MELLO BOULDER bouldering in Val Masino by Versante Sud srl

ANDREA PAVAN

MELLO BOULDER bouldering in Val Masino

Val di Mello, Valle dei Bagni, Piana del Remenno

EDIZIONI VERSANTE SUD | COLLANA LUOGHI VERTICALI | BOULDERING

First edition. April 2015 Second edition. July 2018 ISBN 978 88 85475 311 Copyright © 2018 VERSANTE SUD S.r.l. via Longhi, 10 – Milano, ph. +39 02 7490163 www.versantesud.it All translation, reproduction, adaptation and electronic registration, either totally or partially, by any methods, are rights reserved for all countries.

Cover image

Visido - La collinetta, Tomaso Viganò, Green Man, 7c+ (© Simone Fiorini)

Text

Andrea Pavan

English translation

Francesco Bassetti

Maps

Chiara Benedetto

Symbols

Tommaso Bacciocchi

Layout

Ilaria Raboni

Printing

Monotipia Cremonese e Associati Srl (Cremona)

zero-miles

This guidebook is homegrown and locally produced

zero-miles

This is a “zero-miles” guidebook - it’s locally produced! it has been compiled by local authors, who live and promote climbing in the area reviewed. climbers benefit from local authors: - locals know the latest news and updates - locals don’t promote only the most “commercial” spots - locals invest the revenues from the guidebook in equipping new crags local authors promote and respect their area: - they review only the spots where climbing is allowed - they pay attention in the same way to any different spot - they meaningfully interact with local actors

NOTE Climbing is a potentially dangerous sport in which participation is entirely at your own risk. All the information in this guide has been updated based upon information at the time of publication, however it is vital to evaluate every situation yourself before placing yourself in a life threatening situation or to seek the advice of experienced and qualifed individuals.

ZERO-KMS

The writer of this guide lives and develops climbing on his own territory

Andrea Pavan

MELLO BOULDER Bouldering in Val Masino Val di Mello Valle dei Bagni Piana del Remenno

EDIZIONI VERSANTE SUD

Index and topos Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Logistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Advice for use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Grades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 BASSA VALMASINO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 1 Ponte del Baffo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 1.1 Ponte del Baffo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 1.2 Ponte del Baffo superiore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 2 Cataeggio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 PIANA DEL REMENNO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 3 Visido . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 3.1 Tetto di Filorera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 3.2 La collinetta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 3.3 Il tendine dello Yeti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 3.4 Vermuth Strisciut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 3.5 I crotti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 4 Tarzan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 5 Zocca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 6 Zocca superiore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 7 Scivolo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 8 Altman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 9 Remenno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 10 Nosferatu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 11 Sega lombarda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 12 Pilastri del Pesgunfi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 13 La mota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 14 Campeggio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 15 Preda peintada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330 16 Campo Sportivo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 17 San Martino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364 BAGNI DI MASINO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366 18 Bregolana - I tornanti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368 19 Bregolana - La foresta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382 20 Bagni - La coda del dinosauro . . . . . . . . . . 384 21 Bagni - Belvedere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 22 Bagni - Ersaf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408

VAL DI MELLO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428 23 Ponte canale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432 24 La M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 25 Melloblocco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444 26 Il francese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 27 Space shuttle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 28 Gatto rosso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464 29 Il mostro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 468 30 Proprietà privata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476 31 Sass de la pulenta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488 32 Ca' di Carna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 498 33 Cascina piana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500

PROTAGONISTS AND TALES Bad Ass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Green Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Mirko Masè . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Andrea si è perso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Maximiliano Piazza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Rudi Colli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Cristian Gianatti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Il sogno di Tarzan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Filorera Hit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Matteo Sera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Alessandra Tognela . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Il sogno di Tano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Il masso di Goldrake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 Unità di produzione . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225 Giuseppe “Popi” Miotti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232 Per voi giovani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 Il Nalle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Simone Pedeferri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 Thomas Morandi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328 Massimo Fiorelli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362 Matteo De Zaiacomo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380 Gianluca Maspes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406 Chicco Fanchi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456 Stefano Mogavero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 467 Analselvaggioturboscatenato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493 Richard Colombo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496 Videogames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503

Val di Mello Bagni di Masino

Bregolana Bagni San Martino

Bagni di Masino

San Martino

Campo sportivo

La mota Preda peintada Pilastri del Pesgunfi

Campeggio

Sega lombarda Remenno

Nosferatu Scivolo

Visido

Piana del Remenno

Altman Tarzan

Zocca superiore Zocca

Preda Rossa

Filorera

Cataeggio

Ponte del Baffo

N N

Ponte del Baffo

Dazio Civo

Biolo

Masino

Ardenno Sondrio

Morbegno Colico Milano

SS38

Introduction Three years on from the last edition of Melloboulder I decided to get back to work so as to share with you all the latest news and show you the new boulders that have been cleaned and climbed in Valmasino. Due to the incessant rate at which new boulders are born I had to set some limits. Hence, what you will find in the following pages is an up to date reflection of what you can find at the beginning of 2018. We are never surprised enough when huge sectors such as Visido can continue to provide new lines. Even the sector Campeggio, which in the previous edition harboured a good 50 lines, now has almost 200, and this is true for many other sectors. The lines and boulders on offer continue to grow and cater to all: extreme projects and beautiful lines abound for both beginners and real bouldering champions. Just like the past edition there are side notes that give a detailed description of the more famous lines, and pages dedicated to interviews with the protagonists of bouldering in the Valley. I hope the guidebook motivates those that wish to search for, clean and climb new and incredible lines that are waiting to be discovered. There has been a re-styling of the imagery used as well as the presence of new icons. What hasn’t changed is the detailed description of boulders and where necessary I have tried to be precise in indicating the starting holds with “little hands”. In some cases I have even inserted a separate image to show the starting holds, so as to make it impossible for you to get it wrong! Beside many of the boulders’ descriptions you can find a special QRCODE with which, through the use of a dedicated app that can be downloaded onto most smartphones, you can access videos of the boulder in question. In this way the guidebook has expanded and become electronic! This also allows you to see a methòde or beta for the given line, the height of the boulder and the amount of pads you will need; all information that isn’t always apparent with a single photo. The guidebook will allow you, in time, to become familiar with the various sectors, the paths connecting them and the boulders themselves. This way you will also be able to claim that you went climbing in “The valley” and not just Valmasimo. However, remember that what the Valley offers today, the countless clean boulders which you can choose from with their good landings and well made pathways, were not created with a magic wand. Everything you find in the coming pages is the product of hard and dedicated work performed over the years by passionate climbers that love their Valley and are proud of sharing it with those that come to climb, but also those that are capable of protecting her and understanding her fragile beauty. And this is true both for the holds, that must never be chipped or improved, the grass, pathways and woods; as for the tape that is abandoned at the foot of boulders, and the toilet paper used to dry holds and other parts… Guidebooks mean a greater affluence of people; so lets try to act intelligently and respectfully so that those that come to the Valley today can share the same experiences as those that came before them. Climbing in one of the Alps’ most beautiful valleys, maybe even the most beautiful, is a feeling that everyone should experience. Adrea Pavan

Acknowledgments A special thank you goes to Simone Pedeferri. This work would not have been possible without the precious help and recommendations of all these people:

Marco Barlascini Andrea Barola Daniele Bianchi Rudi Colli Richard Colombo Matteo Dezaiacomo Enrico Fanchi Massimo Fiorelli Martina Frigerio Fabrizio Lucini Marco Mafezzini

Francesco Marveggio Mirko Masè Luca Maspes Andrea Merisio Giuseppe Miotti Stefano Mogavero Thomas Morandi Alessandro Pagani Cristiana Pedrazzoli Max Piazza Matteo Sera

QR Code TThe QuickResponse Code (QR Code) is a type of 2Dimensional bar code, where information is stored in a square image.

Tomaso Viganò Michele Caminati Andrea Ciscato Cristiano Cariboni Luca Strepparava Ricky Felderer Stefano Togninalli Cristian Sugar Bubani Niccolò Bartoli Claudio Raboni

Gio Pozzoli, La Bistecca, 7b (© T. Viganò)

It is used to memorise more detailed information that can be read using a mobile phone or smartphone. Qr Codes can contain either web pages, texts or telephone numbers. In our case they have been used to direct the users of the guidebook towards videos of people climbing specific lines and published on YouTube or for GPS parking coordinates and the coordinates of boulders, which can then be reached using Google Maps. They are useable with any mobile phone or smartphone that has a QR Code reader, which can be downloaded easily and for free. Different phones use different apps and they are almost always free. Once you have downloaded the QR reader, all you have to do is open the App. and take a picture of the QR code with your phone. This will automatically start up either the video player or the open up a map and navigation App.

Logistics Access The Valmasino valley was born as a land of pastors and farmers, only to become a destination for tourists looking for hot springs and alpinism, firstly for foreigners and then, as of the 19th century, also Italians. Arriving from the Italian motorways (from Milan) you first pass through Lecco and the drive along the Strada Statale n. 36 dello Spluga, when you reach Colico you then take the new Strada Statale n. 38 dello Stelvio that passes Morbegno thanks to two new tunnels and brings to the roundabout just after the town of Talamona where you re-join the old road and follow directions for Sondrio for 1km to the town of Ardenno. From here you take the road that leads to Valmasino. On the other hand, arriving from the Northern parts of Europe, you arrive at Colico and then drive onto Valmasimo, taking the Spluga mountain pass road. When this is shut it is better to drive on the Como-Chiasso road and enter Italy through this route, then passing by Lecco and taking the SS36. For those arriving from Northern Europe to enter Valtellina you can cross the Inn valley and enter through the Bernina Pass that leads to the town of Tirano, from which you can drive towards Sondrio, then Ardenno and finally Valmasino. You can also reach the Valtellina valley from the Resia and Stelvio mountain passes. The roads in the Valtellina region are well maintained and free-flowing, even if in peak tourist season you can experience delays when crossing the main towns. Logistical tips The Valmasino valley is a tourist destination that sees a peak in affluence during the summer months as well as in spring and autumn. In these periods you will find open hotels, B&Bs and camp grounds. If you come climbing in the winter make sure you enquire about the snow conditions beforehand. Most tourist spots are open all year, with some exceptions in winter. In any case you will have no problem finding lodging all year round. Weather forecast For accurate weather forecasts in Valtellina check the following websites: www.meteosvizzera.admin.ch www.3bmeteo.com www.ilmeteo.it www.arpalombardia.it Additional information To discover the latest developments in Valmasino: - guidbooks can be found at: Bar Monica S.Martino-Valmasino To see the conditions of the boulders in real time:â&#x20AC;¨ - webcam Valmasino (Piana del Remenno): http://www.webcam.valtline.it

Updates For any new lines you open or climb you can contact the author of this book directly at: melloboulder@versantesud.it

www.fabiovettori.com

MELLOBLOCCO RESPECTS THE ENVIRONMENT Every year thousands of us celebrate, climb and practice sport all together. Up until now we have always managed to make the miracle happen. Our passage has been light footed and the trees, rivers, fields and people of the valley have not been affected. But remember: if every person leaves one tiny sweet wrapper behind, it can be disastrous for the environment. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t throw even the smallest pieces of waste and, if you see any lying around, pick it up! The valley will be grateful.

Advice for Use In Val Masino there are numerous rock faces. With the retreat of glaciers, that up until 10,000 years ago covered the entire Valtellina valley floor, many of these faces crumbled leaving numerous boulders that then had to wait for thousands of years before they became an object of consideration for people seeking to have a good time by climbing them. Bouldering as an activity plays on the innate curiosity that lies in each one of us. Every climber sees every single piece of rock differently and hence it is difficult to distinguish an objective difference between a very small boulder and a one-and-a-half-meter piece of rock; or to distinguish between a highball and a free-solo. With regards to highballs, for some of the lines presented in this book it would be safer to call them free-solo routes. It is therefore down to the taste and courage of each climber to decide whether to climb these routes or not. In the guidebook we have attempted to cover almost all boulders present in Valmasino. You will therefore find boulders of all difficulties and styles. You will find many lines that are graded easier than 6a, therefore ideal for beginners. You will also find the hardest problems that have been climbed by the world’s top boulderers. An aspect, that for some is by no means secondary, is the name of the lines. Where possible, we have tried to give a name to everything, both boulders and their individual lines. It is obviously more satisfying to be able to talk with one’s friends about having climbed “that” line rather than “a” line. Personally, I appreciate boulders that have a specific identity! In this guide all lines are photographed, described and graded. Let’s hope that this acts as a stimulus for exploring new areas and opening ever more beautiful and motivating lines. Obviously, we trust that the makeup of lines remains as we have found them. It is forbidden to chip or change holds on existing and already cleaned boulders. The use of steel brushes is only permitted for the removal of moss on new lines that are being cleaned; whereas for those that are already in the guidebook it is enough to use a normal toothbrush with plastic bristles. On a separate note, let’s address the use of chalk: it is a good habit to clean holds after you have done climbing on them and erasing tickmarks used to identify holds.

Skin Repair Wax Protects your skin and soothes post-climbing sore thanks to Vitamin E, α-bisabolol, olive oil, beeswax and lavender, mint, eucalyptus essential oils. Tested Efficacy Handmade in Italy

Sport Skincare

Find out about our products

Produced by Orthostetica® srl Milano Ph. +39 02 8240118 Facebook & Instagram: React Sport Skincare

BASSA VALMASINO The Ponte del Baffo and Cataeggio sectors are the first you come across when driving on the road from Ardenno to S. Martino. The Ponte del Baffo area is made up of two sectors: the first is found along the Masino stream, the second on a terrace that offers a nice panoramic view of the narrow and thickly forested lower Valmasino valley. On the other hand, the Cataeggio sector is found along the woods directly above the town that gives it its name. Both sectors are characterised by exceptional rock (gneiss at Ponte del Baffo and serizzo in Cataeggio). Unfortunately, they both get a lot less climbers compared to the more renowned sectors of the Valley,

and therefore some of the boulders can become overgrown with moss or the trails slightly harder to find. This should not discourage you! Rather, I recommend you bring a steel brush and a saw, so as to clear possible vegetation found along the trails or on the boulders. ACCESS From Ardenno pass the Adda bridge and follow the strada provinciale 404 road that leads to Valmasino, until you reach the Ponte del Baffo locality. Here, if you turn right towards Cevo you will arrive at the higher Ponte del Baffo Superiore sector, whereas if you proceed on the main road after about 500m you will arrive at the Ponte del Baffo sector. If you follow on from here after a few minutes you will arrive at Cataeggio where you can find the boulders of the Cataeggio sector.

Bassa Valmasino (ÂŠ Claudio Raboni)

Bassa Valmasino

PONTE DEL BAFFO 600/700 m altitude

Nov-Mar best period

ÙÙÙ beauty

ÙÙÙÙ parking

drying days

132

total number of problems

medium (3-6m)

average heigh of boulders

ÙÙÙ comfort

not scary (for rabbits)

dangerous problem

you could kill yourself

worthwhile problem

Yes - No fit for family

Yes - No signal

Ponte del Baffo, in the lower Valmasino valley, is part of the nearby municipality of Civo. Compared to the multitude of boulders in the rest of the Valley it can be considered an appetiser. Even if there aren’t that many boulders, they are generally of a very high quality. Some problems are absolutely not to be missed and the rock doesn’t wear out your skin. In addition, due to the low altitude, this is a good alternative when the snow stops you from climbing at Remenno or in Val di Mello. In the Fiume sector, don’t miss Gica, Bad Ass, Studio Line and Biancograt. The Settore Superiore (higher sector) is very panoramic and, even if the base of the boulders isn’t that comfortable, it has some top-class problems. Make sure you climb: In nome della rosa, Il primo e l’ultimo dei quattro, L’uomo di Leonardo and Solid edge. Extreme projects on perfect rock are waiting for top boulderers. APPROACH FOR PONTE DEL BAFFO From Morbegno follow the Statale 38 dello Stelvio for about 7,5 km. At Ardenno cross the bridge on the river Adda and follow the 404 Road into Valmasino. After a first series of hairpins, when the road gets less steep, at “Ponte del Baffo” you go past a bridge on the left. After about 300 m, before a series of hairpins, you can park on the right by a small lay-by on the side of the road, and after crossing the bridge on foot you will arrive at the first boulders. 3 minute walk. APPROACH FOR PONTE DEL BAFFO SUPERIORE From Morbegno follow the Statale 38 dello Stelvio for about 7,5 km. At Ardenno cross the bridge on the river Adda and follow the 404 Road into Valmasino. After a first series of hairpins, when the road gets less steep, at “Ponte del Baffo” you go past a bridge on the left. Continue climbing on the road until you reach Cevo. Take the last road on the right at the end of the houses, by a cement wall. After about 70 m take the second little road on the left that immediately becomes a dirt road. Follow it to its end (500 m) and park where possible, near to the hydroelectric power station. From here follow the path that crosses the river and after about 50 m, at a junction, take the level path continuing straight on. In 7 minutes you will arrive at boulder 1 and after a further 7 minutes you arrive at the main bouldering area. From the Ponte del Baffo Settore Fiume (river sector) climb very steeply in the woods for about 10 minutes to reach the boulders. This is not the best way to approach if you only want to climb at Baffo Superiore, but works well if you want to climb at both sectors in the same day.

Civo

Morbegno

Cevo

Ponte del Baffo

hydroelectric power station

28 27

5 min

hotel

SP 404

33 1

32 5 min

31 25

21 20

Ponte del Baffo superiore

landslide

12 6 3

19 18 m

0 25

3 100 m

Ponte del Baffo

steep slope

terrace

17 13

cliff

San Martino Valmasino

steep and arduous path

1.1

Bassa Valmasino > Ponte del Baffo

PONTE DEL BAFFO Small yet interesting bouldering area discovered initially by Cristian Gianatti and Simone Pedeferri in 2005 and then by Andrea Pavan. The latest problems developed by Mario Brandini and Rudi Colli on the Gica boulder are particularly interesting. Found at the bottom of the valley the area remains fresh in the mid-seasons and not too cold in the winter. The type of rock, quite different from the usual Val Masino rock, is also interesting: a gneiss with crimps that at times remind us of the more famous Swiss equivalents. You will find problems that are characterised by good crimps on steep overhangs, uncommon to Valmasino. Furthermore, from here it is possible to reach Ponte del Baffo Superiore with a steep and strenuous 10 minute walk. Unfortunately, when the new road was built a great boulder with a lot of problems was destroyed, leaving behind only rubble… BOULDER 1. BAD ASS A – ADAM 6c Nice problem with a top section on crimps and slopers; sit start B – 6b+ Starts like A but exits to the left on the jug C – THE VAMPIRE 7c Hard ridge with tiny crimps and not an easy top-out; sit start

B A

NOTE A and B were in part destroyed for the realisation of the new road

BOULDER 1. BAD ASS E

D – LEFT OF BAD ASS 8b Sit start on a good crimp and goes up exiting on E E – BAD ASS 8a Boulder on crimps at a 450 angle, gaston on the left and dyno for the exit; sit. Now a little easier due to an improved hold E* - BAD ASS DIRECT 7c+ Direct variation of the former that finishes with a dyno; sit start F – ONE-MOVE 8A Starts with a crimp for the left hand and a mono for the right

Bad Ass 8a Fb Sit start Following the construction of the new road, the sector Ponte del Baffo became really easy to reach. Bad Ass is the most striking line that goes up the middle of the overhang. The sector was spotted by Cristian Gianatti (the guy from Sogno di Tarzan) that, together with Simone Pedeferri, explored the area and were captivated by the overhanging boulder. The line was developed by Pedeferri who cleaned the holds and started freeing some of the other adjacent problems. Subsequently, the area was cleaned thoroughly by Andrea Pavan who developed other boulders and in 2007 made the FA of Bad Ass. The line features small holds on a 450 overhang and requires a big dyno for the top out. Quite similar to Unità di Produzione but less physical and a little shorter. The name originates from a scene in a climbing video with Jerry Moffat and Ben Moon. At a certain point Ben Moon manages to climb a problem that they are trying and Moffat says in a joking tone: “Bad ass!”, which if translated into Italian sounds a lot more literal: “brutto culo!”. The problem was then repeated by Pedeferri, Marco Gualteri and others. Unfortunately, one of the holds was improved. During attempts to repeat the problem unknown climbers freed the direct and more obvious version, Bad Ass Direct*. This line is also very nice and similar to its neighbour.

Andrea Pavan, Bad Ass (© arch. A. Pavan)

3.2

Piana del Remenno > Visido

LA COLLINETTA An isolated sector with satisfying problems. New boulders are developed each year and their quality is always high: Pedeferri and Pavan have developed most problems, cleaning and climbing them for the first time for Melloblocco® 2009 and in the following years. A pleasant and quiet area where you can escape the crowds. The quality of the rock is generally very good and the problems are good. In autumn 2014, for the Valmasio Green Block event, the approach was cleaned and some landings were improved, making the sector more popular. APPROACH You park near to Filorera’s “centro polifunzionale della montagna” and cross the bridge over the torrente Masino to reach the boulders. 2 minutes. As an alternative, you can park in Visido, about 200 m after the Tetto di Filorera sector. 1 minute.

La Collinetta

27 17 20 16

29 28

13 10

11 7

9 8

San Martino

30 12

4 6

bicycle lane

24 23 25

Quarry

Predarossa Morbegno

Pietro Mercuriali, Totem, 6b+ (ÂŠ Tomaso ViganĂ˛)

3.2

BOULDER

Visido > La Collinetta

A – 7a+ Grabs a pinch and traverses on the slopey edge with a hard top out; sit start B – 6c Starts like A but goes right on the arête B

Piana del Remenno

NOTE Take a metal brush to clean the exit

BOULDER 3. IL DIEDRONE

A B C

A – 6c Passes the rounded arête B – IL DIEDRONE 7b Physical dihedral with a hard fingery last move; crouching start with left hand in the dihedral and right hand on the arête C – 7a Traverses leftwards along the edge; sit start

BOULDER 2. LO STRAPIOMBO

C E D A

A – 6b+ Sit start from the two holes and goes straight up B – 6b Starts standing on C going left and joining A. It is a classic line C – LO STRAPIOMBO 7c Physical and very fashionable line with a good rest in the middle; sit start, 7a+ exiting on B

Green Block Every year during the autumn bouldering meeting that has taken place for the last three years in Valmasino , known as the Valmasino Green Block, together with Simone we were searching, close to the Centro Polifunzionale di Filorera, for a nice boulder that could host the final line for the event. We needed a flashy boulder, of the right height, with homogenous yet hard enough moves. After a quick search we found a boulder that satisfied us but had one small defect: instead of a landing there was a three-meter sinkhole. With the help of our friends from ERSAF in two days of work we were able to move the boulders and with some timber created a comfortable, and even beautiful, landing. When trying the stand start version, you will be faced with hard moves on crimps, followed by a good hold just before a final hard reach. Subsequently, Simone used the boulder for the 2014 Melloblocco, freeing the sit start version that involves an extra five hard moves, requiring strength and precision, before reaching the stand start holds. The Green Man was born. Subsequently, the local climber Marco Barlascini freed the direct stand start version that goes up positive and spaced out crimps with a beautiful top out on a micro-rung. Giving birth to Grinnònno. Andrea Pavan closed the circle by doing the FA of Grinnònno sit start which is as hard as the version on the right. These are two high quality lines that dry quickly, and can be tried in the middle of winter; as the snow melts quickly here and its only 20 seconds from the parking lot! You need at least 5 crashpads and a couple spotters to try the boulder safely; Grinnònno’s top out looks dangerous but you always fall on the pads!

Green Man, 7c+ (© A. Pavan)

Giovanna Pozzoli, Tacchine assassine, 6c (ÂŠ Tomaso ViganĂ˛)

162

BOULDER 12. GORDIAN C - LA TANA DEL LUPO NL Project on positive crimps and intense overhang that starts from the bottom of the cave and reconnects to A; sit start

BOULDER 13. SASS DEL CAMER A – Project on the arête with a hard reach and very delicate top out B – L”URLO DELLA VALLE 7c Technical slab and a scary move at the top C – IL NERO 6c Exposed slab with a morpho crux

A B

BOULDER 13. SASS DEL CAMER D - 7b+ Arête then lip and mantle; now clean sit start

NOTE The top out might require further cleaning from moss. Bring a brush

163

186

BOULDER 3. 3

A – 6b+ Sit start and stays on the arête with a delicate move to exit B – L’INGLESE 6c Very nice slab with crimps and slopers; throws you off balance

A B

BOULDER 4. A – 6a+ Brief line on crimps B – 6a One hard fingery move

BOULDER 5. A – 7a+ Hard reach to the left. Don’t use the rock below B – 7b Starts from the rock below and mantles on crystals C – 7a Slab and crystals A C B

BOULDER 6. LO SCIVOLO A – PROJECT VIGNE 7c+ Tiny crimps and strong overhang. Ends with a mantle on the slab; sit start B – 6b Very long and technical traverse; sit start C – DIGITALIS 8a+ Starts like A but goes left on really hard holds and mantles onto the slab; sit start. Hard for the grade. B C A

187

9 Remenno Piana del Remenno

S A B

F D

E G H

BLOCCO 6. MASSO DI GOLDRAKE A – LO ZIO DI GOLDRAKE 7a Series of rebounds on slopers. Crouching start; sit start 7b B – GOLDRAKE 6c Classical line on now worn down crimps C – LA NONNA DI GOLDRAKE 7a Fingery move with a slightly blind hold for the exit D – IL FIGLIO DI GOLDRAKE 7b Small and painful holds to reach the flake E – IL NIPOTE DI GOLDRAKE 7b+ Famous boulder done by Miotti almost 20 years ago; follows the small crack and exits on the big flake F – LA RISPOSTA DI VEGA 8a Very complex and fingery traverse that crosses the previous lines. Starts from the starting hold for E and joins B. Marked in black in the photo

222

G – ACTARUS 8a Line that starts on small crystals and the has a hard gaston to re-join E and exit on it; sit start H – VEGA PLUS 8a+/8b Starts on G and goes to grab F. A ride for fingers of steel. Try these lines with polar temperatures… try to believe I – 6a Slopey crack with polished feet L – CRISTALLICA 7c+ Hard and very high. Incredible line that used to be bolted, then the bolts were removed and FA by Cristian Brenna. Starts like E S – MEZZA VACCA 7b+ Goes up the slab on crystals

Il masso di Goldrake The realm of crimps. It’s very comfortable and strategically placed in front of the southern face of the Remenno boulder on a delightful little meadow. It presents a slightly overhanging face with very articulated rock. The climbing is mostly on small slopey cracks, tiny crimps and white feldspar crystals. It was the training ground for pushing bouldering grades in Valtellina, and one of the first in Italy. The story begins in 1975, when Giuseppe “Popi” Miotti frees Goldrake, a very solid 6c. Il Figlio (the son), now 7b, falls in 1977 thanks to Jacopo Merizzi. At that time, it had to be climbed with a pile of rocks in order to reach a good crimp that is no longer there. The difficulty was around 7a! In 1981 Popi frees Il Nipote (the nephew), probably the first Italian 7b+. Then in the 90s a new generation of climbers and their modern training regimes raise the level of difficulty even further. This is how Lo Zio (the uncle) and Il Nonno (the grandfather) of Goldrake were born, names that give an idea of new things to come. The pinnacle was reached with Actarus, La risposta di Vega (1996) and Vega Plus, 8a, 8a hard and 8a+/8b respectively, some of the first in the grade in Italy, and developed by Simone Pedeferri. On new year’s day in 2001 Cristian Brenna frees Unità di Produzione 8a Fb, the boulder’s best line found on the northern face, whilst in 2003 he climbs Cristallica, an old 8a route whose bolts were removed not long before and now rated 7c/+Fb, repeated by Michele Giannattasio and Pedeferri. New problems have been solved on this overhanging slab over the last few years, like Gabriele Moroni’s COORS LIGHT and Andrea Pavan’s ANUBI, but new projects are in the making and the future certainly holds very interesting new lines All of these lines can be very harsh on your fingers if it’s hot. The best time to try them is from November to March. Temperatures must be very low; the boulder can still be climbed when there is snow at the base. If you want to try Actarus and Vega Plus, keep in mind that there is a hold on the lower part that is only dry after long periods with no rain. G. Miotti, Nipote di Goldrake (© arch. G. Miotti)

223

BOULDER 7. IBIS

Piana del Remenno

Remenno

A – 5b Physical start; sit start B – 6c Hard flag on a slopey hold; sit start C – 4b Easy mantle; sit start D – 3b Slab for learning

B C

BOULDER 8. MASSO ERCULEO

A – 6a+ Vertical and fingery slab without using the left edge B – 6a Goes up the arête C – 6b Sit start and a nice dyno D – 7c Traverse along the ground with a hard move to go round the corner. Very contrived

NOTE Sit start from B and exit on C for a 6c

BOULDER 10. ALDEBARAN

A – 7a Vertical slab with underclings and very exposed top out B – 6a Nice classical line that has been forgotten and which uses a good flake

224

Unità di produzione Fb 8a sit start A boulder found by Marzio Nardi and Cristian Brenna in the summer of 2001, noticed by Pedeferri who did not try it because of the monstrous thorns that surrounded it and the extremely high temperatures. Chris Sharma noticed it during his visit to the Sasso Remenno in October of the same year. During those October days, Chris and Cristian tried it out together, whilst Chris fell on the last move, Cristian couldn’t solve a move halfway up the line. The next day Brenna cleaned the line properly with a brush, and a few days later Pedeferri decided to clean the whole boulder creating two beautiful lines, one around 6c and the other around 7c. On new year’s day Cristian managed to connect all the movements and after four days he completed the climb for the first time. There are no weird tricks, you just have to strong and pull on those crimps as hard as you can. The best time to try it is from the end of October to the beginning of December (it usually snows from the end of December to mid February) and in the month of March. One of the most beautiful boulders in Valtellina. A natural 45o panel on pretty good but distant crimps. It requires raw strength on the crimps and a strong core. The overhang can be passed with a dyno to the edge and hold on tight as your feet cut loose. The exit on crystals punishes those who get there with little strength left. Even though the exit is seven meters above ground, the passage isn’t particularly exposed, it’s pretty easy to exit once you get back on the slab. You can run the risk of falling when attempting the mantle after the dyno.

225

358

H I

A B

G H I

BOULDER 36. PIETRA DELLE MEDITAZIONI H – 6a+ Good holds. Sit start 7b I – HEROES 6c+ Hard lateral move on flat holds; sit start, stays below the eliminating line Z – ONICE NERA 7b Vertical face on crystals and crimps

A – 3b Easy slab B – 4b Easy on positive slab C – 5b The slab straightens out D – 6a Crimps E – 6a+ Concave slab on features F – 7a+ Vertical slab on features G - ? Vertical face

L – 6b+ Starts like I and Goes straight up M – 6c+ Starts like L but exits right; sit start N – 6c Lock off on a rung; sit start 7b+

L H I L M

359

BAGNI DI MASINO The Bagni Masino valley is less well-known than the Valmasino because it was developed later, but it has seen lots of new boulders and is divided into 5 sectors.  From the first boulders cleaned in the Belvedere sector in the 90s to the systematic exploration of this sector around 2005 and then moving on developing the Ersaf sector. In 2012 the Bregolana and Coda del Dinosauro sectors were developed for Melloblocco®. In 2014 some local climbers climbed new and interesting lines, some of which are absolutely not to be missed. Over the last few years there haven’t been many new boulders developed, even though the potential is all but finished. We will see what the future has in store. The Bagni di Masino valley is very cool and you can even climb in the warmer summer months. In the winter season, snow permitting, the dense forest provides some shelter from other more exposed Valmasino sectors, due to the shelter from wind and less susceptible to big drops in temperature. The best months remain April, May, November and December, snow permitting. The boulders need at least a couple of days to dry out after prolonged rainfall. The rock grain is in between that of Visido’s serizzo and the Val di Mello’s ghiandone and lets you climb without wearing out your skin too much.

366

The quality of the problems is very high; it is hard to find poor ones! In summer you can combine a bouldering session with swimming in the river, whose waters are not as icy as those in the Val di Melloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s river.

Bagni di Masino

Ersaf Belvedere

La coda del dinosauro

N N

I tornanti Camping Lo scoiattolo

San Martino

La foresta

Bagni di Masino (ÂŠ Claudio Raboni)

367

Bagni di Masino Ersaf

BOULDER 29. LA SFINGE A – 7a One hard move; sit start B – 6b Crimps on vertical slab C – 6a Sharp arête

BOULDER 30. SASSO MAGNAGHI A – 6b Nice arête; sit start B – 5c Follows a vertical rib C – 6a Technical slab

BOULDER 31. IL RE DEI LEMURI A - IL RE DEI LEMURI 8a+ Exceptional line. Hyperathletic. A top out that requires a bit of nerve; sit start

426

Maximiliano Piazza, Il re dei lemuri, 8a+ (ÂŠA. Ciscato)

427

Location: Luogo Santo, Italy - Climber: Gabriele Moroni

soft reinvented fuRiA S

dRAgo

ChimERA

Ultra soft and sensitive. SCArPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Soft Line for a barefoot-like experience with excellent prehensile grabbing ability and maximum toe sensitivity.