Trad M10 - World's Hardest Trad Mixed Route?

by Chris Parker - Rock & Ice Magazine Feb/2013
This news story has been read 7,022 times

In this report by Rock and Ice Magazine, Chris Parker gives us the low down on a new mixed route in the Dolomites. Is an M10 route the hardest trad mixed route in the world? Do we have any harder or as hard lines in Scotland? Interestingly the Austrians left not only the bolts, but also the pegs behind for this route. Read on:

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+Albert Leichtfried placing gear on the crux pitch of Senza Piombo, 114 kb
Albert Leichtfried placing gear on the crux pitch of Senza Piombo
UKC News, Feb 2013
© Klaus Kranbitter The Austrians Albert Leichtfried and Benedikt Purner have established what is possibly the world's hardest traditional mixed climb. Senza Piombo is located in Val Lunga, in the Dolomites of northern Italy and is a naturally protected five-pitch M10.

"Our dream of the first M10 protected with natural tools came true," writes Leichtfried. "We were able to focus all the hard mixed climbing and ice climbing from the previous years, for this single point."

The Austrians started climbing Senza Piombo on January 27, beginning with "bizarre ice formations" and difficulties up to M6 and WI5. Arriving on a ledge at the end of the second pitch, the team encountered the first crux of the route.

"From there on the character of the route changed dramatically and in front of us we saw an overhanging rock face with very little structure," wrote Leichtfried. "[W]e thought this might be it and we couldn't maintain our clean style. I was very impressed that even though it didn't seem to be possible, Benni [Purner] climbed on and left all the pitons and bolts at the belay."

Purner sent pitch three onsight, and Leichtfried took the sharp end on the route's crux fourth pitch. Encountering steep rock with marginal protection, Leichtfried took two gear-ripping falls where his cams "dropped out of the shallow crack," leaving him at his "wit's end." The team retreated, leaving the fourth mixed pitch and the final ice curtain for another day.

Returning three days later, Leichtfried fired the fourth pitch, and then swapped leads with Purner who climbed the final ice curtain, which was "rather scary" due to warm weather. Senza Piombo (M10 WI5 140m) is possibly the hardest traditionally protected mixed route in the world.

+Albert Leichtfried on the crux of Senza Piombo, 121 kb
Albert Leichtfried on the crux of Senza Piombo
UKC News, Feb 2013
© Klaus Kranbitter
+Senza Piombo, 94 kb
Senza Piombo
UKC News, Feb 2013
© Albert Leichtfried

Albert Leichtfried is sponsored by Marmot, Black Diamond, La Sportiva, Adidas Eyewear, Bergzeit, Sterling Rope


* Forums ( Read More... | 17 comments, 06 Feb 2013 )
Fight fight fight. It's got a very long approach for a Brit - Manchester to Milan, hire car and then the walk in, that should up this new unspoken Scottish commitment grade a bit :) Ukc/Albert - let me google that for...
zero six - 05 Feb 2013

Congratulations Albert - the climb looks spectacular and wonderful climbing, regardless of grade! And the bit about falling off and ripping the cams out makes it sound pretty terrifying too! Climbing wouldn't be as fun...
TobyA - 05 Feb 2013

The headline and article were written using the UKC controversy generator machine. The UKC CGM demands inclusion of "Bolts", "Hardest in the world" and "Plucky Brits. just as good as devious...
flaneur - 05 Feb 2013

Hi folks, to clear things a bit up: I never said, that "Senza piombo" would be the hardest trad route - that is a construct of rock&ice. As you can see on my website, I said it is the first M10 what I...
AlbertL - 05 Feb 2013

Mission IMpossible and Flying Circus don't count as there's fixed pro gear. Not sure about the comment about the Hurting, all visiting continental climbers in scotland don't seem to sweat too much, i.e Dani Arnold in...
Ramon Marin - 05 Feb 2013

Impossible to say, as you're not comparing like with like. This is hugely impressive, but is definitively continental, ie dry-tooling steep limestone to access hanging ice-formations, just without the bolts. Harder...
Jamie B - 05 Feb 2013

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