Ragni di Lecco

Ragni di Lecco, formally known as the Gruppo Ragni della Grignetta, is an Italian mountaineering association founded in 1946 and affiliated with the Lecco section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI). Its members are recognizable by their characteristic red sweaters bearing a seven-legged spider emblem on the left arm. The group takes its name from the Grignetta, the mountain massif above Lecco where its founders cut their teeth, and its members are commonly referred to simply as "I Ragni" (the Spiders). The group was founded by Giulio and Nino Bartesaghi, Franco Spreafico, Emilio Ratti and Gigino Amati, soon joined by Gigi Vitali, nicknamed "Il Ragno" by Tita Piaz for his particular elegance in climbing. The founders were driven by the desire to match and surpass the achievements of the so-called "vecchi" (the old ones), the leading figures of Lecco mountaineering of the era, including Riccardo Cassin and Mario "Boga" Dell'Oro, who later joined the group themselves. Over the decades the Ragni built a reputation as one of Italy's most accomplished climbing and expeditionary groups. After a series of new routes and repeats on the Grignetta, Carlo Mauri and Luigi Castagna made the third absolute ascent and first Italian repeat of the Cassin route on the north-east face of Pizzo Badile in 1949. The group went on to international expeditions: Mauri led a 1956 expedition to Tierra del Fuego and joined Cassin's 1958 CAI expedition to Gasherbrum IV, reaching the summit with Walter Bonatti. In 1961 a Cassin-organized expedition with young Ragni climbed the previously unclimbed south face of Mount McKinley, an exploit that drew a congratulatory telegram from President Kennedy. The group also recorded the first Italian ascent of the north face of the Eiger, and in 1974 a Casimiro Ferrari-led expedition achieved the first ascent of Cerro Torre's west face, widely regarded as the mountain's first true ascent. Today the Ragni remain active as an association. Their official website documents group activities, expeditions, new routes, a climbing gym (palestra) in Lecco, a national mountaineering school (Scuola nazionale di alpinismo), publishing activity including books and a podcast about the Ragni, and news. In 2026 the group celebrated its 80th anniversary, with Lecco marking the occasion as a capital of mountaineering.

The Gruppo Ragni della Grignetta, commonly known as Ragni di Lecco, was founded in 1946 by Giulio and Nino Bartesaghi, Franco Spreafico, Emilio Ratti and Gigino Amati, soon joined by Gigi Vitali, nicknamed "Il Ragno" by Tita Piaz for his elegance in climbing. The group is affiliated with the Lecco section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI). Its members are recognizable by their characteristic red sweater with a seven-legged spider emblem on the left arm. The founders were motivated by the desire to reach and surpass the achievements of the "vecchi" — the leading figures of Lecco mountaineering of the time, including Riccardo Cassin and Mario "Boga" Dell'Oro — who later joined the group themselves. After a number of new routes and repeats on the Grignetta, the Ragni Carlo Mauri and Luigi Castagna climbed the Cassin route on the north-east face of Pizzo Badile in 1949, making the first Italian repeat and the third absolute ascent. Another important repeat was that of the Bonatti route on the Petit Dru in 1955. The Ragni then turned to international expeditions. Mauri led an expedition to Tierra del Fuego in 1956 and in 1958 was invited on the CAI expedition led by Cassin to Gasherbrum IV, reaching the summit with Walter Bonatti. In 1961 Cassin organized an expedition with the young Luigino Airoldi, Gigi Alippi, Jack Canali, Romano Perego and Annibale Zucchi; with the lead climbers Alippi, Perego and Zucchi, the whole group climbed the unclimbed south face of Mount McKinley. The feat had considerable media resonance, and the expedition members received a congratulatory telegram from President Kennedy. In the Alps, the first Italian ascent of the north face of the Eiger was recorded, with Ragni Pierlorenzo Acquistapace and Romano Perego in the successful rope team, following the tragic failed attempt in 1957 by two other group members, Claudio Corti and Stefano Longhi. In 1965 Romano Perego, with Andrea Mellano, opened two new routes in alpine style (without fixed ropes) in Afghanistan at 7,000 metres, with no support. In 1968 an expedition captained by Casimiro Ferrari, including Aldino Anghileri and Angelo Zoia (Angelin de Meda), opened the so-called Via dei Ragni (or Via Lecco) on the Grand Capucin in the Mont Blanc massif. In the 1970s the group's extra-European commitment continued. In 1970 Mauri led a Ragni expedition attempting Cerro Torre, resuming the attempt he had made with Walter Bonatti in 1958. The expedition failed, but three years later, in 1974, another Ragni expedition led by Casimiro Ferrari finally succeeded in climbing the west face. This was the first ascent of that face and is now regarded by the international mountaineering community as the first ascent of the mountain altogether. Casimiro Ferrari and Mario (Mariolino) Conti (1944–2023) reached the summit, followed by Pino Negri and Daniele Chiappa, and the success was reported worldwide. Among the members were also Gigi Alippi, a historic figure of Lecco mountaineering and McKinley summiteer with Cassin, and Angelo Zoia (Angelin de Meda), considered by many among the most elegant climbers of his generation. In the following years the Ragni's bond with the mountains of South America remained strong: in 1975 an expedition of Casimiro Ferrari, Danilo Borgonovo, Pino Negri, Sandro Liati, Angelo Zoia and Pinuccio Castelnuovo opened a new route on Alpamayo in the Cordillera Blanca; the following year Ferrari and Vittorio Meles made the first ascent of the east pillar of Fitz Roy; in 1984 Carlo Aldé and Paolo Vitali climbed the mighty and isolated Cerro Murallon via the north-east pillar. A notable split occurred in 1976 when 15 members (mostly young) left following the decision (still controversial today) by the leaders of CAI Lecco and the Ragni to dissolve the CAI Belledo subsection (to which most of those members belonged), because, they said, too many debts had been accumulated after an expedition to the Baltoro region the previous year, during which two new routes were opened and an unclimbed summit was reached. Two years later the splinter group founded the Gruppo Gamma, another mountaineering group based in Lecco. A first reconciliation came in 1985, when Casimiro Ferrari led a group on the repeat of the Franco-Canadian route on Ama Dablam (6,856 m). For the first time since the split, Ragni (Carlo Aldé, Mario Panzeri, Giuliano Maresi and Bruno Lombardini) and Gamma (Danilo Valsecchi) climbed together on a remote and difficult mountain. In 1986 the group celebrated its 40th anniversary with two Patagonian expeditions and one to Tierra del Fuego: Aguja Poincenot (Daniele Bosisio, Paolo Vitali, Mario Panzeri, Marco Della Santa), the Central Tower of Paine (Marco Ballerini, Carlo Besana, Dario Spreafico, Renato Da Pozzo, Norberto Riva) and the west summit of Sarmiento (Tore Panzeri, Lorenzo Mazzoleni, Pinuccio Castelnuovo, Bruno Pennati, Gigi Alippi). In 1988 Paolo Vitali led a small expedition (Sonja Brambati, Adriano Carnati, Daniele Bosisio, Gianbattista Gianola) into the isolated Sosbun Valley (Pakistan), tracing a 1,400-metre route with difficulties up to VI+, introducing a new way of going to the mountains in the Lecco scene. In 2026 the group celebrated its 80th anniversary, with Lecco marking the occasion as a capital of mountaineering. The association remains active through its climbing gym, its national mountaineering school, its publishing activity (books, podcast, book) and ongoing new-route activity.

• 2026

  80th anniversary celebrated, with Lecco marking the occasion as a capital of mountaineering.

• 1988

  Paolo Vitali leads a small expedition into the Sosbun Valley (Pakistan), opening a 1,400-metre route up to VI+.

• 1986

  40th anniversary celebrated with two Patagonian expeditions and one to Tierra del Fuego.

• 1985

  First reconciliation after the split: Ragni and Gamma climb together on Ama Dablam under Casimiro Ferrari.

• 1984

  Carlo Aldé and Paolo Vitali climb Cerro Murallon via the north-east pillar.

• 1978

  The splinter group founds the Gruppo Gamma in Lecco.

• 1976

  Ferrari and Vittorio Meles make the first ascent of the east pillar of Fitz Roy; 15 members split from the group over the dissolution of the CAI Belledo subsection.

• 1975

  Expedition opens a new route on Alpamayo in the Cordillera Blanca.

• 1974

  Casimiro Ferrari-led expedition achieves the first ascent of Cerro Torre's west face, regarded as the mountain's first true ascent.

• 1970

  Mauri leads a Ragni expedition attempting Cerro Torre; the attempt fails.

• 1968

  Casimiro Ferrari-led expedition opens the Via dei Ragni (Via Lecco) on the Grand Capucin in the Mont Blanc massif.

• 1965

  Romano Perego and Andrea Mellano open two new alpine-style routes in Afghanistan at 7,000 m without support.

• 1961

  Cassin-led expedition with young Ragni climbs the unclimbed south face of Mount McKinley; members receive a congratulatory telegram from President Kennedy.

• 1958

  Mauri joins Cassin's CAI expedition to Gasherbrum IV, reaching the summit with Walter Bonatti.

• 1956

  Carlo Mauri leads an expedition to Tierra del Fuego.

• 1955

  Ragni repeat the Bonatti route on the Petit Dru.

• 1949

  Carlo Mauri and Luigi Castagna make the first Italian repeat and third absolute ascent of the Cassin route on the north-east face of Pizzo Badile.

• 1946

  Group founded by Giulio and Nino Bartesaghi, Franco Spreafico, Emilio Ratti and Gigino Amati; Gigi Vitali joins soon after.

Historic Italian mountaineering association and expeditionary group, affiliated with CAI Lecco, known for pioneering alpine and extra-European ascents.

• Membership in the Ragni di Lecco association

• Scuola nazionale di alpinismo (national mountaineering school)

• Palestra Ragni di Lecco (climbing gym)

• Editoria: books, podcast, book about the Ragni

1. 1Home - Gruppo Ragni della Grignettaragnilecco.com
2. 2Ragni di Lecco - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Ragni della Grignetta - Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org