The history of single pitch routes in the Sarca Valley and its surroundings

The history of single pitch routes in the Sarca Valley and its surroundings

by Antonella Cicogna

The single pitch crags in Valle del Sarca and the nearby areas are something that youngsters have always known. A fact. However, it all had a beginning, An instant which moved from its origin of what today is among the most popular climbing parks in Europe and the world. And this instant can be translated into a change of perspective from alpinism.

1972 and 1982

The turning point: Colodri east face and Specchio delle mie brame In 1972, exactly on the 1st October of that year, something happens. The alpinists Ugo and Mauro Ischia, Giuliano Emanuelli and Fabio Calzà from Arco realize the potential of Monte Colodri, the local mountain, and open Umberta Bertamini, the first route on the east face. The route up the east face of Colodri in the vertical panorama is a first, it is a turning point for the future development of single pitches in Valle del Sarca. From here onwards the east face will in fact be covered by new beautiful lines; through time it will collect the intuitions of many other climbers among these Giuliano Stenghel, Luigi Giacomelli, Franco Zenatti, Giovanni Groaz, Roberto Bassi, Heinz Mariacher, Manolo Maurizio Zanolla, Renzo Vettori, Giorgio Vaccari... The difficulties will increase, routes such as Tyszkyewicz (1976), Renata Rossi (1979), White Crack (1979) will appear... And in 1982, always on Colodri, a new turning point: the first sports climbing route opened from above in the Sarca Valley. Its name is Specchio delle mie brame, a variant of Renata Rossi. The authors are Roberto Bassi and Heinz Mariacher. The two climbers place an expansion bolt to open the route.

Early eighties

Single pitches in the vertical vocabulary. Honky Tonky, full on bolting Between 1982 and 1984, as well as the continuous development of multi pitch routes at Monte Casale, Cima alle Coste, in Mandrea, Colodri on Parete Zebrata with increasingly sustained difficulties, another change of scene occurs. The terrain on which these challenges are tackled lower down on “sea level”, the difficulties are concentrated along a few dozen metres. Single pitch routes become the new word in the vocabulary of climbing. A close-knit group of climbers contribute to this development, they already climb on Colodri: Mariacher, Bassi. With them Luisa Iovane, Manolo, Aldo Leviti.... Entirely bolted the new route Honky Tonky at Spiaggia delle Lucertole is born, equipped by Bassi and Mauro De Gasperi. New modern crags in a modern sense are born: Nuovi Orizzonti, San Paolo, Swing Area, Spiaggia delle Lucertole. On lines which still to this day are true masterpieces of 7a, 7b and 7c, rocky jewels for those who have perfect footwork and confidence climbing on slabs, the first rules of sports climbing thus develop. Routes will be graded following the grading scale used in France, where sports climbing has already begun to flourish. Climbing ethics will have a new type of flavour: you can only climb from the ground up without resting, and if you fall you have to start all over again. New smeary climbing shoes, step after step, will follow the progress of climbing in the Valley. Chalk, sit har- nesses and leggings begin to appear.

Mid eighties

La Gola, Massone, and the first overhangs If part of the historic group of climbers (Manolo, Mariacher, Iovane) leaves Arco, near the end of 1984 Roberto Bassi will improve La Gola in Toblino (Guardrail) who has already seen the hands of Mariacher and Manolo (Tursen, 007, Don Camillo). In the meantime another crag in the area of Arco will be part of the climbers’ lives thanks to the intuition of Giovanni Groax and Dammy Zampiccoli: Massone. And it will be thanks to Diego Depretto (who in the meantime will develop Colodri South and will continue bolting Nuovi Orizzonti, which began thanks to Aldo Leviti and Renato Bernard, very busy) that many sectors of this incredible bastion of golden coloured rock will develop. With an ever increasing offer of single pitch routes of varying difficulties, the Sarca Valley will become a well known and popular area for climbers from all over the world. The Remy brothers, Jerry Moffat, Ron Fawcett, Wolfgang Güllich, Patrick Edlinger all come to open and try and the new routes…New ideas and experiences, new styles will contaminate climbing in the Valley. As well as slab climbing, overhang climbing starts to develop. And the drill will be introduced as part of the equipment needed to open routes.

Mid ‘80s -1990

Sport Roccia 86; the first free ascents from 8a to 8b/+ 1986: is the second year that an international climbing competition is held in Italy. After Bardonecchia (which sees the birth of the first ever international sports climbing competition thanks to an idea of Andrea Mellano, from the Italian Academic Alpine Club, in partnership with the sports journalist Emanuele Cassarà) it is now the turn of the Sarca Valley, together with Bardonecchia. Below Colodri (Sport Roccia 86) 150 challengers from different countries will take part in the competition which will see Patrick Edlinger win. It will be the rock stadium of the Rock Master (born from an

. three large and fully equipped apartments . in the very centre of Arco . private courtyard . bike and sport equipment storage . free parking pass . free WIFI

via Vergolano 51 - Arco (TN) +393403511026

The history of single pitch routes in the Sarca Valley and its surroundings idea developed by Mario Morandini, Ennio Lattisi, Sergio Calzà, Giuliano Emanuelli, Giuseppe Filippi, Angelo Seneci, Albino Marchi – first edition 1987) and of all the events connected to this large event. But it is not the only new happening. The group of climbers, route openers and those discovering the new crags in the Valley continues to grow. Rolando Larcher, Danilo Bonvecchio, Diego Mabboni, Giorgio Manica...And the vertical ferment promoted by them will bring precious fruition. Larcher, in 1986, will free in September Elephant Baby 8a at San Paolo and in November Gravity Games 8a+ (today 8b/+ because it was modified by Legrand) at the Eremo of San Paolo. These are the first routes to be chipped in the Valley, but above all it is the first 8a’s and 8a+s. The successive year at La Gola, with the free ascent of Futura 8b (today 8a+), Bassi will prove once again to be the undisputed magician of slabs, while new crags will carve the stage extending the panorama of single pitch routes from south to north of the Valley. Bassi discovers Santa Massenza, Stefano Pegoretti San Siro. Both crags will develop thanks to Danilo Bonvecchio, who discovered and bolted the magnificent Terlago. On the other side, Nomesino in Val di Gresta, born thanks to the intuition of Ermanno Dossi and Giuliano Dorigatti, becomes a great hit among the top climbers. Larcher in 1988 will free the 8b Energia = MC2 (after climbing in spring time the first natural 8a : Fafifurni, bolted by Angelo Giovannetti at Passo San Giovanni). Diego Depretto discovers Nago and begins to bolt it, with the successive intervention of Luigi Colò in the upper section. The eighties will end with the free ascent on the 14th of February 1989 of Maratona 8b+ (now 8b) by Larcher at Mas- sone (first route in the Il Pueblo sector in 1987) and Mojado 8b/+ by Bassi at La Gola. The first routes of that difficulty in the Valley.

1990-1995

Bolting and rebolting… from Arco Roc to Sisyphos. And overhangs reign supreme While in 1991 Rolando Larcher free climbs Super Maratona 8b+ at Massone, the activity of opening and bolting new crags and routes will continue simultaneously with the ever increasing turnout of climbers equipped even with gri-gris. Massone, Nago, Spiaggia delle Lucertole, San Siro, Baone, Passo San Giovanni, Crosano, are fixed and re-bolted thanks to Arco Roc and Depretto and Camillo Mattei. Bassi and his friends in 1994 all together will start to re bolt La Gola. The climbers are Bonvecchio, Larcher, Marco Curti, Mauro Turri, Andrea Stenico. All under the name “Gruppo Sisyphos”, Just like the King of Corinth Sisyphos, condemned by Zeus to the never ending and onerous task of stopping the course of an enormous boulder which rolls down without respite from one side of the mountain to the other. The crags in fact have been discovered, but they need to be bolted then re-bolted to maintain their state. A very costly affair, and practically everything is paid from the bolter’s own pocket. A never ending affair, never ending just like Sisyphos’s. And when Bassi will lose his life in a road accident that same year, Sisyphos will go on for a few more years thanks to the energy and spirit of its founder. In 1995 Fabio Leoni, Roland Galvagni, Daniele Lira, Michele Cagol and many others will be part of the group. In the shop Vertical Sport which Leoni has recently inaugurated at Pietra Murata money is collected for the projects of creating new crags, and for re-bolting the new crags. New sectors are born: Transatlantico, Muro di Chitarra, Giardino di Nato, il Diamante del BA.RO, the wall of Sisyphos, Camerette, Cavedine, Lon. Bonvecchio bolts Margone and Cavedine. La Gola will continue to grow... Many of the crags are opened on private land, and it is also thanks to the availability of the land owners who confide in climbers’ good manners that climbing on single pitches will continue to offer an increasingly and ever growing panorama to mixed group of climbers. The large overhangs bolted by Depretto in the upper part of Massone in 1993 attract an increasingly large number of climbers, while overhangs become popular among the top climbers.

From 1995 to the end of the millennium

Terra Promessa is born, il Pueblo expands. And what seems like the first 9a is climbed Reinhold, Reini Scherer and François Legrand will form during the second half of the nineties a winning partnership. It is thanks to Scherer that in 1995 the sector Pueblo at Massone is systematically

bolted, originally inaugurated by Larcher. It is thanks to François, together with Reinhold, that in 1997 the first super overhanging pitches at Terra Promessa are bolted, Reini’s Vibes 8c/+ at Massone and Claudio Caffè 8c/+ at Terra Promessa, freed by Legrand while he prepared for the ’97 Rock Master which he went on to win, are the maximum difficulties in the Valley at the moment. But just one year later, Massone will register another record in the history of climbing. Manfred Stuffer on Underground, a route which requires great athletic strength on nice holds to be held for a number of minutes. The line (bolted by Reini Scherer and Gerhard Hörhager) starts from the bowels of the earth with difficult boulder sequences which lead to an enormous overhang. It seems to be the first 9a in the Valley and awaits repetitions to confirm its grade. The millennium ends with new crags. Among these Red Point Wall: while a beautiful crag overlooking Toblino Lake is dedicated to Roberto Bassi: Bassilandia. Fabio Leoni and Gianguido Dalfovo bolt the majority of the routes, but even Larcher, Curti, Lino Celva, Michele Cagol take part in the bolting. All well known names in the Valley, climbers who climb, bolt and repeat. The crags of Sarche and Limarock are born. Bonvecchio goes ahead with a project which started some time ago and develops into Climax.

A thousand more

2000-2009: New free ascents of overhangs and slabs, reaching 8c+/9a Giampaolo Calzà rebolts San Paolo and the Pilastro delle Vergini. Sauro Merighi will discover and bolt the crags of Grottosauro and Ottava Meraviglia; Gianguido Dalfovo and Lino Celva bolt La Pizzeria. Bonvecchio and Simone Banal will concentrate their energies on the new sector at Ranzo, adding new routes to Limarock and rebolting Santa Massenza (together with Fabio Leoni). The great wall of Tassilandia, with Verdon style routes on com- pact and grey rock of medium difficulty, Narango, is bolted by Domenico Tonelli and partners, offering climbers a breath taking view over the basin of Nago and the Upper Garda area. The difficult cave of Coel dela Val dela Porta will be added (Larcher, Bonvecchio and partners) requiring endurance and finger strength on overhangs. And new difficult free ascents will enter the vertical history of this area. In 2003 Christian Bindhammer signs Zauberfee 8c+, (now 8c+/9a) to the super difficult and super over- hanging crag Eremo di San Paolo. During that year it is the Valley’s second most difficult route (first free ascent by Angela Eiter in 2014). Gianguido Dalfovo, the specialist of difficult routes on vertical walls and slabs in 2005 at Bassilandia will free Compañero 8b. In the meantime Nicolas Favresse will free Biologico 8a+, the most difficult trad/bolt route in the Valley of the moment, which he will open two minutes from Eremo di San Paolo. And then in 2008 Andreas Bindhammer will climb St.Anger 8c/9a+ (now 8c+), always at Eremo, making a dream come true which he has been working on. Difficulties above 8b and two sequences which according to Bindhammer, reach the 8th grade on the bouldering scale of difficulty. Other great projects will be climbed. A few bolted some years earlier by Roberto Bassi himself. This is the case of Madame doc 8b, on the smooth wall of Pezzent Area (Gola di Toblino) freed in 2008 by Cristian Giovannini. Always in 2008 on an extraordinary rock face covered in edges, Favresse will free an old project of Bonvecchio, Thin Ice (Terlago). This route in 2009, will be repeated a few days one from the other, by Riccardo Scarian, Manolo and Gianguido Dalfovo, confirming the beauty and grading it 8c. In April of 2009, Riccardo Scarian will climb Adidas 8b+at Coel dela Val dela Porta, which in a few years time has become one of the reference points for strong climbers in the area of Arco. In the meantime, the scene of climbers who are able to enjoy the crags in the Valley is offering a variegated and flowing mix of people, with a continuous increase of foreign climbers. Other crags develop thanks to the initiative of private bolters. Among these Piccola Dallas and the nice Babilonia (Leoni), Castello di Drena and Mandrea (Merighi). While Regina del Lago, near Lake Ledro and Riva del Garda, and Belvedere in the lower sector (sector B) contribute to increasing the easier routes in Valle del Sarca. In 2009 the six administrative offices of Garda Trentino, directed by the Azienda di Promozione Turistica (now Garda), established a permanent work table to plan the development of infrastructures

for sports and outdoor activities. That is how the Outdoor Park Garda Trentino (OPGT) project is born, which sees among other things the upkeep and enhancement of some crags in the Lower Sarca area (developing the work which had started years before thanks to the administrative offices in the year 2000 with a programme that had been developed during the end of the eighties). The crags which are included in the OPGT are the following; Massone, Massi di Prabi, Placche di Baone, Muro dell’Asino, Calvario, Nago, Belvedere, Corno di Bò, Spiaggia delle lucertole, Passo San Giovanni. Baone enters the project “Crags without barriers” and will make it possible for disabled people to access the crags.

2010 – 2014

Top challenges: Nago, Bus de la Stria, Coel dela Val dela Porta, Grottosauro, La Gola, Padaro Nago returns to the headlines with Bucking Bronco, No Hope Goat Farm, Warbeast: three 8c+ routes (now respectively 8c, 8c/+, 8b+/c) opened and freed by the German Markus Bock who on the boulder where Rolando Larcher bolted and freed the Mangusta, 8c, and on the nearby boulders he opened new lines for those who love bouldery routes. At Bus de la Stria instead, Bock frees MG Connection 8b+ at the new sector Hotel Olivo. The Austrian Gerhard Hörhager developed it, he will go on to free Pappataci and Conti d’Arco (8b), other top climbers such as David Lama visit the crag (he frees Liftscheisser which is 8b) and Adam Ondra (one of the projects is his). Overhangs once again take over the scene. Larcher had already made the F.A. of Patagonia 8b/c, at Coel dela Val dela Porta frees Amen-Patagonia 8b+. While at Grottosauro Paolo Benvenuti frees Insostenibile debolezza dell’essere 8c, which for years had remained one of Larcher’s projects. But Dalfovo goes back to the origins of climbing and at La Gola bolts and frees in 2013 L’orizzonte degli eventi 8b/c. And while the strong climber Silvio Reffo repeats in one day Bucking Bronco and Warbeast, the challenges increase on the immense bastion of Padaro (initially born thanks to the intuition of Diego and Mauro Mabboni, then bolted by the Germans Holger Brink and Olaf Zeddies). It is Paolo Benvenuti who develops most of the new, difficult routes here, freed by him, such as Enhorabuena and Matasanos (both 8b+). For those who love winter climbing, instead, the area of Ranzo opens

Roberto Bassi (© Marco Curti)

the doors to new crags. Among these Il Vaticano thanks to the initiative of Bonvecchio, Celva, Banal, Alessandro Lucchi and Larcher. The vertical panorama “parallel” to the Sarca Valley is for ever growing. Here and there, with grades and difficulties to satisfy everyone. Roni Andres and Alessandro Gandolfo dedicate their energies to the great walls of Volta de’ No’ and add some great high difficulty routes. Here they free Svolta di no’ 8b+, Scatush 8b, Comunque dada 8b+ (Alessandro); Set me free 8b+ (Roni). Valerio Ballardini ups the level just outside Trento. He is the father of Bus de Vela (Cadine): forty one routes of which half are from 8b upwards, and many signed by Gabriele Moroni. Valerio dedicates his time also to Forti di Civezzano, then to Monte Terlago, Prada, in many pitches Luca Forti follows him. On Monte Calisio, Trento, there is the group of Drunken Climber, Cristiano Casagranda is their representative. Among their great discoveries, the crag of Mescalisio, with fun routes from 6a to 6b. Without forgetting the walls like Celva, historical, opened when climbing outside the Sarca Valley seemed impossible. And it was here that Rolando Larcher had freed one of the first Italian 8c’s L’arte di salire in alto in 1992 (bolted by Angelo Giovannetti). It is here that since twenty five years from his first climb, Roland frees in 2006 the route 25°Anniversario, always 8c. And the wall of Celva has some surprises (keep on reading).

2015 – 2018

4x 9a, 3x 9a+, 2x 9b’s are climbed If Underground has been graded 8c+/9a for quite some time now by the climbers who have repeated it, during March 2015 the turning point with a capital T will occur in terms of difficulty. Stefano Ghisolfi climbs Under Vibes, 40 metres, 9a: it starts from Underground and comes out onto Reini’s Vibes. Massone is still the king. But Under Vibes will not be the only 9a that year. During November another 9a will be climbed, this time by Gabriele Moroni at Nago: Sid Lives (today 8c+). Just over a year will pass before the Valley can celebrate another new 9a. It is the 16 December 2016. It is Stefano Ghisolfi once again who signs this new chapter, at Pueblo with Thunder Ribes (today 8c+). It is a link up of Reini’s Vibes (route of reference for the area opened by François Legrand), L’Ultima Pietra and Stonehenge; these were created thanks to the effort and passion of the local climbers such as Alfredo Webber and Alessandro Corradini Just a few days later, on the 19th December in the history of this crag the first 9a + will appear with Ultimatum, always climbed by Stefano. The news that sports climbing will be included in the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 will give impulse once again to sports climbing even in the Sarca Valley. In the meantime, awareness is increasing among the local administrations, that climbing is a resource for the local economy. Not only by those who have signed the project Outdoor Park Garda Trentino (even the Comunità di Valle Alto Garda and Ledro, and the Comune di Ledro join) and new crags dedicated to families are being developed (Massi del Gaggiolo, Family San Martino, Family Doss Pelà, Massi delle Traole). Now institutionally we are moving further north of the territory. The Comunità della Valle dei Laghi has joined forces with the communes of Madruzzo, Vallelaghi and Cavedine, to enhance a few of the vertical assets in the territory. The historic crag of La Gola will be entirely re bolted and new routes of contained difficulties will be added. With a great job of cleaning and bolting, the wall at Castel Madruzzo is born with the aim of sustaining climbing on medium-easy grades. Other projects are awaiting to be officially presented. It is true team work between the “Palace” and those who work daily in outdoor sports and on the field. With Simone Banal, who in this field has a precious role of raising awareness. And if the number of family users grows, now sustained increasingly by public financing, the crags which have been discovered, bolted and rebolted by private individuals (and this is the majority) don’t stop. And the private individuals, as always are not subsidised, if not by their great passion and generosity. Everything comes out of their pocket (or almost). The pitches bolted by Michel Ghezzi at Ghess Wall and the many beautiful routes which Michel opens on the left hand side sectors of Bassilandia. Once again Roni Andres and Alessandro Gandolfo leave their mark and open the wall of Pizarra, in the woods above the rock face of San Paolo, between Ottava Meraviglia and Colt, with routes up to 8c. To the tireless Merighi goes the merit of having encouraged the turning point at Padaro, now among the most climbed rock face in the Valley on high difficulties collecting the baton from Paolo Benvenu-

ti. At least fifty pitches are his, and even the first ascents, with Cuore Impavido 8b on top of the list. There is no point in saying that other new First Ascents on slabs and overhangs (see dedicated page) will enter with full right in the vertical registry office of the Valley (and not only) even for the year 2017. At the Gotico Sector of Padaro, Ghisolfi who by now has moved permanently to Arco from Turin, will climb Omen Nomen 9a in mid March 2017 making its first ascent. First repetition in April of the same year by Silvio Reffo. But even Massone does not disappoint, and Alfredo Webber at the age of 48 climbs his first 9a with Thunder Vibes (today 8c+) at Il Pueblo. Here we wish to remind everyone of two projects which were bolted over twenty years ago by Bassi, freed respectively by the determined Dalfovo at the nice crag of Santa Massenza (Via Gilette, October 2017) and by Peter Moser in the nice crag of Celva (Progetto Bassi, February 2017). 2017 will be also remembered for the Laghel wall, which will give us the first 9b’s of the Valley and Arco. And it will happen with Queen Line bolted by Mauro Mabboni: 17 super intense moves which Adam Ondra will climb as a F.A. on the 18th April. And it will be on these rocks that a few days later Stefano Ghisolfi will free One Punch 9a+. Followed by One Slap 9b yet again by Ondra. During the first few months of 2018 Il Pueblo will play a key role with the free ascent of Puro Dreaming 9a and Puro Dreaming Plus 9a+ once again by Ondra (today respectively 8c+ and 9a). Ghisolfi will achieve the first repetition of Pure Dreaming in July. And in the meantime the amount of crags will increase. Among these, hidden inside a canyon above Nago, Mauro Trainotti and Andrea Vecchi discover Le Trincee which over time will offer 70 lines excellently bolted from 5b to 8b.

2019 – 2021

The Eremo of San Paolo sees 2x 9b and 1x 9a+. Padaro 2x 9a+ On the 26th February 2019 Ghisolfi will make the first repetition of Queen Line 9b. But, while the project King Line (possible 9c) always at Laghel is in the air, news arrives that the wall is no longer accessible, since the land owners have forbidden any access to it. In the meantime Sid Lives is repeated on the 23rd March by Stefano Carnati and Silvio Reffo who suggest the difficulty of 8c+ instead of 9a (suggestion which was approved also by Ondra in September 2020), while Matteo Menardi makes the first repetition of Thunder Vibes (today 8c+). In the meantime the number of crags increase. Ceniga, Pizarra, Ottava Meraviglia, Bassilandia, Padaro see new routes develop. And even when, on March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic will impose many bans and block many accesses, when things open up again the activity on rock will flourish. Stefano Ghisolfi will concentrate on the super overhanging crag of Eremo di San Paolo. And on the 22 May 2020 he will make the first ascent of Beginning 9a/+ (today 9a+), placing his first bolt to connect the lines of St Anger and Zauberfee which he had redpointed shortly before. Two months later, Stefano will leave his name on the F.A. of 9a+ of The Bow, the link up between Fine di un’epoca 8b and Omen Nomen 9a, with the crux being where the two lines connect, with a cross over which forces to make a characteristic and very difficult bowing move. In the meantime sports climbing marks another historical date in the valley. The FASI (Italian sports climbing Federation) will manage Arco’s Climbing Stadium, the Rock Master structure, and it will be used as the federal centre for Olympic training and preparation to the Games of Tokyo and Paris, as well as the training centre of the senior and junior national climbing teams. The Olympic representatives for the Italian team have been picked: Laura Rogora, who in the meantime has moved from Rome to Trento; Michael Piccolruaz, Ludovico Fossali. The Olympic Games though will be postponed due to the Covid-19 emergency until 2021, but the athletes here in Arco feel at home and do not lose their motivation. Laura Rogora makes the first female ascent of Underground (then climbed flash by Alexander Megos in September). Laura will be the first Italian to climb the 9a+ of Pure Dreaming Plus at the end of May. She will also make the first female ascent of Riflessi and Terra Piatta at Pizarra. And the first female ascent of The Bow on the 22nd November. In the meantime other great walls add to the Valley’s vertical treasure. Danilo Bonvecchio, among the most prolific bolters of the upper part of the Valley and his friend Gianguido Dalfovo continue the hard work that Andrea Zanetti had started and develop some great

The history of single pitch routes in the Sarca Valley and its surroundings pitches from 7a to 8c at the crag of Lundo, which lies at the start of the Val Lomasona, offering endurance climbing on an unmissable vertical wall. And once again, Danilo and Gianguido at Bassilandia put their name on the Masada Sector, with unique pitches covered in sharp crimps; as well as the Pilastro Frollo at Limarò. At Sarche, the rock face which can be seen by everyone, Terre Alte, comes from the hard work that Fabio Leoni put into bolting a hundred or so routes destined to be among the most popular of northern Italy. Above Massone, Lorenzo de Bonis gives us Pandora and Pandoro with his friend Alessandro Seiwald; new routes at Terre di Nessuno reclaimed from an old project of Bassi and then Merighi, involving Nicola Trenti in the work; the cave of Pausapranzo above the Lake of Loppio. And then Mappamondo whose potential has been recognized by Francesco Morandi. And other new crags.

2021 begins and ends with other amazing results. Erebor, the first line entirely bolted by Ghisolfi under the skillful guidance of Severino Scassa, and will be freed by Stefano on the 11th January at the Eremo of San Paolo, suggesting 9b/+ (today 9b). On the 21st March Ghisolfi once again will leave his mark and make the F.A. of Terapia d’urto 9a+ at Padaro, link-up of two lines bolted by Marco Erspamer: Goosfraba 8c+ (F.A. Ghisolfi 9.11.2020) and L’Arciere difficult 8c (F.A. Gabriele Moroni 5.07.2020) at the La Prua-Mazinga Sector. First female ascent by Laura Rogora three weeks later. Always in March Alfredo Webber, the strong climber from Val di Non with many F.A. at Il Pueblo, will solo at the age of 52 the 8b+/c of Panem et circensis (today 8b) at the slab of Pizarra. Webber is the only climber in Italy who has achieved such an incredible feat. And while Davide Picco and Giovanni Placci climb Omen Nomen, the twelve year old Andrea Chelleris and the thirteen year old Gianluca Vighetti make the RP of Pure Dreaming, respectively on the 19th July 2021 and on the 19th September 2021. In the meantime, the Tokyo Olympic Games are over. Italy’s team results were not fabulous, but they built a lot and are already thinking about Paris 2024, with the Training centre for the national team as their base in Arco. In September Lauro Rogora frees Iron Man at Bus de Vela, suggesting 9a. Then it is the turn of Erebor, the Roman climber who now lives in Trentino, will make the first female ascent on the 4th October, With the successive repetition of Erebor by Ondra on the 9th November 2021, the line will be graded 9b. At the end of 2021 even the other grades will be changed: Pure Dreaming will be now 8c+; Pure Dreaming Plus a 9a, Thunder Vibes an 8c+. The 2021 ends with another great result: The Lonely Mountain. The beginning and end are in common with Erebor, the central section changes, which is more difficult and intense. Ghisolfi will go on to free it on the 17th December, after months of ruthless courting. More difficult than Erebor, Stefano suggests the grade of 9b. And Ondra confirms its difficulties by repeating it on the 28th December just before the end of the year.

Author’s Note

The current “History of single pitche routes” finishes with the end of 2021 to respect the publishing times of the Guide book planned for March 2022. During the first two months of 2022 though, other magnificent F.As were achieved which we cannot leave out.

2022

From January to February new F.A.: 1x 9a+, 1x 9a+/b, 1x 9b While the 9b of Erebor, at Eremo di San Paolo, saw its third repetition by Jakob Schubert in January 2022, Bus de la Stria was theatre of other magnificent F.A. which push the difficulty level of the crag way up. At the Sector Hotel Olivo Gabriele Moroni sent, on 10 January 2022, the magnificent Trofeo dell'Adriatico 9a+, David Lama’s old project. And at the end of February on the right side of the wall, Adam will leave his name on Bombardino 9a+/b first, then Bomba 9b, an old project of his bolted in 2012 (start of the two lines in common). At the end of March, while we were going to press, Adam Ondra freed Wonderland 9b/+ at Terra Promessa, currently one of the hardest pitches in the world.

#RAFIKICLIMBING