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Some people might remember that earlier this year I was asking on here for long rock route recommendations in Europe, in preparation for a road trip this summer.
The original thread with those recommendations is here: http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=394615&v=1#x5689431
Thank you to everyone who contributed. The list ended up being long enough to last for the next few summers. Big thanks also to Luca - Gran Paradiso turned out to be my favourite place on the trip, and your ticklist was invaluable. Every single one of your suggestions was spot on (although you could have warned me about the need for big gear on Fessura della Disperazione!!!! - 30m diagonal offwidth runouts are no fun, especially when your girlfriend is seconding!)
Well, sadly it's now over and I'm back in the UK briefly (before returning to Catalunya again).
When I was asking for recommendations several people requested a trip report afterwards, so here it is! Hopefully it may be of use to anyone planning a similar trip. I'm sure lots of people will disagree with some of my thoughts on certain areas but, hey, they're only my thoughts.
24th June - 13th July
CAVALLERS & TRAVESSANI
An amazing granite paradise in the Spanish pyrenees. From single pitch bolted sport routes and bouldering close to the Cavallers dam, right through to big multipitch trad outings higher up in Travessani, and everything in between. Generally speaking, the further you get from the car, the less bolts you find on the routes.
Highlights were:-
a) 4th Agulla de Comalestorres - 5-8 pitch routes like Blues (~E1 5b) and John Lee Hooker (~E4 6a) are as good as you'll find anywhere. Only spoilt by the number of pointless bolts placed (i.e. right next to perfect cracks!).
b) Travessani - 3(+) hour walk in to most of the sectors means very few people. Amazing, isolated single & multipitch crags in breathtaking scenery.
17th & 18th July
AILEFROIDE
In my opinion, much overrated.
Nice camping; disappointing and crowded crags (granted, we didn't explore much beyond what you can see from the camping so there may be better crags lurking?). The first 'classic' we did (La Snoopy - F6b) seemed just to be following a line up the only bits of rock not covered in vegetation. 'Voie des maitres' (F6c+/7a) was better, especially in its lower half, but the rock becomes really friable higher up. We weren't particularly sad to leave this place!
20th - 30th July
GRAN PARADISO (ORCO VALLEY)
I'm not really sure I want to write good things about this place, as it seems to be a very well kept secret at the moment, but in the interests of accuracy, here goes.
This was probably my favourite place on the whole trip. Arriving from overcrowded and overbolted Ailefroide it was like a different world. Huge, clean, steep granite walls on all sides of the many valleys, hardly any people on the crags (or just in the valleys generally it seemed), and very few bolts on the crags.
I guess its lack of popularity is mainly down to the lack of easy routes and often brutal/traditional style of climbing. Lots of jamming, offwidths and strenuous laybacking. I felt like you'd have to be climbing E2/3 and above to really get the best out of this place. The grading also seemed quite stiff. I found some pitches on a few 6b+/c routes to be equivalent to single pitch E5s in the UK.
Highlights were:- (pretty much every route we did)
Especially - Diedro Nanchez and Itaca nel Sole/Rattle Snake (both ~E3 5c) at Caporal, Mellano-Perego at Becco di Valsoera (I thought maybe E2 5bish? for its length), La Casa Degli Specchi at Torre di Aimonin (~E5 6a for its top pitch), Panorama su Forzo at Ancesieu (Not fully bolted but enough that a sport grade is more accurate - F6c+/7a).
2nd - 4th August
DOLOMITES
Again, I found this place overrated. Unbelievable numbers of people, ridiculously expensive and rock quality that left a lot to be desired! We only did the Comici here, but that was enough. I found the bottom half good, but after that it was just a long and loose scramble to finish it off. I guess there's more to Alpine climbing than just the quality of the rock and the climbing!! I would like to go back one day to do the Brandler-Hasse, as this seemed to be the good (i.e. steep) climbing from the Comici right the way to the top.
7th - 9th August
VAL DI MELLO
The main reason for going here was to do some valley cragging while we waited for some settled weather to head up to the Piz Badile. Unfortunately the weather never came. We got the valley classics of Luna Nascente and Oceano Irrazionale done in the meantime, amongst others, but it was the start of a frustrating period of pretty much 9 days solid rain.
It's an amazingly beautiful place with tons of long routes and good bouldering. Can get VERY crowded at weekends. Wild camping up in the valley above the two refuges seems to be tolerated if you're discreet. Having said that, there were some pretty big groups with lots of tents and BBQs/fires in full view of the refuge and they had no problems.
N.B. If you're going to do Oceano Irrazionale then make sure you check with someone about the approach. We spent 4hrs trying to find the fixed ropes at the start of the approach and I don't think that's uncommon! It's not very obvious.
10th - 20th August
GRIMSEL PASS
Rain, rain, rain, rain...
Eventually it stopped and we did Motorhead (very nice but too many bolts!) and Metal Hurlant (sandbag death slabs).
21st - 22nd August
SALBITSCHIJEN
We did the West Ridge only, but I've already planned to go back here. I didn't realise there was so much amazing rock on this one mountain. Some of the direct routes up the West Ridge towers looked brilliant, as well as the slabs with Incredible etc on.
NB. The West Ridge took 12.5hrs. We started at 4.30am and were already stuck behind a Swiss pair! Despite us catching them up very quickly and obviously climbing much faster they didn't let us pass until the 4th tower when they bailed. If you're not bothered about doing the ridge as fast as you can then I'd recommend taking two days over it for a more enjoyable experience. Starting late morning/midday so you're behind everyone else and then taking your time and bivying one one of the towers (lots of places, but the 3rd tower is good and also between the 4th & 5th towers) and then finishing it off the next day. Some of the bivi sites are even good enough to get a tent up, though you wouldn't believe it looking from below!
Also, make sure you take some water from the Salbit hut before you carry on to the Bivi hut/base of the route. We walked in the evening before the route (on the same day as walking out from Eldorado) and arrived knackered to the base of the route just before it went dark and found there was no water. We had to carry on a further 45mins up the scree slope to the base of the 4th tower to melt brown snow to cook with and to take on the route the next day. I'd never drunk dirty brown water filled with glacial sediment before that, and hope I never do again!
25th August
ENGELHORNER
We did the NE Face classic route of the Kingspitze. A bit like the Comici, it was good in the bottom half but chossy ledge shuffling towards the top. The descent was also a nightmare! Long, dodgy abs on shit pegs, steep scree downclimbing above nasty drops. I guess there must be an easier ab descent that we missed, as the guides surely wouldn't take their clients down that same descent?
And that was it. As I said, I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with some of my thoughts on certain areas, but hey.
Some photos from the trip are here:-
http://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/author.html?id=38087
And thanks again for the recommendations. I'm aiming to finish the list off next summer
Ali
The original thread with those recommendations is here: http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=394615&v=1#x5689431
Thank you to everyone who contributed. The list ended up being long enough to last for the next few summers. Big thanks also to Luca - Gran Paradiso turned out to be my favourite place on the trip, and your ticklist was invaluable. Every single one of your suggestions was spot on (although you could have warned me about the need for big gear on Fessura della Disperazione!!!! - 30m diagonal offwidth runouts are no fun, especially when your girlfriend is seconding!)
Well, sadly it's now over and I'm back in the UK briefly (before returning to Catalunya again).
When I was asking for recommendations several people requested a trip report afterwards, so here it is! Hopefully it may be of use to anyone planning a similar trip. I'm sure lots of people will disagree with some of my thoughts on certain areas but, hey, they're only my thoughts.
24th June - 13th July
CAVALLERS & TRAVESSANI
An amazing granite paradise in the Spanish pyrenees. From single pitch bolted sport routes and bouldering close to the Cavallers dam, right through to big multipitch trad outings higher up in Travessani, and everything in between. Generally speaking, the further you get from the car, the less bolts you find on the routes.
Highlights were:-
a) 4th Agulla de Comalestorres - 5-8 pitch routes like Blues (~E1 5b) and John Lee Hooker (~E4 6a) are as good as you'll find anywhere. Only spoilt by the number of pointless bolts placed (i.e. right next to perfect cracks!).
b) Travessani - 3(+) hour walk in to most of the sectors means very few people. Amazing, isolated single & multipitch crags in breathtaking scenery.
17th & 18th July
AILEFROIDE
In my opinion, much overrated.
Nice camping; disappointing and crowded crags (granted, we didn't explore much beyond what you can see from the camping so there may be better crags lurking?). The first 'classic' we did (La Snoopy - F6b) seemed just to be following a line up the only bits of rock not covered in vegetation. 'Voie des maitres' (F6c+/7a) was better, especially in its lower half, but the rock becomes really friable higher up. We weren't particularly sad to leave this place!
20th - 30th July
GRAN PARADISO (ORCO VALLEY)
I'm not really sure I want to write good things about this place, as it seems to be a very well kept secret at the moment, but in the interests of accuracy, here goes.
This was probably my favourite place on the whole trip. Arriving from overcrowded and overbolted Ailefroide it was like a different world. Huge, clean, steep granite walls on all sides of the many valleys, hardly any people on the crags (or just in the valleys generally it seemed), and very few bolts on the crags.
I guess its lack of popularity is mainly down to the lack of easy routes and often brutal/traditional style of climbing. Lots of jamming, offwidths and strenuous laybacking. I felt like you'd have to be climbing E2/3 and above to really get the best out of this place. The grading also seemed quite stiff. I found some pitches on a few 6b+/c routes to be equivalent to single pitch E5s in the UK.
Highlights were:- (pretty much every route we did)
Especially - Diedro Nanchez and Itaca nel Sole/Rattle Snake (both ~E3 5c) at Caporal, Mellano-Perego at Becco di Valsoera (I thought maybe E2 5bish? for its length), La Casa Degli Specchi at Torre di Aimonin (~E5 6a for its top pitch), Panorama su Forzo at Ancesieu (Not fully bolted but enough that a sport grade is more accurate - F6c+/7a).
2nd - 4th August
DOLOMITES
Again, I found this place overrated. Unbelievable numbers of people, ridiculously expensive and rock quality that left a lot to be desired! We only did the Comici here, but that was enough. I found the bottom half good, but after that it was just a long and loose scramble to finish it off. I guess there's more to Alpine climbing than just the quality of the rock and the climbing!! I would like to go back one day to do the Brandler-Hasse, as this seemed to be the good (i.e. steep) climbing from the Comici right the way to the top.
7th - 9th August
VAL DI MELLO
The main reason for going here was to do some valley cragging while we waited for some settled weather to head up to the Piz Badile. Unfortunately the weather never came. We got the valley classics of Luna Nascente and Oceano Irrazionale done in the meantime, amongst others, but it was the start of a frustrating period of pretty much 9 days solid rain.
It's an amazingly beautiful place with tons of long routes and good bouldering. Can get VERY crowded at weekends. Wild camping up in the valley above the two refuges seems to be tolerated if you're discreet. Having said that, there were some pretty big groups with lots of tents and BBQs/fires in full view of the refuge and they had no problems.
N.B. If you're going to do Oceano Irrazionale then make sure you check with someone about the approach. We spent 4hrs trying to find the fixed ropes at the start of the approach and I don't think that's uncommon! It's not very obvious.
10th - 20th August
GRIMSEL PASS
Rain, rain, rain, rain...
Eventually it stopped and we did Motorhead (very nice but too many bolts!) and Metal Hurlant (sandbag death slabs).
21st - 22nd August
SALBITSCHIJEN
We did the West Ridge only, but I've already planned to go back here. I didn't realise there was so much amazing rock on this one mountain. Some of the direct routes up the West Ridge towers looked brilliant, as well as the slabs with Incredible etc on.
NB. The West Ridge took 12.5hrs. We started at 4.30am and were already stuck behind a Swiss pair! Despite us catching them up very quickly and obviously climbing much faster they didn't let us pass until the 4th tower when they bailed. If you're not bothered about doing the ridge as fast as you can then I'd recommend taking two days over it for a more enjoyable experience. Starting late morning/midday so you're behind everyone else and then taking your time and bivying one one of the towers (lots of places, but the 3rd tower is good and also between the 4th & 5th towers) and then finishing it off the next day. Some of the bivi sites are even good enough to get a tent up, though you wouldn't believe it looking from below!
Also, make sure you take some water from the Salbit hut before you carry on to the Bivi hut/base of the route. We walked in the evening before the route (on the same day as walking out from Eldorado) and arrived knackered to the base of the route just before it went dark and found there was no water. We had to carry on a further 45mins up the scree slope to the base of the 4th tower to melt brown snow to cook with and to take on the route the next day. I'd never drunk dirty brown water filled with glacial sediment before that, and hope I never do again!
25th August
ENGELHORNER
We did the NE Face classic route of the Kingspitze. A bit like the Comici, it was good in the bottom half but chossy ledge shuffling towards the top. The descent was also a nightmare! Long, dodgy abs on shit pegs, steep scree downclimbing above nasty drops. I guess there must be an easier ab descent that we missed, as the guides surely wouldn't take their clients down that same descent?
And that was it. As I said, I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with some of my thoughts on certain areas, but hey.
Some photos from the trip are here:-
http://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/author.html?id=38087
And thanks again for the recommendations. I'm aiming to finish the list off next summer
Ali
In reply to ali k:
Looks like a class trip. And an absolutly crackin' set of pics.
Looks like a class trip. And an absolutly crackin' set of pics.
In reply to ali k:
Nice to know I’ve been of help! Regarding the rest
- Apparently you missed by just few days climbing the Mellano-Perego-Cavalieri route at the Becco di Valsoera together with Andrea Mellano itself! The old man, a very good mate of mine – he’s 76 now – still climbs very hard, and did his own route again for the 50 anniversary of the first ascent. He was 26 when he climbed it originally, more or less your age, you may enjoy the notion you’ve another 50 years of hard climbing to go! Andrea went on to be the first Italian to climb the alpine trilogy, the first to climb the NF of Eiger and he almost soloed the SE face of Langtang Lirung in Nepal in 1964, quite an amazing career.
- Grades in Orco – yes, they’re compressed, sometimes ridiculously so. Definitely not French grades, something like halfway up between French and British numerical. Should be considered a scale by itself. It’s the result of a long process of people downgrading the routes as repeats mounted, often just for the sake of it. Oviglia “Rock Paradise” is at the moment the standard for evaluating grades in Orco, but even goo Maurizio is not completely innocent when compression goes
- Fessura della Disperazione – bring a #6 and two #5 and you’ll be OK. Yes, I know, I had to tell you BEFORE you came to Orco!
Nice to know I’ve been of help! Regarding the rest
- Apparently you missed by just few days climbing the Mellano-Perego-Cavalieri route at the Becco di Valsoera together with Andrea Mellano itself! The old man, a very good mate of mine – he’s 76 now – still climbs very hard, and did his own route again for the 50 anniversary of the first ascent. He was 26 when he climbed it originally, more or less your age, you may enjoy the notion you’ve another 50 years of hard climbing to go! Andrea went on to be the first Italian to climb the alpine trilogy, the first to climb the NF of Eiger and he almost soloed the SE face of Langtang Lirung in Nepal in 1964, quite an amazing career.
- Grades in Orco – yes, they’re compressed, sometimes ridiculously so. Definitely not French grades, something like halfway up between French and British numerical. Should be considered a scale by itself. It’s the result of a long process of people downgrading the routes as repeats mounted, often just for the sake of it. Oviglia “Rock Paradise” is at the moment the standard for evaluating grades in Orco, but even goo Maurizio is not completely innocent when compression goes
- Fessura della Disperazione – bring a #6 and two #5 and you’ll be OK. Yes, I know, I had to tell you BEFORE you came to Orco!
In reply to ali k:
Sounds like an ace trip. Ailefroide and the Dolomites I've always quite enjoyed, but they certainly aren't quiet. Cavallers sounds ace - what's the weather reliability like? Will have to look at the other thread to see ifthere are any links to find out more...
Sounds like an ace trip. Ailefroide and the Dolomites I've always quite enjoyed, but they certainly aren't quiet. Cavallers sounds ace - what's the weather reliability like? Will have to look at the other thread to see ifthere are any links to find out more...
In reply to ali k: thanks for all that great photos too!
In reply to ali k: Looks like an awesome trip, those pictures are brilliant. I am a a bit curious about what you said about the Dolomites, it's somewhere that I really want to head out to.
In reply to Luca Signorelli:
re: Fessura della Disperazione - in some ways it was nice to climb it as the first ascentionist must have (i.e. with no gear), although my girlfriend didn't think so at the time!
re: Mellano-Perego-Cavalieri - I enjoyed this route alot, despite having some (unseasonably?) cold weather. There was a bitter wind blowing all day, and obviously it doesn't come into the sun until around midday, so I was climbing in 3 layers plus a down jacket the whole way (with very numb fingers - even in the sun!). Hopefully Andrea had a warmer day when he did it!
I'd like to go back here one day to try some of the harder offerings on the right of the face.
re: Fessura della Disperazione - in some ways it was nice to climb it as the first ascentionist must have (i.e. with no gear), although my girlfriend didn't think so at the time!
re: Mellano-Perego-Cavalieri - I enjoyed this route alot, despite having some (unseasonably?) cold weather. There was a bitter wind blowing all day, and obviously it doesn't come into the sun until around midday, so I was climbing in 3 layers plus a down jacket the whole way (with very numb fingers - even in the sun!). Hopefully Andrea had a warmer day when he did it!
I'd like to go back here one day to try some of the harder offerings on the right of the face.
> You may enjoy the notion you’ve another 50 years of hard climbing to go!
yeh that would be nice! In reply to AJM:
A lot of the crack lines are drainage channels/ice falls earlier in the year, so many routes are wet through seepage even until late June. Plus higher up in the Travessani area there is usually alot of snow until around June time. It's a very popular area for ice climbing in the winter, athough then you have to walk in for several hours from the hotel, as the road is under a lot of snow!
> Cavallers sounds ace - what's the weather reliability like?
Good. Although it has a tendency for afternoon storms (no surprise there, being high in the Pyrenees).A lot of the crack lines are drainage channels/ice falls earlier in the year, so many routes are wet through seepage even until late June. Plus higher up in the Travessani area there is usually alot of snow until around June time. It's a very popular area for ice climbing in the winter, athough then you have to walk in for several hours from the hotel, as the road is under a lot of snow!
> Will have to look at the other thread to see if there are any links to find out more...
I'm considering writing a destination article for this area, as I've spent quite a bit of time here recently. But whether I actually find time to do it is another matter! If you are considering going and want more info in the meantime then let me know. In reply to Soap:
This wasn't helped by the fact that we'd just come from Gran Paradiso, where I was totally overwhelmed by the amazing climbing and distinct lack of people anywhere.
> I am a bit curious about what you said about the Dolomites, it's somewhere that I really want to head out to.
I'm sure you'll be able to find loads of people to tell you how good it is. And it is a beautiful place! I think maybe I was just expecting more from it climbing-wise, so was disappointed. Especially since we did what I thought was regarded as THE classic route, the Comici, and found it a bit disappointing.This wasn't helped by the fact that we'd just come from Gran Paradiso, where I was totally overwhelmed by the amazing climbing and distinct lack of people anywhere.
In reply to ali k:
Thanks for the beta ali - good to know. Can't imagine I'll be out there any time soon but I will file it away as a place to look into in the future.....
Dolomites - I kind of know what you mean. I was there this summer and did a route which the AC guide touts as one of the best in its area (Michelluzi on the Piz Ciavazes - appaling spelling I'm sure). It was good, but in a way there were no stand out pitches that made you say "wow", it was more that there were a lot of pretty good pitches and not a single pitch that was rubbish, which so often spoils routes in that you end up with some nice climbing interspersed with pitches of tottering nonsense.
I think in some ways one of the stand out things about the dollies is not as much the absolute quality of the climbing (although I did do some good pitches, don't get me wrong!), but the fact that it gets steep quite quickly as you go up through the grades and so at comparatively low grades you get into incredible positions very easily. I suppose at higher grades you have more choice of places where you get into those positions and so, especially if you are climbing within your limit as you were on the Comici, you might feel underwhelmed. I'm keen to go back for future visits, without question, but I think I've probably got a narrower selection of "target routes" in the dolomites (the Comici is still one of them, plus stuff on the Marmolada looks very good too as other high-profile targets)
And it certainly is busy!
AJM
Thanks for the beta ali - good to know. Can't imagine I'll be out there any time soon but I will file it away as a place to look into in the future.....
Dolomites - I kind of know what you mean. I was there this summer and did a route which the AC guide touts as one of the best in its area (Michelluzi on the Piz Ciavazes - appaling spelling I'm sure). It was good, but in a way there were no stand out pitches that made you say "wow", it was more that there were a lot of pretty good pitches and not a single pitch that was rubbish, which so often spoils routes in that you end up with some nice climbing interspersed with pitches of tottering nonsense.
I think in some ways one of the stand out things about the dollies is not as much the absolute quality of the climbing (although I did do some good pitches, don't get me wrong!), but the fact that it gets steep quite quickly as you go up through the grades and so at comparatively low grades you get into incredible positions very easily. I suppose at higher grades you have more choice of places where you get into those positions and so, especially if you are climbing within your limit as you were on the Comici, you might feel underwhelmed. I'm keen to go back for future visits, without question, but I think I've probably got a narrower selection of "target routes" in the dolomites (the Comici is still one of them, plus stuff on the Marmolada looks very good too as other high-profile targets)
And it certainly is busy!
AJM
In reply to ali k:
sounds like you had a good trip. We ended up in the Valle dell'Orco after being snowed off the MB area and were very impressed. Unfortunately we arrived at the hut just as the snow descended so didn't get on Becco di Valsorea (why a great hut and road to get to it though). We managed to Diedro Nanchez in the drizzle which is a brilliant route, glad to see you thought E3 as well.
Was the ab from the top of Becc di Valsorea easy to find? Did you go to the summit or the shoulder? There seems to be so much to do in the area although I'm not sure about the number of wide cracks......
sounds like you had a good trip. We ended up in the Valle dell'Orco after being snowed off the MB area and were very impressed. Unfortunately we arrived at the hut just as the snow descended so didn't get on Becco di Valsorea (why a great hut and road to get to it though). We managed to Diedro Nanchez in the drizzle which is a brilliant route, glad to see you thought E3 as well.
Was the ab from the top of Becc di Valsorea easy to find? Did you go to the summit or the shoulder? There seems to be so much to do in the area although I'm not sure about the number of wide cracks......
In reply to AJM:
> I think in some ways one of the stand out things about the dollies is the fact that it gets steep quite quickly as you go up through the grades and so at comparatively low grades you get into incredible positions very easily.
Yes, very true. Thinking about it, I guess there aren't many E3s that are as continuously steep as the Comici (in the lower half, anyway). And certainly not in mountain areas like that. In reply to Tyler:
We camped beyond the hut, just before the final scree slope on the approach to the Becco di Valsoera so didn't stay there. The hut's in an incredible position though isn't it!
This photo was taken while we were abbing back down and you can see a guy in red on what I presume is the proper ab line: http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=153236
> we arrived at the hut just as the snow descended so didn't get on Becco di Valsorea (why a great hut and road to get to it though).
Yeh it's a pretty amazing road isn't it! Possibly more impressive than the Trollstigen road in Norway.We camped beyond the hut, just before the final scree slope on the approach to the Becco di Valsoera so didn't stay there. The hut's in an incredible position though isn't it!
> Was the ab from the top of Becco di Valsorea easy to find? Did you go to the summit or the shoulder?
We just went to the shoulder and then abbed back down the route (not recommended, as some of the belays in the upper half were off pretty rotten pegs). I think the true abseil line is further to the right, down the steeper face to the tower and then down from there. This photo was taken while we were abbing back down and you can see a guy in red on what I presume is the proper ab line: http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=153236
In reply to ali k:
Instructions to make the most of the Piantonetto reservoir road: wait for a clear and sunny morning, bring a CD (or a MP3) with Ligeti "Requiem" (the one used by Kubrick in 2001 for the scene where the apes "discover" the monolith). Make sure you pass the last bridge above San Giacomo - going up toward the lake, of course - just after sunrise, then start the music at top volume driving . Guaranteed to give you the creeps for the rest of the week!
Incredible position, but the most incredible thing is Mara, the warden-ess - the Princess of Piantonetto. She must have more fans around the world than Madonna. I know people that would jump in the lake for her if she just asked!
The descent line is via "Nel Corso Del Tempo"
http://www.gulliver.it/uploaded_gulliver/big/blt_40197.jpg
9 abseils, bolted, 50m long.
> (In reply to Tyler)
> [...]
> Yeh it's a pretty amazing road isn't it! Possibly more impressive than the Trollstigen road in Norway.
> [...]
> Yeh it's a pretty amazing road isn't it! Possibly more impressive than the Trollstigen road in Norway.
Instructions to make the most of the Piantonetto reservoir road: wait for a clear and sunny morning, bring a CD (or a MP3) with Ligeti "Requiem" (the one used by Kubrick in 2001 for the scene where the apes "discover" the monolith). Make sure you pass the last bridge above San Giacomo - going up toward the lake, of course - just after sunrise, then start the music at top volume driving . Guaranteed to give you the creeps for the rest of the week!
> We camped beyond the hut, just before the final scree slope on the approach to the Becco di Valsoera so didn't stay there. The hut's in an incredible position though isn't it!
Incredible position, but the most incredible thing is Mara, the warden-ess - the Princess of Piantonetto. She must have more fans around the world than Madonna. I know people that would jump in the lake for her if she just asked!
>
> [...]
> We just went to the shoulder and then abbed back down the route (not recommended, as some of the belays in the upper half were off pretty rotten pegs). I think the true abseil line is further to the right, down the steeper face to the tower and then down from there.
> This photo was taken while we were abbing back down and you can see a guy in red on what I presume is the proper ab line: http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=153236
> [...]
> We just went to the shoulder and then abbed back down the route (not recommended, as some of the belays in the upper half were off pretty rotten pegs). I think the true abseil line is further to the right, down the steeper face to the tower and then down from there.
> This photo was taken while we were abbing back down and you can see a guy in red on what I presume is the proper ab line: http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=153236
The descent line is via "Nel Corso Del Tempo"
http://www.gulliver.it/uploaded_gulliver/big/blt_40197.jpg
9 abseils, bolted, 50m long.
In reply to ali k:
They (the FA) tried to build some kind of prehistoric movable pro using clamps and wooden "clogs" but it didn't worked, so Danilo Galante, who did almost all the leading, just went for it.
"Nel Corso del Tempo" and "Stairway to Heaven" are very popular now. Personally I'm fascinated by the longer and less extreme but more serious Leonessa-Tron line on the extreme R of the face (goes to the summmit), but I know that a lot of people doesnt like it.
There's a lot more on Piantonetto than the Becca di Valsoera however - Torre Rossa del Piantonetto, Monte Nero, BEcca della Tribolazione...
> (In reply to Luca Signorelli)
>
> re: Fessura della Disperazione - in some ways it was nice to climb it as the first ascentionist must have (i.e. with no gear), although my girlfriend didn't think so at the time!
>
> re: Fessura della Disperazione - in some ways it was nice to climb it as the first ascentionist must have (i.e. with no gear), although my girlfriend didn't think so at the time!
They (the FA) tried to build some kind of prehistoric movable pro using clamps and wooden "clogs" but it didn't worked, so Danilo Galante, who did almost all the leading, just went for it.
>
> > I'd like to go back here one day to try some of the harder offerings on the right of the face.
> > I'd like to go back here one day to try some of the harder offerings on the right of the face.
"Nel Corso del Tempo" and "Stairway to Heaven" are very popular now. Personally I'm fascinated by the longer and less extreme but more serious Leonessa-Tron line on the extreme R of the face (goes to the summmit), but I know that a lot of people doesnt like it.
There's a lot more on Piantonetto than the Becca di Valsoera however - Torre Rossa del Piantonetto, Monte Nero, BEcca della Tribolazione...
In reply to ali k:
Sounds like a great trip! Nice one.
Just one thing about the Dolomites - I don't think you can judge from one route that the whole place is very busy, overhyped and full of choss. You did go to the Tre Cime, the busiest place there, It's like going to Stanage Popluar End on a bank holiday and complaining about the people! The Dolomites have tons to offer with some amazingly good rock and some very quiet places, you just have to go half an hour away from the Tre Cime.
Sounds like a great trip! Nice one.
Just one thing about the Dolomites - I don't think you can judge from one route that the whole place is very busy, overhyped and full of choss. You did go to the Tre Cime, the busiest place there, It's like going to Stanage Popluar End on a bank holiday and complaining about the people! The Dolomites have tons to offer with some amazingly good rock and some very quiet places, you just have to go half an hour away from the Tre Cime.
In reply to ali k:
Great write up Ali, and sounds like you had a great trip.
I wonder if, along with your photos, it's worth making a 'proper' UKC article about it? Although now you've posted it all with links to the photos, I don't suppose there's that much point.
Great write up Ali, and sounds like you had a great trip.
I wonder if, along with your photos, it's worth making a 'proper' UKC article about it? Although now you've posted it all with links to the photos, I don't suppose there's that much point.
In reply to ali k:
Ok, the newest Orco valley guidebook (in English) has been just released. Authored of course by Maurizio Oviglia!
http://www.versantesud.it/INGLESE/dettaglio.asp?id=276
The guidebook covers all the valley floor climbing structures (Sergent, Caporal, Aimonin etc). Not lateral valley or altitude climbs (these will be covered by the new and revised edition of Rock Paradise).
I really think Maurizio outdid himself on this one. I volunteer to write a review if UKC is interested!!!
Ok, the newest Orco valley guidebook (in English) has been just released. Authored of course by Maurizio Oviglia!
http://www.versantesud.it/INGLESE/dettaglio.asp?id=276
The guidebook covers all the valley floor climbing structures (Sergent, Caporal, Aimonin etc). Not lateral valley or altitude climbs (these will be covered by the new and revised edition of Rock Paradise).
I really think Maurizio outdid himself on this one. I volunteer to write a review if UKC is interested!!!
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