sempione Road). Follow the SS33 up the Ossola Valley to the Piedimulera–Macugnaga exit. Continue following the signs for Macugnaga and drive up the Anzasca Valley along the SS549 for about 20 km, passing the village of Ceppo Morelli. After a tunnel, there is a parking area on the right near a picnic area, just before the diversion that bypasses a landslide on the right bank of the Anza.
Approach (2 h):
It is worth avoiding the shuttle (about half a kilometre) and walking back to Ceppo Morelli, where parking is difficult to find. Cross the village and take the trail just downstream of the main square of Ceppo Morelli, following the signs for Alpe Corte Nero. The trail is marked but little used, and becomes extremely steep and exposed in its final section. After the last rocky step, the path turns sharply north and follows the ridge. At this point, an old overgrown track can be found on the left; traversing the slope, it reaches the stream after about one hundred metres. A map is essential.
Tour (5 h):
The highest waterfall, 75 metres high, can also be descended with 70 m ropes by downclimbing the final step.
Return (4 min):
From the ford marking the end of the route, descend to the left and return to the parking area in a few minutes.

Hydrology: