Skip to content
Peakyas
EN
Monte San Giorgio world heritage core area in Brusino Arsizio 2022-09-29 01

Mountain·SwitzerlandSwitzerland

Monte San Giorgio

1,097m

Mountain range Piambello-Campo dei Fiori-Nudo

Summit weather

Leonhard Lenz · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation
1,097m
Prominence
758m
Isolation
3.4km
Relief
827mabove the lowest point within 5 km
Steepest slope
40°within 1 km of the summit
Snow at the summit
Dec–MarSee month by month ↓
Summit
45.9136°N, 8.9497°E

Mountain

Monte San Giorgio is a mountain in the Mountain range Piambello-Campo dei Fiori-Nudo (Switzerland). Its summit stands 1,097 m above sea level. Its prominence — how far it rises above the highest saddle linking it to a taller summit — is 758 m, and the nearest higher ground is 3.4 km away.

From the lowest point within 5 km (270 m), it rises 827 m. The steepest side is the north-west face: 26° on average over the first kilometre. In places the ground near the top reaches 40° — terrain for climbers, not walkers.

The nearest town is Riva San Vitale, 2 km away at 277 m: 820 m below the summit.

Read more on Wikipedia

Scores

Monte San Giorgio for skiers and climbers

Two scores out of 10, built only from open data — every part is shown. They describe what the mountain offers, not how safe it is.

Hiking & mountaineering

8.0/10

Difficulty to the top

Hike

Most path sections around the top are T2 on the SAC hiking scale.

Indicative only — never a safety assessment. Conditions change: ask local guides and check the forecast.

  • 2.5/2.5117 waymarked routes and 460 path sections nearby
  • 1.2/1.55 huts and shelters
  • 0.8/2820 m of ascent from the valley
  • 1.2/1.5758 m of prominence
  • 1.5/1.512 months with summit afternoons above −5 °C
  • 0.7/1via ferratas, climbing and glaciers

Ski score

1.4/10

  • 0.9/42 km of downhill runs
  • 0.2/1.56 ski lifts
  • 0.4/1.5362 m between the lowest and highest lift station
  • 0.0/30 months of snow at about 457 m

Runs by difficulty

  • Intermediate 1 km

Snow season on the slopes (estimate)

Around 457 m, in the middle of the ski area: occasional snow in January.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
  • Snow on the ground all month
  • Snow some of the time
  • No snow
  • This month

6 lifts · lift stations from 276 to 638 m · 1 km cross-country

How these scores are made

Ski (where OpenStreetMap has skiing within 12 km): up to 4 points for the length of downhill runs (300 km or more = 4), 1.5 for the number of lifts (40+), 1.5 for the vertical between lift stations (1,500 m) and 3 for the snow season — a month counts when the estimated mean temperature at the height of the ski area is −1 °C or lower and snow falls or lies there (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). Hiking & mountaineering: up to 2.5 for waymarked routes and paths, 1.5 for huts, 2 for the ascent from the valley (2,000 m), 1.5 for prominence (3,000 m), 1.5 for the season (months with summit afternoons above −5 °C) and 1 for via ferratas, climbing and glaciers. OpenStreetMap is built by volunteers: where few things are mapped, a score can be lower than reality.

Plan your visit

Stay, climb and get there

Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.

Snow

When there is snow on Monte San Giorgio

At the summit, snow from December to March. Month by month below, at different heights on the way up.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Summit1,097 msnow from December to March
Snow on the ground all monthSnow on the ground all monthSnow on the ground all monthNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowSnow on the ground all month
Halfway up687 moccasional snow from December to February
Snow some of the timeSnow some of the timeNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowSnow some of the time
Riva San Vitale277 mno snow
No snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snowNo snow
  • Snow on the ground all month
  • Snow some of the time
  • No snow
  • This month

Estimate for a normal year: average temperature and precipitation from NASA POWER, carried to each height, in a simple model of snow building up and melting. In a given year snow can come earlier or stay longer. It does not replace the local snow and avalanche bulletin.

Summit weather

Monte San Giorgio, month by month

Not a forecast: long-term averages (1991–2020), carried up to the summit. The orange line is where an average afternoon reaches 0 °C; above the dashed blue line it freezes even at dawn.

On an average July afternoon the summit reaches about 22 °C; on January nights it falls to about -6 °C. Afternoons at the top are above freezing in every month of the average year. In July the 0 °C line climbs to about 4,550 m, above the summit: the top thaws on an average afternoon. Across the region, January is the driest month (50 mm) and November the wettest (147 mm).

0 m1,000 m2,000 m3,000 m4,000 m5,000 mSUMMIT · 1,097 mRIVA SAN VITALE · 277 mJanuary: 1,230 mFebruary: 1,480 mMarch: 2,200 mApril: 2,890 mMay: 3,540 mJune: 4,220 mJuly: 4,550 mAugust: 4,460 mSeptember: 3,820 mOctober: 3,020 mNovember: 2,090 mDecember: 1,350 mJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0 °C on an average afternoon 0 °C at dawn the summit
MonthSummit high °CSummit low °CRiva San Vitale high °C0 °C line (m)Rain & snow (mm)Wet daysSun h/day
January1-661,2305094.2
February2-581,4805985.5
March7-1122,2007096.4
April123172,890102135.9
May168213,540139165.7
June2012264,220120167.4
July2214284,550107157.9
August2214274,460129167.1
September189233,82099126.1
October125183,020112124.7
November60122,090147123.4
December2-571,35073103.5

Estimate: the NASA POWER climate of a ~55 km cell (average height 800 m), adjusted to the summit by −6.5 °C per 1,000 m. Rain, wet days and sunshine are those of the region. Mountain weather changes fast — always check a local forecast. ★ = mildest months at the top.

Relief

The mountain in profile

Two cuts through the summit, 16 km long, from the 30 m Copernicus elevation model. Heights drawn 3× taller than lengths, so the shape can be seen.

West – east
1,097 m270 m0 km2 km4 km6 km8 km10 km12 km14 km16 kmWE
South – north
1,097 m270 m0 km2 km4 km6 km8 km10 km12 km14 km16 kmSN
Steepness by direction
30°N: 22°NNE: 16°NEE: 25°ESE: 22°SES: 14°SSW: 19°SWW: 22°WNW: 26°NW

Average slope of the first kilometre from the summit. The orange petal is the steepest side.

Around the mountain

Huts, lifts and trails around Monte San Giorgio

Counted around the summit in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. The satellite plate shows 14 × 14 km.

Monte San Giorgio seen from above (Sentinel-2) N 5 km

Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 (EOX, CC BY 4.0), 14 × 14 km, north up. Points © OpenStreetMap contributors.

A lift reaches Serpiano at 638 m — just 459 m below the summit.

  • 5mountain huts and shelters

    Capanna La Piana, Rifugio Monte Pravello (951 m), Rifugio Alpe Caviano (970 m) and 2 more

  • 6cable cars, gondolas, chairlifts and rack railways

    Funivia Brusino Arsizio-Serpiano and 5 more

  • 1ski areas

    Lanzo d'Intelvi

  • 117waymarked hiking routes

    European Long distance path E1 - part Switzerland, Soldino-Alpe di Melano, Alpe di Melano-Bellavista, Trans Swiss Trail and 113 more

  • 4via ferratas

    Via Ferrata Angelino, Ferrata d‘Arrampicata

  • 7climbing crags and routes

    Falesia di Pogliana, Falesia Monte Orsa, Falesia di Bisuschio, Palestra di roccia del gruppo speleologico prealpino and 3 more

  • —named glaciers
  • 138viewpoints

    San Bernardo, Cascata del Botto, Monte Pravello, Monte Rho d'Arcisate and 134 more

  • 5campsites

    Monte San Giorgio, Campeggio ai Bosconi, International Camping, Monte Generoso and 1 more

  • 169hotels, B&Bs and chalets

    Tresa Bay Hotel, Villa Marita, Hotel Colorado, Hotel International au Lac and 165 more

  • 551restaurants and cafés

How hard are the paths?

460 path sections within 5 km, by SAC hiking scale (T1 easy walk … T6 difficult alpine).

T1T2T3T4T5
  • T1 hiking
  • T2 mountain hiking
  • T3 demanding mountain hiking
  • T4 alpine hiking
  • T5 demanding alpine hiking

Towns at the foot

  • Riva San Vitale2 km · 277 m
  • Melano3 km · 285 m
  • Porto Ceresio4 km · 280 m
  • Melide4 km · 282 m
  • Arzo5 km · 503 m
  • Saltrio5 km · 543 m
  • Besano6 km · 350 m
  • Mendrisio6 km · 338 m

OpenStreetMap is built by volunteers: a low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet. Places © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Photos

Seen by climbers and visitors

Recent years

How each month compared at the summit

Afternoon high at the summit (estimate). The first row is the reference, the 1991–2020 average in °C; the years show only the difference.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
1991–2020 average1271216202222181262
2020+2.8+3.4−0.1+1.5+1.0−1.3±0.0+0.7+0.7−1.3+1.5−1.2
2021−1.2+0.1+0.2−2.3−2.0+0.7−0.6−0.3+1.0−0.4+0.2+1.1
2022+2.8+3.1±0.0+0.3+2.4+3.3+4.0+2.3−0.1+3.8+1.2+0.5
2023+1.5+3.5+2.1−0.3−0.3+0.2+0.7+1.9+2.2+3.3+0.3+1.9
2024+2.2+4.4+0.9±0.0−1.6−0.9+0.9+2.4−1.4+0.9+1.2+2.2
2025+0.8+1.4+0.8+1.2+0.3+2.4−0.4+0.7−0.2−0.5±0.0+2.5

+1 warmer than usual −1 cooler than usual

About these numbers

Names, elevation, prominenceWikidata (Q16648) · CC0
Relief, 3D view, profilesCopernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA
ClimateNASA POWER, 1991–2020 · CC BY 4.0
Around the mountain© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL
ImagesEOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons

Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.

The family

Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers or canyons?

Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, month by month, in seven languages.

beachesCoastyaFind your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit
lakesLakeyasEvery lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Coming soonVisit
mountainsPeakyasEvery summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.You are here
waterfallsCascadyasEvery waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Coming soonVisit
islandsIslandyasEvery island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Coming soonVisit
riversRiveryasEvery river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Coming soonVisit
canyonsCanyonyasEvery canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Coming soonVisit